To your left, levies
er on his fourth Uniworld trip.
Pausing to talk in Ravenna’s central piazza after a 90-minute bus ride to reach the city, Congemi says he misses the flexibility and free time of Uniworld voyages on Germany’s Rhine River and Portugal’s Duoro River.
Not that Congemi or other passengers are complaining about what they’re seeing. In Ravenna, a walking tour of the historic downtown includes a stop at the nearly 1,500-yearold, mosaic-covered Basilica of San Vitale, one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture in Europe, as well as the tomb of 13th-century poet Dante.
In Bologna, guides lead passengers through the well-preserved historical center to its two iconic leaning towers, and in Verona, the schedule includes a visit to a massive Roman amphitheater that dates to 30 A.D.
Still, the highlight of the trip is Venice, where the River Countess spends nearly half the week. The ship docks at the canallined city on the first, second and seventh nights of the itinerary, serving as a floating hotel as passengers explore such famed attractions as St. Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace and the Rialto Bridge.
Venice also is the jumping-off point for a day trip by bus to Padua, a partially walled town known for a chapel covered in frescoes by 14th-century painter Giotto.
Cruising up the Po River is a fairly ho-hum experience (levies mostly block the view of the countryside), but the trip includes scenic sailing around Venice and the surrounding Venice Lagoon, which is a hit with passengers. Still, this isn’t a cruise for lovers of long afternoons gazing at passing scenery.
Many passengers say the best thing about the ship is that it offers a hassle-free way to tour the northeastern part of Italy without packing and unpacking multiple times to move from town to town.
Renovated in 2012, the River Countess offers a level of comfort that isn’t widely available in some local towns, with upscale cabins that feature marble-lined bathrooms and beds topped with fluffy European duvets. The ship has a rich, stylish decor that includes a vibrant turquoise-dom- inated bar area and a white-and-gold dining room. Service is efficient, elegant and friendly.
Add to that some of the world’s most enchanting sites, and Uniworld is banking on success.