With the rapid expansion of river cruising, river cruise operators are finding new and innovative ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. To that end, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has announced that as of 2014, the line will begin offering all-inclusive river cruises in Europe. In doing so, they become the only North American-based river cruise line to go completely all-inclusive (however, Australian cruise operator Scenic Cruises and German operator Arosa Cruises also market to North Americans and feature all-inclusive river cruising).

“We are very pleased to provide our guests with even greater value and more convenience by offering an all-inclusive luxury cruise experience,” says Guy Young, president of Uniworld. “Similar to the high-end luxury ocean cruise lines, such as Crystal, Regent, and Silversea, Uniworld is dedicated to creating the most luxurious and worry-free experience for our valued guests. By offering an all-inclusive vacation, our guests won’t need to worry about ancillary items such as tipping as everything will be included in the price, so all our guests will need to do is relax and enjoy their vacation.”

In 2014, Uniworld’s fares will include unlimited fine wine, beer, spirits and all gratuities for onboard service and on-shore excursions. Currently, Uniworld offers fine wine and beers served during lunch and dinner, along with fully hosted shore excursions, complimentary Wi-Fi and all transfers. Spirits come at an additional charge, as do beer and wine purchased outside of lunch and dinner hours, or in the ship’s main lounge.

Only Uniworld’s European-based river cruises will offer all-inclusive. Itineraries where Uniworld uses chartered, rather than company-owned vessels (Russia and Asia), will not be included in the all-inclusive program.

More information on Uniworld Boutique River Cruises can be found by visiting our complete line and fleet overviews here on River Cruise Advisor.