Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has scaled back its plans to launch two brand-new river cruise ships in 2014. Now, Travel Weekly reports that the line will now only be launching one ship next year.

Uniworld had announced its intention to introduce two new ships for the 2014 season: the S.S. Catherine, sister-ship to the highly successful S.S. Antoinette; and the S.S. Alexandra, which was to be a sister-ship to the smaller, more classically styled 132-guest River Royale.

The line has scrapped plans for the S.S. Alexandra – but its decision to do so may not have been as dramatic as it first sounds.

When Uniworld announced last year that it intended to construct a sister-ship to the River Royale, the news caught our attention. After all, with so much media attention focused on the striking S.S. Antoinette (and, frankly, the positive feedback from guests), straying from the winning formula of the S.S. Antoinette seemed to be an unusual decision.

Fortunately, there’s good reason to be excited about S.S. Antoinette’s new sister ship, the S.S. Catherine. Designed to sail France’s Rhone and Saone rivers, S.S. Catherine will be given an interior design that is truly befitting her new home, thanks to Uniworld’s exclusive partnership with Red Carnation Hotel Collection. She will be capable of carrying 164 guests and will be given all of the features that made the S.S. Antoinette such a success for the line with uncommon amenities like an indoor swimming pool and retractable glass balcony windows for use in any weather.

The S.S. Catherine is still on-track to debut in the spring of 2014.

More information on Uniworld Boutique River Cruises can be found by viewing our dedicated company and fleet overview here on River Cruise Advisor.