Uniworld delays return of River Countess until September

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The earmarked return of service for Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection‘s Venice-based luxury ship River Countess has been pushed back a further two months. Originally scheduled to recommence operation this weekend after a collision with MSC Opera on 2 June, River Countess will now be out of action until early September 2019. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s River Countess, after being struck by MSC Opera on 2 June 2019 in Venice | Image credit: AP Photo/Luca Bruno The 130-passenger luxury ship, which is flagged to go into dry dock at the end of the year for a complete overhaul, is now expected to return to service on 8 September, operating from Venice to Milan. Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge said this week that, on final inspection of the ship, the damage was found to be more extensive than originally thought, requiring a longer time frame to repair. “We are as disappointed as our guests at having to cancel our remaining summer sailings aboard the River Countess, but with additional delays due to investigation by Italian authorities, we simply ran out of time to return her to her original condition,” Bettridge commented. Customers affected by the extended cancellation are being contacted by the Uniworld reservations team. “We have begun immediate outreach to our guests and travel advisor partners with this news and are offering options to rebook,” Bettridge remarked. Lead image: Photo credit: Luca Bruno

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