DELRAY BEACH, FL, Jan. 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection proudly announces a royal godmother for their third Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa , debuting spring 2015. A direct descendent of the great Maria Theresa of the powerful Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty, Princess Anita von Hohenberg -- great-granddaughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg -- will christen her ancestor's namesake ship on March 26, 2015 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands .
Princess Anita comes from a long line of Habsburgs, one of Europe's oldest sovereign families , dating back to the 15th century. The much beloved Maria Theresa, the Archduchess of Austria and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire , reigned from 1740 to 1780 as the only female ruler of the Habsburg Empire , as well as one of its most successful.
For the past three decades, Princess Anita has served as the Managing Director and owner of the centuries-old Artstetten Castle and Estate in Lower Austria . The former summer residence of the Imperial family, the castle today is open to the public and serves as the final resting place of the Heir to the Throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este and his wife, Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg, whose assassination in 1914 set off a chain of events that led to World War I. Visitors from around the world come to see the castle each year, including many Uniworld guests , who are invited to tour the castle and crypt and share a glass of Champagne with Princess Anita at an exclusive private reception.
"It's a great honor for me to represent the Habsburg family in Amsterdam and to christen Uniworld's new Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa , in honor of the great Maria Theresa," states Princess Anita von Hohenberg. "My family and I are also very thankful to welcome so many people from all over the world to the Artstetten Castle. We have had so many amicable encounters with Uniworld guests during our hosted receptions . It's a great pleasure to get to know them and share more about Austria and European history and life in the European Union today. We find many of the guests' ancestry rooted in Central Europe, so they are fascinated by the history of the Habsburgs."
Princess Anita oversees a number of important exhibitions at the castle, including " To Rule All & To Lose All: Kaiser Karl - the Challenge of Peace, " which marked the 100-year anniversary of her great-grandparents' tragic and historic deaths. Fluent in four languages, the princess shares her passion for nature, art, history, literature, and education with her husband and four grown children.
"We are absolutely ecstatic to have Princess Anita von Hohenberg as the godmother of our newest Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa ," said Guy Young, President of Uniworld . "There is no one more deserving of this honor than the direct descendent of Maria Theresa herself , who ruled for 40 years over an extraordinary and far-reaching empire."
The S.S. Maria Theresa will cruise the Danube River through the heart of Maria Theresa's vast former empire on Uniworld's " European Jewels " voyage from Budapest to Amsterdam. She will also serve the line's popular " Tulips & Windmills ," " Danube Holiday Markets ," and " Enchanting Christmas & New Year's Cruise " itineraries.
For more details, please visit uniworld.com . Join Uniworld's social media community at facebook.com/uniworldrivercruises or twitter.com/uniworldcruises .
About Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection --the world's only authentic boutique cruise line™--features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, exclusive excursions, gourmet cuisine, and the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry. Based in Los Angeles, California, Uniworld offers truly all-inclusive itineraries in Europe, as well as voyages in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia, India, and Egypt--a total of 22 rivers in 29 countries worldwide. Uniworld is a member of CLIA and is highly regarded by discerning travelers, media, and cruise industry experts:
- Listed among the "World's Best River Cruises" by Travel + Leisure , and recognized for "World's Best Service" in the River Cruise category
- Seven ships listed among Travel + Leisure's "Top 20 River Ships," with River Countess rated highest of all cruise ships (river & ocean)
- Included on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List for seven years (2008 - 2014)
- Top 3 ranking on Condé Nast Traveler's "Top Ten Cruise Lines" (river & ocean)
- Top 4 ranking on Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards for 'Top Cruise Lines" (2014)
- Named "Best Luxury River Cruise Line" by Cruise International (2012 - 2014)
- Named "Best Culinary Cruise Line" by readers of SAVEUR (2014)
About The TreadRight Foundation
At Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and parent company The Travel Corporation , we understand that travel matters; it allows us to explore the world and gain a deeper understanding of each destination, its history and culture, through enriching experiences. We also recognize that it is our responsibility to help protect the places we visit and take care of the world around us.
Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's family of brands, The TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit that works to help ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant and preserved for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has donated more than USD 2.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is proud to be active founder and supporter of TreadRight's projects and work. Go to www.uniworld.com/giving-back to learn more.
TreadRight's guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism development through conservation, leadership and support for communities. We encourage each of our partners to use this principle to guide all of their actions, whether at our regional offices or when taking guests around the world. By providing grants to organizations that encourage sustainability in different destinations, we hope to maintain the natural attractions across the world that defines each unique region. Foundation priorities are set by the Steering Committee, which includes sustainability leaders like Céline Cousteau and Costas Christ.
To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, please visit us at TreadRight.org .
Susan Chou Public Relations Coordinator Twitter: @Susan_TravCorp E-mail: Susan.Chou(at)TravCorpUSA.com Arnelle Kendall Vice President of Public Relations Twitter: @ArnelleKendall E-mail: akendall(at)uniworld.com The Travel Corporation USA 636 East Atlantic Avenue Suite 203 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Telephone: 561.330.0850
