Many have heard of Venice being described as “The Floating City,” and for good reason. The city does indeed seem to float, with hundreds of canals located around the beautiful and historic city. However, a new cruise ship is attempting to bring the antique and artistic style of Venice to life inside their cruise ships. Enter Uniworld’s new luxury liner: the S.S. La Venezia takes on a lot of antique Venetian design and has been compared to The Orient Express, but on the water. The S.S. La Venezia is slated to cruise throughout parts of the Venetian Lagoon and into Northern Italy during the 2021 season.
[post_page_title]A holistic experience[/post_page_title]
The S.S. La Venezia is a brand-new addition to the Uniworld cruise line’s collection, which seeks to embody the locations it travels to. The design for the Venezia was specifically created by Fortuny, a design house that has been operating in Venice since 1921 — fo, almost 100 years. The company creates handmade fabrics, which will be showing up on the Venezia in the coming year. Those fabrics are utterly unique, and their crafting is a secret only Fortuny knows.
Fortuny is not the only component that gives the Venezia its Venetian flair, however. The glass work, fabric prints, and opulent wallpaper all give the Venezia a distinct art deco feel. Rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows, and many of the floors are inlaid and made of high quality material.
Toni Tollman, one of the artistic directors for the Uniworld line, says that every single aspect of the Venezia is designed to call back to some important aspect of Venice. From porticos that resemble the iconic bridges, to wall and cloth designs that call to local cuisine and food, to other signature crafts and culture of Venice… every part of the boat is designed to remind the passenger of where they are and where they are going.
[post_page_title]An exclusive sailaway[/post_page_title]
It should be noted that all is not golden and clean for the S.S. La Venezia, though. Recently, Venice has banned large cruise ships from the city center, and many citizens of the city are protesting against them. In addition, the city has considered adding a tax to people who come to visit only for the day. For travelers, this does not mean that The Floating City is completely off limits, but it does present a handicap for the Venezia to overcome before it sets sail in 2021. Hopefully, Venice will be willing to welcome one more boat into their many canals, and the S.S. La Venezia can find itself in the city it was made for.
