If you love Italy and river cruising, good news is at hand: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has kicked off its first sailings along Italy’s Po River aboard the recently refurbished River Countess.

Available as an eight-day cruise-only itinerary or as part of a more comprehensive, 13-day journey, the river cruise portion of these itineraries takes guests roundtrip from Venice, Italy to Serravalle and Polesella, where overland excursions are offered to Ravenna, Bologna and Verona. There is also ample time to explore Venice itself, either on your own or as part of one of Uniworld’s guided tours.

In terms of distance, River Countess doesn’t travel nearly as far as her counterparts based along the Danube or the Main, but for good reason: Water levels along the Po can fluctuate wildly. Uniworld has designed an itinerary that allows the company to provide guests with a flexible itinerary — regardless of water levels.

With the costs and difficulties associated with transporting River Countess to Italy, it’s clear that Uniworld plans to offer this itinerary long term. The line has dabbled with voyages along the Po in the past, chartering vessels from other operators in the region before abandoning those plans in 2005.

Now, with its own company-owned ship operating sailings along the Po, Uniworld becomes the first U.S.-based company to offer sailings in the region that are operated with ships owned and operated by the company.

To be sure, Uniworld’s Po River itinerary is a different kind of river cruise. A glance at the itinerary shows that there is, perhaps, more excursions that require motorcoach trips than on the line’s other European itineraries.

The River Countess offers guests the same opportunity to unpack once and enjoy the comforts of the boutique ship. The cruise fare also covers on-board meals, select drinks, and numerous excursions to famous Italian locales.

If you’ve wanted to visit Italy but love the convenience and comfort that river cruising offers, Uniworld’s new itineraries along the Po should be at the top of your list.

More information on Uniworld’s Po River itineraries, its fleet, and other destinations can be found by viewing our complete Uniworld Boutique River Cruises profile here on River Cruise Advisor.