RV Mekong Jewel - a "Super Ship" class riverboat - started operations on Mekong River between Vietnam and Cambodia. Mekong Jewel is owned by Uniworld and was inaugurated on January 3. The vessel is one of the 4 new riverboats that Uniworld will launch in 2020.
SS La Venezia / ex River Countess (northern Italy) will start her operations in March. SS Sao Gabriel (newbuild 2020) cruises on Duoro River in Portugal and is scheduled for launch in April.
A fire on SS Sphinx in late-November caused the rescheduling of her launching. The ship was originally planned to enter service (cruising on Nile River in Egypt) in January 2020, but will now be inaugurated on September 26.
Mekong Jewel replaced the sistership Mekong Navigator that cruises for Uniworld in the same region since 2017.