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FleetFlash

SEPTEMBER 2026

Contents A Message from Ben

A New Chapter for FleetFlash Awaits

Mystery Cruises 2026

Sustainability Gastronomy Day

Blood Donation

Giving Back Beyond the Fleet

RadiantFleet Update

Employees of the Month

Hotel Manager of the Month

Promotions

Team Building and Activities

Onboarding Activities

Social Media Digest

Open Positions

Recruitment Fairs in 2026

Guest Comments

Anniversaries

Recipe of the Month

Just Sayin’ - Share your ideas

Subscribe to Uniworld’s Newsletter

Our Contributors BEN WIRZ | Managing Director MYLÈNE BRISINGER | Recruiting Marketing Manager NAFI WERNSING | Employer Branding & Social Media Specialist JULIE HIGGINS | Senior Director of Sustainability & Strategic Hotel Operations UNIWORLD & TRAFALGAR HOTEL MANAGERS ASTRID VELDWIJK | Efficiency Manager LIESEL STRUB| IT Project Manager and Coordinator SHANNON GUIHAN | Chief Sustainability Officer TTC

A MESSAGE FROM BEN Managing Director Dear all, I hope you and your loved ones are keeping well. As we move through September, I want to take a moment to celebrate what we've achieved together this year—and to acknowledge your voice in making it happen. Our 2026 employee survey shows real progress: overall satisfaction has risen by 12 points to 63.4%, and positive feedback has climbed to nearly 40%. This isn't a coincidence. You told us what matters most—recognition, respect, working conditions, and being genuinely heard—and we've listened and acted. Here's what you helped us build: Recognition is real now. Fifty percent of you now feel valued for your work, up from 36%. Our Employee of the Month programme, performance bonuses, and awards gala celebrate your achievements, crew-wide.

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🌍 Your wellbeing matters. Privacy curtains in cabins, mental health first aid training for leaders, the NotMe app as a safe space to speak up—we're building a culture where you truly belong.

🎓 Leadership is learning. New coaching, mentorship tracks, competency frameworks, and leadership training mean the people guiding you are growing too. That consistency and respect you wanted—we're building it.

🤝 We are building functioning teams. Sustainable Gastronomy Day, international housekeeping weeks, our Rheinfelden team getaway, blood donation drives, and volunteering initiatives—they show who we are: a crew that looks after each other and the communities we serve.

A detailed breakdown of 2026 survey results will be shared separately in the coming weeks, along with Q&A on our action plans and how to continue contributing your voice. I also want to acknowledge the difficult circumstances we've navigated this year. Low water levels on key European waterways and persistent schedule deviations have tested us all—our crews adapting to uncertainty, our teams making daily decisions, our guests managing disrupted itineraries. Your professionalism, flexibility, and grace under pressure have not gone unnoticed. I'm grateful. Thank you for being there, especially during the challenging times. Thank you for your hard work, your flexibility, and your commitment to our guests and to each other. Warm regards, Ben Wirz

FLEETFLASH

A New Chapter for FleetFlash Awaits Hello everyone, Some of you may already know me, but for those we haven't met yet, my name is Nafi Wernsing, and I recently joined the People & Culture team as Employer Branding & Social Media Specialist. As part of my role, I am excited to take over the creation and coordination of FleetFlash. This publication has become a wonderful way of sharing stories, celebrating achievements, and staying connected across our ships and offices, and I am delighted to continue that tradition. Before looking ahead, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mylène Brisinger for her dedication, creativity, and hard work in bringing FleetFlash to life over the years. Her efforts have helped create a platform that keeps our teams informed, engaged, and connected, and I am grateful for the strong foundation she leaves behind. As many of you know, our company is entering an exciting new chapter. With the ongoing rebranding journey, the introduction of Trafalgar River Cruises, and the continued evolution of The Travel Corporation, there is a great deal happening across our business. These developments will also be reflected in FleetFlash. Over the coming editions, you can expect a refreshed look and feel, new content ideas, and even more stories that showcase the people behind our success. Most importantly, I want FleetFlash to be a publication that reflects what you want to read about. Whether it's crew achievements, office news, personal milestones, life onboard, behind-the-scenes stories, or exciting projects, your experiences will continue to be at the heart of every issue. I'm looking forward to working with all of you and bringing even more of our incredible stories to life. Here's to the next chapter of FleetFlash and the exciting journey ahead! Nafi Wernsing Employer Branding & Social Media Specialist

ONBOARD EVENT

Mystery Cruises 2026 A special year for Uniworld

Celebrating 50 years of river cruising, the company is introducing its first-ever Grand Mystery Cruise, alongside other special events and experiences throughout the year. This makes the 2026 Mystery Cruise concept especially appealing to travellers looking for something beyond a traditional river cruise. Rather than simply following a familiar route along the Rhine, Danube or another European waterway, guests can enjoy the excitement of not knowing exactly what comes next. Our crew is what transforms the Mystery Cruise from simply travelling to an unknown destination into a truly immersive journey. The destinations may be a surprise, but the warmth, professionalism and hospitality of the Uniworld crew remain a reassuring constant throughout the voyage. Scan the QR below to view all the pictures and share the experience!

RHEINFELDEN OFFICE

Sustainable Gastronomy Day A Taste of Local Sustainability

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To celebrate World Sustainable Gastronomy Day, we brought sustainability a little closer to home — quite literally! Our office barbecue was all about local food, local producers and good company. We chose ingredients sourced from local producers and worked with them to create a delicious barbecue for our team to enjoy together. It was a simple but meaningful way to celebrate sustainable gastronomy: supporting local businesses, enjoying fresh regional products and appreciating the people behind the food we share.

Blood Donation

A Big Thank You to Our Blood Donation Heroes! We would like to give a big shout-out — and an even bigger thank you — to our brave volunteers who generously donated blood! Damla Can, Johanna Starck, Christian Woigk, Peter Ernst and Joanna Wnent stepped up to make a meaningful difference, showing once again what can be achieved through compassion, generosity and teamwork. Their contribution is not only a wonderful gesture of solidarity, but also a reminder that even a small act can have a life-changing impact on others. The positive energy, enthusiasm and incredible team spirit made this initiative truly special.

❤ 👏️

We are incredibly proud of you and deeply grateful for your generosity and commitment. Thank you for making a difference! ️

View on Viva Engage

VOLUNTEERING DAYS

Giving Back Beyond the Fleet Dear Incredible People across the Fleet,

Recently, about two years ago, I spent a few days volunteering at my community’s Summer School. Every year, our municipality hosts a Summer School for children aged 6 to 12. The programme supports children who have been in the Netherlands for less than four years, those with learning challenges, and families in financial need. Its focus is on strengthening their Dutch language skills and encouraging social interaction during the summer. Children who are new to the Netherlands often speak their native language at home. To help them maintain and develop their Dutch, we organised fun and engaging activities centred around the Dutch language. Over two weeks, the children took part in lessons covering speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as activities such as sports, healthy living, art, culture, technology, nature, theatre and dance. They made new friends and strengthened their social connections through sports, games and creative activities. This year’s theme was “Travel Around the World”, with a focus on Antarctica, Africa and Australia. We learned about the animals, cultures and musical instruments unique to each continent. We created penguins from paper, made didgeridoos and African drums, and the children were captivated by stories of majestic elephants, fascinating penguins and the wonders of the Australian outback. The Summer School helps children develop valuable knowledge and skills while preparing them for the new school year. It was also a wonderful social experience, giving the children the opportunity to make new friends, have fun and enjoy a memorable summer. An additional benefit for us as Uniworld employees is the opportunity to engage in volunteer work during our regular working hours. We track our company’s volunteer hours each year, and at the moment, we have already accumulated an impressive 1,453 volunteer hours! Have you volunteered in your home country? I would love to hear about your experience! If you need inspiration or guidance on where to start, don’t hesitate to reach out, I would be happy to help: astrid.veldwijk@uniworld.com. Thank you all, and keep making a difference! Best wishes, Astrid

RADIANTFLEET

New in the Crew Portal: Employment Confirmations at Your Fingertips Need proof of employment for a bank, landlord, government office, or other official purpose? Good news! Crew members can now generate their own employment confirmations directly through the Crew Portal whenever they need them. The new feature has been designed to make the process quick, easy, and accurate. Depending on your employment status, the system will automatically generate the appropriate document, whether you need confirmation of your current employment or confirmation of a completed contract.

Generating letters can be found in the “My Contracts” section in the crew portal. Why this matters Available whenever you need it No need to contact People & Culture for standard employment confirmations Automatically generated based on your employment status Faster access to important documents

✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

This is another step toward making the Crew Portal a more convenient self-service hub, giving crew members greater access to important information and documents at any time. Coming Soon The RadiantFleet team is also developing a new FAQ section within the Crew Portal. This feature will provide access to helpful guides, instructions, and answers to frequently asked questions, making it easier for crew members to find the information they need whenever they need it. More details will be shared once the feature becomes available. Fleet Flash Editor's Note: Magdalena Duda highlighted this update during the latest RadiantFleet development update, and it represents one of the most crew-focused enhancements released this year.

CREW

Employees of the Month Congratulations to our EOM for their outstanding work and dedication!

S.S ANTOINETTE

ROK SVIGELJ KOREVEC | STATEROOM ATTENDANT | MAY

LUCIAN MARCU | ENGINEER | JUNE

YULIYAN DIMITROV | KITCHEN STEWARD | JULY

S.S BEATRICE

DUSKO KICIC | STATEROOM ATTENDANT | MAY

DANAIL BORICHEV | SENIOR CHEF DE PARTIE | S.S. BON VOYAGE | MAY

DANIJEL KITIC | SENIOR HOUSEKEEPER| JUNE

S.S LA VENEZIA

MARGARITA VERCELLA MARCHESE | WAITRESS | MAY

ANA CARNEIRO | RECEPTIONIST | JUNE

MAROS VANTA | UTILITY | JULY

S.S VICTORIA

RASTISLAV FUNA | SENIOR CHEF DE PARTIE | MAY

NIKOLAY RASHKOV| EXECUTIVE CHEF | JUNE

S.S. ELISABETH

GUSTI JAYANTARA | JUNIOR CHEF | JUNE

ILINA YORDANOVA | RECEPTIONIST | JULY

S.S JOIE DE VIVRE

JULIA RATYNSKA | WAITRESS | JUNE

JANICE LOPES DOS REIS | RECEPTIONNIST | JULY

TRAFALGAR VERITY

IVAN MITSOV | STATEROOM ATTENDANT | JUNE

TRAFALGAR REVERIE

RICHARD HAJDONI | JUNIOR CHEF DE PARTIE | MAY

LUBOS JANCOVIC | ENGINEER| JULY

CREW

Hotel Manager of the Month

MIREL ZAPCIROIU | S.S. VICTORIA | MAY

LUCAS MULLER | S.S. BEATRICE | JULY

CREW

Promotions Ivana Panayotova (Top Left) Stateroom Attendant Night Receptionist / Day Receptionist Relief.

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Gonzalo Zacarias (Bottom Right) Day Receptionist Purser.

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We’re delighted to celebrate two welldeserved promotions within our crew! Congratulations to Gonzalo Zacarias on his promotion to Purser and to Ivana Panayotova on her new role as Night Receptionist / Day Receptionist Relief. It’s always a pleasure to see our colleagues grow, develop their skills and take the next step in their careers with Uniworld. Wishing you both every success in your new roles!

🌟

RHEINFELDEN

Team Building and Activities

Beyond the Workplace: Team Bonding in Toggenburg After several years without a team getaway, the Rheinfelden team finally had the opportunity to spend some time together outside the workplace, heading to the beautiful Toggenburg region in Switzerland for a few days of team bonding, fresh air and plenty of laughter. The team explored the surrounding mountains on foot, taking in the scenery while enjoying time together away from their usual routines. Along the way, they took part in a variety of team bonding activities, putting collaboration, creativity and a little competitive spirit to the test. One of the highlights was a traditional Swiss yodelling course, giving everyone the chance to try something completely different and, perhaps, discover a few hidden talents within the team! More than anything, the trip was a chance to reconnect, get to know one another in a different setting and create new memories together. This team bonding was a special opportunity for the Rheinfelden team to step away from the day-to-day in the office and simply enjoy being together in the stunning Swiss Alps.

ONBOARD

SPA EVENING

FRONT DESK TEAM BUILDING S.S. LA VENEZIA

Onboard Activities SSE 1. CM Rik and HM Karolina getting ready for our Golden Party Night aboard SSE 2. Pride Month - All HODs of SSE 3. And 4. One of the crew activities organised by RM Csilla and the team - Hitster Bingo lots of fun 5. Practise make master - Crew Safety Drill on SSE

SOCIAL MEDIA DIGEST We are pleased to share pictures/videos from the ships and our offices during June, July and August 2026. Click on the picture to view the content online.

#Sommelier #insideuniworld

#DayOfTheSeafarer #insideuniworld

#Pizzanight #UWChefs

#EmployeesoftheMonth

#Apprenticeship

#onboardteams

#recipeofthemonth

#Adayonboard #Well-being

#YogaDay

#shipview #sunset

#Captain #SSBV

#Chefs #localfood

#Frontdesk #team

#JobPromotions

#CrewCelebrations

#cruiseanniversary #guest

#PastryChef

#Nauticteam #SSLV

#MaritimeFair #Gorinchem

#teamspirit #RiverDuchess

#Employeeofthemonth #team

Thank you! 5155 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS

AND LET’S CONTINUE EXPANDING OUR COMMUNITY EVEN FURTHER THROUGHOUT THE 2026 SEASON!

Follow, Like & Share ! #INSIDEUNIWORLD

@INSIDE.UNIWORLD

RECRUITMENT

Open Positions Click on the images to view the full job description. Referrals are accepted exclusively through the online application form.

EVENTS

Recruitment Fairs in 2026 The recruitment team will attend the following fairs until the end of 2026. Stay tuned for the coming dates and help us spread the word across our social media platforms with the hashtag #insideuniworld

30.10.2026 Lurdy Konferencia, Budapest Cruisejob Fair

GUEST COMMENTS

River Duchess - European Jewels “Have done many ocean cruises but this was our first river cruise. Very much enjoyed our first experience and would recommend it to anyone. Service was exceptional throughout the ship. All staff and crew were very friendly and polite, nothing was too much trouble as far as service and assistance goes. Keep up the great service.“ - Deborah -

S.S. Antoinette - Remarkable Rhine & Historic Holland “The staff work so well together and Luis did a fantastic job organising the tours. Adi and Rafaele were absolutely amazing in the restaurant and my room was cleaned exceptionally well by Anna. Everyone person I had dealings with were so friendly and helpful and it was definitely a 10/10 experience. Thank you to all on SS Antoinette for making my trip so special.!“ - Vickie -

S.S. Beatrice - Highlights of Eastern Europe “This cruise EXCEEDED my expectations! I loved all of the staff, especially Charletta (Spanish young woman, Charlotte) who was our server and took amazing care of my whole family. She was amazing and we want to adopt her! Also special shout out to the day time woman who ran the front desk, short blonde hair, she was fantastic! We all loved Alexandra the wellness coach, and she gave me an incredible massage that was AMAZING!“ - Paula -

S.S. Bon Voyage - Brilliant Bordeaux “I have taken many Uniworld cruises over the last 16 years, and the customer service provided by Uniworld staff is always exceptional. Hotel Managers Roberto Da Silva and Ruben Santos were both outstanding, very visible and approachable, while seamlessly managing all hotel operations. Cruise Managers Daniele Nannetti and Emmanuelle Bonneau did an excellent job providing passengers with information about the various excursions and organizing the groups. They were also very helpful, readily answering questions and assisting with securing the floating deposits. I appreciate the recent change to the breakfast service as the buffet was less crowded and the hot food arrived hot! I also appreciate the variety of excursions that Uniworld offers and the inclusion of a gentle walker group as an option for the walking tours. On this trip, I noted that information was provided in case guests wanted to explore on their own and guests were told they could leave the tour at any time. I thought this was great! While I enjoy the information the local guides provide, if I am revisiting a location, I do enjoy having more free time to explore on my own.“ - Carol -

S.S. Catherine - Burgundy & Provence “Staff is fantastic however the stand outs were Emmanuelle with her daily insightful and witty information session regarding tours and towns. I would like to express my gratitude to Remus, Daniel, Denis, Aleksander, Raofel, Lena, Ivonna and Paula for going the extra mile and making the cruise unforgettable. “ - Anne -

S.S. Elisabeth - Castles Along the Rhine “I thought the staff was superb. I would single out for excellent service Martin, in the bar Solvino and Denis, in dining Norman, Hristo and Qomar. Also the tour guides spoke good English and i appreciated the Toil car device that worked with my hearing aids. If our family can find a cruise that fits for 2027 we will be with you again..“ - Dick -

S.S. Emilie - Capital Cities of the Danube “This was our 2nd Uniworld cruise and we are already booked for 2027 and we put down a deposit for 2028. Excellent service, accomodations, enjoyed the dining room experience. Appreciate the private/extra excursions that Uniworld offers: tunnel tour, Royal palace tour in Belgrade, Belvedere at night. We had great guides on all excursions: included and masterpiece. Enjoyed seeing a couple familiar crew members from our Danube cruise last year: Alex and Istvan“ - Laura -

S.S. Joie de Vivre - Paris & Normandy “This is our third cruise on Uniworld and we must say it was the BEST. Mirela who took care of our room ... always made it feel like home daily. Marinela was always so sweet each day and always had something nice to say to us. Ruben at the front desk always had a smile and ALWAYS ready to answer our questions. Robert in the dining room he found out we loved the cheese platter with our wine and made sure we had a selection of cheese each evening. Govanzo ‘G’ our bartender made the BEST martini and each night he very happily knew what I wanted and had it ready for me. Michael our Mr Wine oh my gosh ... he knew his wine and a couple of times he’d come over to suggest a different wine for my main course. Artemios our Greek waiter was so knowledgeable about all our food, but he was also just a great waiter. Katerina was an delight in the dinning room“ - Terry -

S.S. La Venezia - Rome, Venice & the Jewels of Veneto “This was the first ever river cruise and first overseas vacation for me. We had an amazing time and that is a credit to the UniWorld staff. Daniela, our waitress, was such an amazing host to us during the meals. We sincerely left the tour as friends! Of course everyone was fantastic, but she really went out of her way to make us feel special!“ Deborah -

S.S. Maria Theresa - Enchanting Danube “We had a wonderful experience across the board. Veronika, Rodrigo, Lucas, and Dez were standouts but we really had a great experience with everyone we encountered. Looking forward to traveling with you again in the future.“ - Jason -

S.S. Victoria - Castles Along the Rhine “First river cruise and will definitely do again on a uniworld cruise. Maria was just great. Our nighttime entertainment was great. We especially enjoyed dancing as we made friends with other passengers so evening entertainment was made super fun. Dining- food was excellent!! Some of our favorite servers were Angii, Martin, Ramos, Laszlo. Everyone was great, these just were very attentive to us. Overall we would recommend SS Victoria and Uniworld to others. Great experience!!!“ - Jennifer -

Trafalgar Reverie - Best of the Danube “Loved everything so much. This was our first river Cruise and it did not disappoint. I did not use the well-being coach for services, but saw her throughout the cruise assisting in other areas. We loved Daniella, Laira, Brandy, Mihaela, Christian, and Fabio. All were excellent. We did not have even a single disappointing experience with any staff onboard. One little addition to consider-I would have loved a ?throw blanket? to use at different times in the room, instead of having to get under the big comforter/quilt when napping. It would be great for relaxing in the room. It?s a simple suggestion to consider. Everything was so wonderful!!“ - Mary Helen -

Trafalgar Verity - Best of the Rhine & Amsterdam “I cannot say enough good things about the staff. They were extraordinary. I (inevitably) interacted most with servers, and I would choose another Trafalgar cruise based on getting to see Slawomir and Jose again.“ - Laura -

ANNIVERSARIES

September 2026 Let us celebrate the dedication and loyalty of our team members who have reached significant milestones with Uniworld/GRC during the period May – September 2026.

Congratulations for their 5 years of work anniversary: Viorel-Mihai MARCU – 1st Captain Kalin Stefanov KAVRAKOV – 1st Engineer Zhivko Atanasov ANANIEV – Stateroom Attendant Lucas MONTALBANO – 2nd Engineer

Congratulations for their 10 years of work anniversary: Marina JANIC – Purser Milos KOZIC – Sous Chef Arthur PETRI – 1st Captain Daniela SPIRCACI – Purser Eddys SULIMAN – 1st Engineer

Congratulations for their 15 years of work anniversary: Stoyan Yordanov YOVCHEV – Executive Chef Simeon Kostadinov IVANOV – Executive Chef Sorin Adrian CUTUI – Restaurant Manager Aleksandar CHOBANOV – Pastry Chef Silvia DUMITRU – Hotel Manager

Congratulations for their 20 years of work anniversary: Emilia MADRIGAL – Head of Learning, Development & Culture Michal FURKA – Senior Executive Chef

Thank you all for your dedication, commitment, and contributions to our organization. Your loyalty and hard work are truly valued.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Garden Delight INGREDIENTS 2 Fresh Peaches / 2 pcs Red Endive / 2pcs Baby Romaine / 100gr Sliced Jamon / 8pcs Baby Mozzarella / 150ml French Dressing / 10ml Yuzu Oil / 10ml Basil oil / Fresh Water cress optional / Potato Crisp

DIRECTIONS 1. Slice the peaches into elegant wedges and grill them in foaming butter until lightly caramelized, achieving attractive grill marks and a subtle sweetness 2. Trim the baby romaine and cut into delicate wedges. Carefully separate the red endive into individual leaves and refresh in iced water if necessary to maintain crispness. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Prepare a classic French vinaigrette, ensuring a well-balanced emulsion. Thinly slice the jamón and allow it to come to room temperature before serving to enhance its flavour and texture. Halve the baby mozzarella and season lightly with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. To assemble, arrange the grilled peaches, baby romaine, red endive, jamón, and mozzarella harmoniously on chilled plates. Dress the leaves lightly with the French vinaigrette.

7. 8.

Add potato chips to give crunch texture Finish the dish with delicate drops of fresh yuzu oil and basil oil. Serve immediately.

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