Traveling with My Daughters

You know me as Ellen Bettridge, CEO of Uniworld, but I’m also a proud mother of two daughters. Some of my most beloved memories with Grace & Abby are of our travels together. I’m so lucky to have been able to bring my girls all over the world as they were growing up, introducing them to new places and cultures and broadening their horizons. Even now, when both of my kids have grown into adults, our trips are treasured opportunities to bond and enjoy life together. Keep scrolling to find some of my favorite cruises I’ve taken with my daughters below!

EGYPT
In 2023, my younger daughter Abby and I flew to Egypt to launch the first leg of Uniworld’s 2023 Rivers of the World Cruise. Abby has told me since that this was the best trip of her life. It was amazing to see the way that travel left its mark on a young mind, giving her a newfound appreciation for modern Egyptian culture and a renewed interest in history. Truly, the educational nature of this trip cannot be beaten.

BORDEAUX
One year, my elder daughter Grace and I traveled to Bordeaux with my sister and her daughter. We didn’t pass up a single opportunity to enjoy the region’s incredible wines on this trip, but the memory we all treasure the most is probably an early morning hike up the sand dunes. We woke up at the crack of dawn together to catch the sunrise, and the resulting view was incredible.

THE DANUBE
After becoming Uniworld’s CEO, the Danube was the first place I took my entire family on a trip together. It’s a classic river cruising destination, and the ease of a river cruise means you really get to know your destinations and spend great quality time with your family simultaneously, something many mothers will know is hard to juggle with most other travel styles. My husband, Jack, and daughters still rave about that view of the Parliament building—unobstructed and beautifully illuminated—when we sailed past it at night. Grace loves art, so Uniworld’s Morning with the Masters private visit to Vienna’s Art History Museum was a must-do for our family.

THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Another trip I was able to bring Jack and both of my daughters on—and probably a family favorite—was our Rhine Holiday Markets cruise. It’s a great choice for families because no one, no matter their age, can resist the undeniable magic of the Christmas Markets. We bonded over gluhwein (or the non-alcoholic iteration, kinderpunsch, for my youngest) and collected the colorful mugs from each market along the way.