Come early 2018, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection will begin a new program dedicated specifically to those aged 18 to 40-squarely encompassing millennials like yours truly-called U by Uniworld.
Across the board, the push to attract a younger clientele in the cruise industry is unmistakable as youthful generations are emerging on par with boomers as those most frequently selecting voyages both at sea and on the river. In fact, younger families are already the target of the partnership between Adventures by Disney and AmaWaterways on its riverboats with programming catering to parents and children alike.
U by Uniworld, on the other hand, is not concerned with children but only young adults. Most recently, the company released a statement about its leveraging of trends to drive innovation, and specific to 18 to 35-year-olds, it cites AAA Market Research that indicates that my generation is more responsive to the river cruise lifestyle than older ones. In fact, 58 percent of the age group found authentic travel to be most appealing.
[READMORE]READ MORE: U By Uniworld Millennial-Focused River Cruises to Debut in Early 2018[/READMORE]
So, the brand has endeavored to customize two of its ships-the River Baroness and the River Ambassador-for U by Uniworld with longer stays in town, a focus on regional and nighttime experiences, a fresh culinary program, mixologists, communal dining and international disc jockey. It is a smart strategy and one that certainly resonates with me.
Especially interesting is that a pair of riverboats will be renovated to our tastes, making the vessels more contemporary in the public areas and open spaces according to the line. Whether or not that will extend to private cabins is to be seen. Such a remodel is a particularly good move because some Uniworld ships are rather ostentatious in design with far too much in the way of Baroque styling.
[READMORE]READ MORE: AmaWaterways Launches AmaViola and Expands Adventures by Disney Partnership[/READMORE]
The River Ambassador is already a more tastefully designed ship with fewer gold accents and mirrored surfaces. It will still require a discerning eye to modernize the 1993-launched vessel further, however. To begin with, its existing soft neutral colors are a solid base, but ornate fixtures, furnishings, railings and picture frames have got to go. Hopefully, the unnecessary abundance of wall art, tacky headboards and golden draperies in the staterooms will also be on the way out. They simply clash with the timeless marble bathrooms.
In the end, it's the software that matters most, but Uniworld's dedication to the hardware is a very promising sign of where this new product can head in the future-something that Fathom's departing Adonia should have considered. There may even be a separate brand that could emerge with its own custom-built ships. After all, the line is already taking cues from its sister companies Contiki and Busabout.
I also wonder if the company would ever consider a name change because Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is easily the longest and most pretentious title of any international cruise line. U by Uniworld is short and sweet. A simple name like Uniworld River Cruises would certainly roll off the tongue easier as well.
In either case, I look forward to the chance to experience more time in port onboard and ashore discovering Europe, its culture and its people, and U by Uniworld is set to go on sale next month in March 2017 with its own brochures and website soon being unveiled. Plus, it's even ready for social media also with the hashtag #AllAboutU.
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