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U by Uniworld: New River Cruise Line for Millennials


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Wow, sounds like something I would be interested in, and I'm 64. I question how many Millennials have the time and financial resources to take such a cruise. Most of the Millennials I work with have crushing student loans, are paying exorbinant rents, or are unemployed or underemployed and living at home.

 

I assume Uniworld did their marketing.

 

Roz

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They made it for me!!!!!! (I "qualify" for 6 more years)

 

If they're able to drop the price by 30-40% and market it is as a package tour but with individual freedom, I think they'll have a good shot at getting the demographic they're looking for. They're only converting their two old, smallest ships, so there won't be a huge inventory available...and there are plenty of millennials that have good jobs and disposable income, since many of us are waiting longer to have kids (if we have kids at all).

 

Things I'd guess we'd see:

-Less luxurious bedding

-Sleek, modern, and therefore cheaper decor

-Fewer hours per day spent with a paid guide

-Very few, if any drinks included

-More high-priced "hipster" cocktails and micro-brews

-Fewer bus trips

 

All of these things would lower the cost of providing the trip. Curious to see how it pans out.

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They made it for me!!!!!! (I "qualify" for 6 more years)

 

If they're able to drop the price by 30-40% and market it is as a package tour but with individual freedom, I think they'll have a good shot at getting the demographic they're looking for. They're only converting their two old, smallest ships, so there won't be a huge inventory available...and there are plenty of millennials that have good jobs and disposable income, since many of us are waiting longer to have kids (if we have kids at all).

 

Things I'd guess we'd see:

-Less luxurious bedding

-Sleek, modern, and therefore cheaper decor

-Fewer hours per day spent with a paid guide

-Very few, if any drinks included

-More high-priced "hipster" cocktails and micro-brews

-Fewer bus trips

 

All of these things would lower the cost of providing the trip. Curious to see how it pans out.

 

The other new river cruise line targeting younger passengers is Emerald -- which I see you have booked for next year. It will be interesting to see how they compare, and how they fare [no pun intended]

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  • 2 months later...

No word on this yet! I even contacted Uniworld on Twitter to ask about it, since I'm planning my 2018 travels right now and would like to consider this as an option. I got excited for March, but apparently they weren't talking about March 1. :(

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  • 2 months later...

Here is more info on the U by Uniworld itineraries, an article on Condé Nast Traveler: http://www.cntraveler.com/story/with-djs-and-bunk-beds-u-by-uniworld-river-cruises-aim-for-millennials

 

The monastery near Rüdesheim that they mention as a film location for Game of Thrones is Kloster Eberbach of "The Name of the Rose" fame. This is the trailer (which they filmed at Kloster Eberbach, not sure if they actually filmed any shots during that season at the monastery) published on the Kloster Eberbach website: http://kloster-eberbach.de/stiftung-kloster-eberbach/drehort-kloster/trailer-games-of-thrones

 

You can roam around the website a bit. You can book it for filming, hold conferences and get married there. Yes, can also just sample some wine. ;)

 

 

I like this itinerary on the Rhine also because they sail from ports at 2am, so no need to rush back from a drink in a pub or any other late evening activities on shore.

 

notamermaid

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  • 4 months later...
They made it for me!!!!!! (I "qualify" for 6 more years)

 

If they're able to drop the price by 30-40% and market it is as a package tour but with individual freedom, I think they'll have a good shot at getting the demographic they're looking for. They're only converting their two old, smallest ships, so there won't be a huge inventory available...and there are plenty of millennials that have good jobs and disposable income, since many of us are waiting longer to have kids (if we have kids at all).

 

Things I'd guess we'd see:

-Less luxurious bedding

-Sleek, modern, and therefore cheaper decor

-Fewer hours per day spent with a paid guide

-Very few, if any drinks included

-More high-priced "hipster" cocktails and micro-brews

-Fewer bus trips

 

All of these things would lower the cost of providing the trip. Curious to see how it pans out.

 

Sadly, this reeks of a corporate environment that is so out of touch with what "Millennial's" actually like. Take a old ship and throw in some tacky decor and like magic young adults are going to try river cruises? Millennials are renting AirB&B's in these cities and having their own experiences, the last thing they want is to be on a river boat that, even if they have any idea what those are, are solely for the purpose of the grandparents. To talk in Millennial speak, this ship is the least "authentic" thing about travel...

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I disagree, but time will tell. They now do Kon Tiki tours with Uniworld. My guess is a lot of surveys and feedback was received before they made this endeavor.

 

One of the items that turns people off and away, particularly the younger crowd, from river cruises is the tours. Particularly those multiple stories of tours where one basically stands and goes nowhere waiting on people that have refused to join the slow group. Here, Uniworld is setting the bar, both age and physical conditions wise. Could be a game changer. Could identified cruises for active only 50+ be next. No more walking a City block and waiting 10 minutes for some to catch up!

 

Time will tell.

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CruiseCritic has been posting pics of the finished refurbishment on its Instagram feed. Hopefully they will make their way to the Boards soon. I like the pop-up bar on the sun deck. The bunk style beds though? No thanks!

 

Robin

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Since U was designed for Millennials, U requires all their guess to between 21 and 45 years old at time of departure. Uniworld’s CEO Bettridge has stated there will be no exceptions for anyone outside the state age range.

 

This concept deserves to fail...

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We had a writer tour the ship this weekend, as well as a photographer. We'll have a full photo album next week. For now, check out our First Impressions, link below. The line also announced that it would be expanding into Asia with cruises on the Mekong. It must be selling (and I have to admit, the excursions sound really cool!)

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8128

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I was sailing with Uniworld in Italy in June and met a young man sailing with his mother. He has worked as a guide for their sister company Contiki that caters to the same demographic. He has gone to work in corporate with U. With what he was describing I predict not only will it survive but I think it will be copied by other lines fairly quickly. As the Father of 4 children from ages 22-31 who love to travel and stay in hostels, Airbnb(with the owners in the house) and various other ways I don't think the bunk bed would have bothered them in their single years. I think they have their fingers on the pulse of a certain segment of the travel market. Time will tell.

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I was sailing with Uniworld in Italy in June and met a young man sailing with his mother. He has worked as a guide for their sister company Contiki that caters to the same demographic. He has gone to work in corporate with U. With what he was describing I predict not only will it survive but I think it will be copied by other lines fairly quickly. As the Father of 4 children from ages 22-31 who love to travel and stay in hostels, Airbnb(with the owners in the house) and various other ways I don't think the bunk bed would have bothered them in their single years. I think they have their fingers on the pulse of a certain segment of the travel market. Time will tell.

 

Exactly, millennials stay in AirB&B's and hostels, why? they meet people, want to eat with them, want to cook their own food and not be constrained by a departure time of a ship. They want to do their own thing and the constraints of a cruise are not compelling to them.

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We had a writer tour the ship this weekend, as well as a photographer. We'll have a full photo album next week. For now, check out our First Impressions, link below. The line also announced that it would be expanding into Asia with cruises on the Mekong. It must be selling (and I have to admit, the excursions sound really cool!)

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8128

 

Will the photo album have cabin pictures? Of all the (3) categories?

 

I've been thinking of branching out to River cruises for awhile, and I'm in the age group, so this line has definitely sparked my interest. Loved the First Impressions post.

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They made it for me!!!!!! (I "qualify" for 6 more years)

 

If they're able to drop the price by 30-40% and market it is as a package tour but with individual freedom, I think they'll have a good shot at getting the demographic they're looking for. They're only converting their two old, smallest ships, so there won't be a huge inventory available...and there are plenty of millennials that have good jobs and disposable income, since many of us are waiting longer to have kids (if we have kids at all).

 

Things I'd guess we'd see:

-Less luxurious bedding

-Sleek, modern, and therefore cheaper decor

-Fewer hours per day spent with a paid guide

-Very few, if any drinks included

-More high-priced "hipster" cocktails and micro-brews

-Fewer bus trips

 

All of these things would lower the cost of providing the trip. Curious to see how it pans out.

 

I'm new to river cruising and would be keen to know how to compare what's included on U vs. Viking Rhine cruises.

Are there any experienced river cruisers that can quantify those differences?

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Umm, why?

 

I don't fit in their age group target, but based on my research it sounds like we would probably like the trips.

 

This is a reverse of the older adult communities, where you have to be a certain age (55+) to reside.

 

 

This concept deserves to fail...
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