U by Uniworld This Is Not Your Grandparent’s River Cruise!

It is no secret that river cruising is one of the best ways to see Europe.  With a river cruise, you step aboard a floating hotel and unpack once while you are ferried from one unique destination to the next.  Often you get to visit small off-the-beaten-path destinations that would be difficult if not impossible to see if travelling Europe over land.  River cruises are known for their many inclusions such as city tours and shore excursions, bicycles, and complimentary beer and wine with meals.  Buuut, traditional river cruises have long had a reputation of appealing only to more mature travelers such as retirees and empty-nesters.  However, one cruise line is attempting to change those perceptions with their new brand, U by Uniworld—the world’s first river cruise line designed specifically for the 21-45-year-old demographic.

U by Uniworld’s two ships are simply named A and B, and these ships are begging to be Instagramed, Twittered and Facebooked with their slick design and edgy modern styling.  The ships allow the modern millennial traveler to stay connected by featuring complimentary WIFi throughout and utilizing email and WhatsApp (a popular mobile messaging app) for communicating with guests in lieu of traditional daily paper itineraries.  A new U by Uniworld mobile app, which is still in development, will creatively connect travelers before, during and after their cruise. 

The A makes her home on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, flowing through The Netherlands and Central Europe.  Meanwhile, the B cruises down France’s Seine River.  Both ship’s itineraries are destination focused and include many late night or overnight departures allowing passengers to immerse themselves in the local culture.

Both ships feature three different room styles ranging from “I just need a place to stash my stuff” to "I’m going all out in a suite,” each with waterfront views.  Flying solo?  U by Uniworld has single rooms available, and feature special room rates for those traveling on their own who want to share a room with a like-minded traveler.  They’ve even added extra sound proofing to the cabins to shield sleepy travelers from the inevitable noise created by night owls returning from the rooftop lounge or the unique “silent disco.”  A host of hip and exciting onboard experiences awaits cruisers including: paint and wine classes, mixology classes, morning open air yoga classes and chef’s table cooking classes. 

   

The ships feature two venues for dining, a full-service restaurant and a casual rooftop eatery, each serving farm to table cuisine, often inspired by the destinations on the itinerary, and don’t worry vegetarians, U by Uniworld has you covered serving up many organic, vegetarian and healthy options.  If guests are in the mood for breakfast (or dinner) in bed, they can take advantage of complimentary 24 hour room service.  Two meals per day are included in the cruise fare, leaving time for travelers to experience a local meal while docked in each destination.

At every stop along the journey U by Uniworld guests will have the option to explore the destination in one of three ways:

     1)  Included excursions and activities ranging from an evening bike ride along the Danube, to a midnight stroll through the streets of Paris, a canal cruise in Amsterdam, vineyard hikes or castle tours.
2) U Time  optional outings designed by local experts to deliver authentic local experiences.

     3) Explore on your own with no set schedule in mind.  

All of us at Fairway Travel are really excited about this new way to river cruise, so let us know if you would like to be one of the first to experience U by Uniworld!   The line officially launches in April of 2018, but is taking bookings now.  Prices start at just $200 per person per night.  Additionally, U by Uniworld just announced plans for two additional ships for the future to cruise the rivers of Asia!