U by UNIWORLD targets millennials

IAN STALKER

UNIWORLD is U-pbeat about a new offering for those in the 21 to 45 years-old age bracket.
Michelle Palma, UNIWORLD’s vice-president of sales for Canada, says U by UNIWORLD has two dedicated ships – named the A and the B – that will offer European river sailings specifically for millennials.
The A will sail on the Rhine and the Rhone, offering week-long itineraries, while the B will have one-week cruises on France’s Seine River.
The cruises begin in April but can be booked now at ubyuniworld.com.
Palma said UNIWORLD carefully studied the prospect of sailings solely for those aged 21 to 45 before deciding to offer them.
“We did a lot of research,” she said during a recent Toronto event. “We found they [millennials] wanted to do cruises but didn’t necessarily want to sail with families and grandparents.
They want to be with people their own age.
“The feedback has been incredible. Agents are really excited.”
Those who go on the U by UNIWORLD cruises will find excursions and on-board events UNIWORLD says will particularly appeal to their age bracket. Among on-board activities are tips on mixology, and “silent disco,” which has people listening and dancing to music only they can hear, thanks to headphones. “You walk into the room and it’s dead silent and everyone’s dancing,” Palma stated.
Energetic sorts can opt for the likes of rock-climbing and kayaking.
Meanwhile, Palma said there’s a lot of interest in this country in UNIWORLD’s “exotic” sailings, including India, where passengers will find themselves on an all-suite ship that can carry 56 passengers and 26 staff.
Other exotic options cited by Palma include Vietnam and Cambodia, with Palma saying UNIWORLD has the “most luxurious ship on the Mekong River.”
Palma also praised her company’s Nile River sailings, adding that Egypt cruises have “really started to bounce back in the last six months.”
Meanwhile, Palma said UNIWORLD’s Joie de Vivre vessel is a tribute to 1920s Paris and is at “the absolute heart of the Parisian experience.”
Palma said all UNIWORLD vessels differ. “We’re not a cookie-cutter cruise line.”
Some UNIWORLD vessels have over $2 million worth of artwork, she continued.
The gathering was also told by Brett Tollman, head Of The Travel Corporation, that UNIWORLD offers an unparalleled river cruising experience. “You want luxury and you want the finest and that is UNIWORLD.”