Contiki to sell U by Uniworld program

UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection will capitalise on Contiki’s brand prowess to market its new youth river cruise product U by Uniworld, Cruise Weekly can exclusively reveal.

U by Uniworld was announced late last year by The Travel Corporation (the parent company of both travel brands), pitched at the “active traveller between the ages of 18 and 40” ( CW 20 Dec).

Revealing further details of the product to Cruise Weekly on Mon, TTC global ceo Brett Tollman said the program would be promoted alongside Uniworld’s 2018 core all-inclusive offering, as well as that of Contiki, providing greater exposure of the brand.

“With our expertise and experience with the millennial traveller and with Contiki and Busabout, we certainly believe there is a niche in the river cruise space to engage with and talk directly to the market,” he said.

Tollman said the age group for U by Uniworld had been nudged up a fraction compared to Contiki which is up to 35 years, hoping to appeal to the “affluent traveller”.

When it launches next year, U by Uniworld will consist of two existing ships, the River Baroness (which will operate from Paris) and the River Ambassador (to sail on the Rhine, Main and Danube).

Both ships will receive a massive renovation towards the end of the year, redesigned with a “more simple, contemporary look”, and with shared spaces and tables in the lounge and dining rooms.

“Most importantly, the itineraries have been completely redesigned to address the young traveller who wants to have an immersive and high-touch experience in a destination.

“We won’t be cruising at night for those guests who want to spend more time onshore at night - later departures in the morning, later breakfasts,” he explained to Cruise Weekly.

“U by Uniworld will be a noninclusive product, so all breakfast and half meals (so either a lunch or a dinner) will be included.”

There will be a mix of inclusions such as mixology and language classes, however some wine- and food-tastings and food classes will have a cost attached to them.

Australian millennial travellers are a key target audience, he said.

“Contiki will have U by Uniworld itineraries in their 2018 European brochure and they’ll be selling it to their closed network of youth travel specialists,” Tollman said.

The strategy aims to encourage millennials to combine a cruise with a Contiki or Busabout trip.

The U by Uniworld program will go on sale by the end of Q1 2017.