River cruising has a lot more potential to grow among Asian travellers, said Henry Yu, managing director, Asia, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.
In an interview with TTGmice, he added that there was increasing awareness of river cruising and the Uniworld brand.
“If they travel with us this year, 70 per cent of our customers will return within the next three years, and bring more customers back,” he said.
He observed that customers were also making bookings earlier. Meanwhile, its Rhine and Danube river cruises remain the most popular cruises, although there is growing interest in its southern France and Bordeaux itineraries.
This year, Uniworld’s new Super Ship, the S.S. Victoria, set sail in March, starting from Amsterdam on an eight-day Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time cruise, then on to an eight-day Castles Along the Rhine trip from Basel to Amsterdam, before cruising along the Magnificent Moselle and Rhine itinerary for 10 days.
The ship, with 55 suites and staterooms, can accommodate up to 110 guests. The biggest Royal Suite is a sizeable 47m2, while the suites range from 22m2 to 23.5m2.
Launching in 2025 will be the S.S. Elisabeth, the sister ship to S.S. Victoria, which boasts two Royal Suites at 47m2 that can be combined with an adjoining suite next door to create an even bigger 70.5m2.
Uniworld has also launched new themed cruises this year, which includes sailing with Michelin-star celebrity chefs, Robert van Rijsbergen, Uniworld’s culinary director, and Taiwanese chef Thomas Chien.
There is also a Pearl Wedding Anniversary sailing with Chinese news anchor, Ho Rong, in November on an eight-day Enchanting Danube itinerary from Budapest to Passau.
Holiday season cruises are also open for booking, with seven itineraries on the Rhine and Danube rivers, taking passengers to various Christmas markets across Western and Central Europe.
Yu emphasised that Uniworld can provide all the necessary logistical arrangements, including transfers, food and beverage, and activities for charters.
For corporate charters, venues and function rooms are also available, with places such as the lounge, bar, restaurant and sun deck that can be utilised as meeting venues.
