Uniworld will now oversee the Luxury Gold hotel business, giving the river cruise line the “superpower” to combine the experiences together from 2027 onwards.
“It’s fabulous, it’s beautiful, five-star boutique hotels, [with] Michelin star dining experiences included, and this will become part of our portfolio,” said Uniworld Managing Director Alice Ager, who shared the news with industry friends at a lavish Sydney event on Tuesday night.
In the future, it will be possible for guests to embark on a Luxury Gold itinerary called ‘British Royale’, travelling from London up to Edinburgh, then catching a quick flight to Charles de Gaulle in Paris, where they can then sail away on a seven-night Uniworld cruise into Normandy, Ager explained.
“We’re going to give it a whole new perspective. It’s going to be magic,” she said.
In addition, Uniworld will increase its ship capacity by 40% over the next five years and currently has eight new-build ships under order, including the SS Emilie, which will arrive in March.
Apollo is also keen to beef up Uniworld’s marketing and tech systems in order to “bring our brand to life in the real world with some real investment into brand awareness”.
Partnerships also play a significant role in Uniworld’s future, with the announcement of its recent collaboration with Seabourn and Aqua Expeditions.
The line has already chartered an Aqua ship to Peru and last night, Ager announced that it will also charter the Aqua Blu in Indonesia, with departures in 2027.
Uniworld will also focus on India this coming year, a destination which Ager described as “transformational” and one that “just cracked my heart open”.
“Uniworld is going to be taken to another level – we’ll be chasing the luxury traveler like never before,” said Ager.
“We’re evolving into a travel company that offers all the things to a luxury guest.”
