Uniworld Boutique River Cruises to add three newbuilds to fleet in 2027

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises plans to add three new vessels to its fleet and an exclusive yacht charter in Indonesia in 2027 as part of its “most extensive collection to date”.

The newbuilds will be Super Ships with capacity for around 150 passengers each.

The SS Audrey and SS Marlene will sail on European rivers and have a similar layout to sister ship SS Emilie set to debut in 2026.

The new vessels will pay homage to “cinematic glamour” and are named after actors Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich.

The other newbuild, SS São Rafael, will join SS São Gabriel on the Douro River in Portugal.

Uniworld will also offer two sailings around the islands of Indonesia on an exclusive charter of expedition yacht Aqua Blu, with hotel stays in Bali and Singapore bookending the 13-night itinerary.

The 2027 programme will feature five other new itineraries in Europe and Asia, including an 11-night ’Paris, Prague & Germany’s Hidden Gems’ and an 11-night ’Scenic Rhine, Paris & the Swiss Alps’ on SS Audrey, a 14-night ’European Gems’ cruise on SS Emilie, a 16-night ’Grand Highlights of the Danube’ on SS Marlene and a nine-night ’Castles Along the Rhine’.

Uniworld UK & Ireland managing director Chris Townson revealed 2025 will be another record year for the UK with sales are up 18% on a record year in 2024.

Next year is also on track to be record-breaking already with sales already 48% up on 2025 levels.

Average selling prices are up 12% with longer stays, and 2026 and 2027 are “the same again”.

He added agents could expect more land options in future offerings and the river cruise operator was already in talks with Seabourn to create more combined ocean and river itineraries in 2027.

Townson said: “We are continuing to see a boom as we are in this bubble of 65-year-old customers with money wanting to spend on experiences, despite the doom and gloom of the economy.

“Our trade partners are in that ultra-luxury bubble as well and finding the same situation.”

He added: “This collection is a great opportunity for UK agents and we have our core partners we are engaging with.

“We need to get everything into action for our new ships and itineraries and keep innovating.”

Uniworld national account manager Lee Evanson added the strategy for how UK agents could support filling capacity on the new ships was in the planning stages, with meetings in London and Manchester with existing partners organised for the coming weeks.

“Four new ships in two years is super exciting and in the last few years we have hosted 13 conferences and fam trips on board, more than 100 agents on SS Victoria, a fam trip in India last year and that will continue to be the strategy going forward,” he said.

“We will lean on our existing partners who will be comfortable selling river and critical to our success.”

Uniworld chief executive and president Ellen Bettridge said the newest Super Ships and Aqua Blu charter marked “an exciting chapter of growth and continued elevation”.

She added: “2027 is shaping up to be a landmark year for us at Uniworld as we introduce four remarkable new ships to our guests and a range of itineraries that blend cultural immersion, luxury and adventure.”