U by Uniworld – The Launch Review

In early October I was flown to Paris to be one of the first agents to experience U by Uniworld’s new product on board one of their ships, The B.

As a travel designer, influencer and lover of luxury ships, I was excited to immerse myself in on board life and review the brand of U by Uniworld which has been created for millennials aged 21 – 45 to be able to experience Europe in style. U by Uniworld is the first brand to foray into the market of river cruising for a younger crowd that want more choice and flexibility and I was ready to make history with them on their first sailing.

I was joined by a group of the worlds top influencers, writers and agents for a five day preview of their eight day Seine experience that runs from Paris to Paris with an official renaming ceremony by U’s guardian angel, supermodel, and philanthropist, Petra Nemcova.

If you’re considering sailing with U by Uniworld or looking to experience Europe in an exciting new way, Here is the low down on everything you need to know and what to expect.

 

The Ships

We sailed on board The B, which is the ship that will be used for France. They also have a sister ship with an identical layout, The A, which will be used on itineraries throughout The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia & Hungary.

Think of your new waterfront home as a floating boutique hotel that houses all of the amenities you would expect from a five star property but allows you to unpack once and sight see as you travel.

 

A balcony cabin where you can lay in bed and watch the world sail by

The Cabins

There are three cabin types on board that cater for different preferences and budgets. I highly recommend The Balcony cabins as they are only a fraction more in cost above the Studios and they give you all the extra views and fresh air, or if budget allows, The Suite.

The Studio is your lead in category and has two large, square porthole style windows. The cabins are on the smaller side but they have ample storage built in for you to unpack and move freely. You can request a double or two singles – Just bear in mind that if you are requesting the two singles that they are touching, you want to make sure you like the person you’re travelling with or request a divider to be placed in between – You know the type you see in business class that you can raise up to not see the person sitting next to you. They also have two cabins on each ship that cater to three people travelling, A Studio Triple.

The Balcony is the cabin pictured above and while it has the same size and features as The Studio, You also have the benefit of a French Balcony that gives you floor to ceiling views and opportunity to open the door and allow that beautiful European breeze to flow through.

The Suite is the top level of accommodation on board and an absolute must if having more space is of value to you. There are four Suites on board each ship.

 

Picture yourself sitting here and making new friends over tapas and a cocktail in Europe

The Food

Their is a full service restaurant on board where you have brunch and dinner included in your sailing. The chefs prepare meals based off a farm to table principle where only the freshest local produce is used to emulate local dishes from the region you are sailing in alongside traditional comfort food.

There is also a casual rooftop eatery, snacks available in the lounge and room service which are all purchased on demand.

 

Get ready to have all the fun here in the Ice Bar

The Drinks

The ships have two bars on board, The Lounge and the The Ice Bar.

The Lounge Bar is located on the Upstairs Deck behind reception at the bow of the ship. It gives you incredible views while sailing and a host of booths and lounges to relax in.

The Ice Bar is on the Rooftop Deck, It also collapses into the deck to create an open air space at different times throughout your sailing.

The crew on board know how to make a drink and they bent over backwards to cater to every request – My pick is a Moscow Mule or an Espresso Martini 😉

Local DJ’s are brought on board for entertainment and they also had my favourite, The silent disco, where we were all given headsets with three different channels to choose from while dancing the night away.

Cycling through Rouen on one of U’s custom bicycles

The Tours

There is so much to do on these sailings as they have a wide range of included activities alongside additional U Time experiences that are designed by local experts to showcase an insiders view of the destination you are visiting.

We sampled excursions like cycling through Rouen, A private tour of Versailles and breakfast on a glass-roofed gastronomy bus in Paris.

You can also choose to stay on board and enjoy the ship with some down time or partake in a host of on board activities like yoga, painting with wine, chef’s cooking classes or a mixology class. I also loved sitting on the rooftop with a drink and watching the scenery as we sailed past.

 

Photo opportunities every where you look on board

The Amenities

The ship is not shy of facilities, It houses a well-equipped gym, self-serve laundry, spa room, coffee refueling station, reception, lounge bar, restaurant, state of the art bicycles to use as apart of a city tour or to take out on demand and a stylish top deck to chill out or party.

There is also wifi everywhere on board and its free –  I know that would be an expectation in 2017 but it’s not always easy to come by on ships so I was pleasantly surprised that it covered all my social media needs as well as giving me quick uploads for work on my laptop.

 

The stunning lobby which was the background of many a group selfie – There is a built in photo booth on the left too

The Crew

This team made the sailing everything it was and more. They were fun, passionate about their work, professional and quickly became friends and family while on board.

Anything you asked was always met with an absolute can do attitude, smile and sometimes a cheeky joke… Including the laughs I got when having breakfast delivered to bed after a little too much fun at the welcome party.

 

Take me back to the rooftop, please

Choose your cruise

Now you just need to choose which cruise to do, Although I can guarantee it may be more than one. They have six sailings on offer and three of those can be combined to create one longer itinerary.

The Seine Experience – 8 days from Paris to Paris

Rolling on The Rhine – 8 days from Amsterdam to Frankfurt – Combine with Germany’s Finest & The Danube Flow

Germany’s Finest – 8 days from Frankfurt to Regensburg – Combine with Rolling on The Rhine & The Danube Flow

The Danube Flow – 8 days from Regensburg to Budapest – Combine with Rolling on The Rhine & Germany’s Finest

Dashing Through the Danube – 8 days from Regensburg to Budapest in December to get you in the Christmas Spirit

A Merry Little Christmas – 4 days from Budapest to Budapest to experience that Christmas Magic

Cheers to a wonderful experience on U by Uniworld

If you’d like more information on sailing with U by Uniworld from someone who has, Please leave me a comment below or send me an email at hello@wildheartedworld.com

Closing out the trip with an iconic Paris shot