River Cruises Go Mainstream in Print and on Television

River cruising got a tremendous publicity boost last week in a 1,200-word Boston Globe feature that quickly followed U by Uniworld’s appearance on the highly rated television reality show, “The Bachelor.”

In the newspaper article, entitled “Take Me to the River,” Boston Globe correspondent Diane Bair wrote about her experience on the Viking Mekong.

She described “gliding along the rice paddies and stilt houses of the Mekong River, including a visit with a local family,” and dining on a Cambodian family-style dinner that included fried tarantulas.

Her experience was what cruise consumers might experience on a large ocean-going vessel, “minus the surf pools, casinos, Broadway shows, and zip-lines. In short: Minus the glitz, the ocean, and most of the people.”

She said that “river cruises are great if you’re interested in destination immersion and want to forge a community with other travelers onboard in a more intimate venue.”

Bair described the itinerary as incredible, including the temples of Siam Reap, remarking how the immersive experiences on her journey are expanding to Cambodia, India’s Ganges, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, and Portugal’s Douro River.

She calls an African river cruise with a game safari “a trip that’s on our must-do list.”

Other cruise lines mentioned in the Boston Globe article include Amadeus River Cruises, Avalon Waterways, Crystal River Cruises, and Emerald Waterways.

Bair asks readers if Uniworld and other river cruise companies will be successful in attracting Millennials. “Hard to say,” she replies to her own question, “but Uniworld’s move may be a sign of where riverboats are heading, to more and varied excursions and a more fun, casual onboard vibe.”

Meanwhile, contestants on The Bachelor enjoyed U by Uniworld’s soon-to-launch The B ship on the Seine River, and the river cruise company announced its “U Get the Rose” romance package for its Millennial target customers.

The package starts at $150 a night and includes a bottle of wine, a rose petal turndown service, breakfast in bed, an evening movie on the ship’s deck, an evening experience for two at the Eiffel Tower, and an evening sleeping under the stars on the top deck in a luxury tent for two.