World’s first ‘millennial cruise’ may already have missed the millennial boat

The tropes used to market stuff to “millennials” are familiar to anyone with an internet connection: Experiential and immersive, Instagram-optimized, cheaper than the standard option, and complete with USB ports.

Yet when it comes to travel, the millennial moniker is being used especially indiscriminately by marketers these days. AirFrance named it’s new low-cost, long-haul airline “Joon” (which rhymes with the French word for young, jeune) to get the demographic on board, while millennial-focused tour operator Contiki commissioned a report from a Columbia business school social psychologist to show how travel turns us into “global citizens.” And don’t forget Marriot’s play to take a shot at Airbnb with space-saving furniture and “furiously fast and free Wi-Fi” at its new Moxy Hotel in New York.

But perhaps the most over-the-top example of millennial marketing is a new cruise concept from luxury cruise operator Uniworld. Launching in April 2018, the “U by Uniworld” river cruise will be open only to 21 to 45 year olds. Offering what it calls “immersive experiences along popular rivers across Europe,” it comes equipped with a literal boatload of made-for-Instagram features: two rooftop venues, farm to table cuisine complete with peanut butter bacon bars and quinoa burgers, silent discos, mixologists, yoga classes, and an all-matte black exterior.

The October unveiling of one of the first of two ships—which is depicted in the video above by two influencer guests (start at 16:00)—included what a press release described as “a drum circle creating a spiritual energy onboard, sabering champagne on the top deck, and a renaming ceremony where guests released bio degradable lanterns.” The ship even comes with its very own brand ambassador: Victoria’s Secret model Petra Nemcova.