Uniworld strikes Gold with combination cruises and tours aimed at Aussies

• Uniworld is expanding – four more ships and a new tours company.
• The ever-popular luxury river cruise line has already found huge support for its combination tours.
• The line’s President visited Sydney to talk about growth.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has announced a new partnership with premium tour operator Luxury Gold, unveiling a series of combined cruise-and-tour itineraries designed for travellers who want a deeper, longer luxury experience on land and water.

The news was revealed by Uniworld’s President of 10 years and CEO Ellen Bettridge, alongside Alice Ager, Managing Director Australia/New Zealand.

The new “combo” itineraries are already generating strong demand.

The partnership will see Uniworld and Luxury Gold sell integrated cruise-and-tour journeys, blending Uniworld’s all-inclusive river cruising with Luxury Gold’s escorted land touring in destinations where a ship can’t go.

A natural fit

Bettridge told an audience in Sydney the partnership was driven by the overlap between the two brands’ customers.

“If you look at who the Luxury Gold customer is, and who the Uniworld customer is, it’s the same customer,” she said. “So why are we not talking to them in the same way?”

The new combined journeys allow Uniworld guests to extend their holiday beyond the river, connecting cities, regions and countries into seamless longer journeys.

River cruisers are looking at longer experiences – and combinations fulfill that wish.

Explains Bettridge: “Do I want to take a river cruise every year? Of course I do. Are they going to? No.

“They’re going to take a river cruise one year and they’re going to take a tour another. And now I’m going to take a cruise and a tour together.”

20-night itineraries

The new program includes longer itineraries tailored to the Australian market, including 20-night journeys combining major cities with river cruising.

One example Bettridge highlighted includes travel through Spain and Portugal — starting in Madrid, travelling overland, and then joining a river cruise.

“These are 20-night experiences… going to places where we could never take a ship,” she said.

The partnership also expands Uniworld’s reach into destinations where Luxury Gold already has strength, including Japan, Canada, South Africa and South America, broadening Uniworld’s portfolio well beyond traditional European river routes.

Strong early sales

Bettridge said the rollout will be staged, with 2026 operating as a transition year.

From 2027, the partnership will sit fully under Uniworld’s leadership.

“Going into 2027, it will be 100% under myself and my team.”

Today’s announcement comes as Uniworld prepares for significant fleet expansion, with Bettridge confirming a major capacity increase between 2026 and 2027.

“We are seeing an increase in capacity… of 17% going from 2026 to 2027,” she said.

Uniworld doubling down on luxury

While the new partnership marks a major evolution, Bettridge stressed Uniworld’s signature boutique style will not change — even as new ships join the fleet.

“Our ships are going to always continue to be different, and to look different,” she said.

“You will never walk on board a Uniworld ship… and say, ‘Oh, I’m on the same ship I took… anywhere in the world.’ That will not change.”

Ager pointed to Uniworld’s culinary reputation as a defining feature of the brand, highlighting that the company employs its own culinary teams rather than using contractors, and sources fresh produce frequently along the route.

See our full report on the itineraries offered here.

For more on Uniworld, go here.