United Waterways provides management services to over 100 river vessels andcan have a newbuild ready in about two years if it’s chartered for 10 years plus.

“We provide white-label services. You provide the customer base, we provide ships and the infrastructure and operate in the background, and you look like you own and operate the ship,” said Sascha Gill, CEO of the company.

Gill said a classic ship can be chartered quickly, and if an operator wants to charter for more than a year, livery changes and interior refurbishments are not a problem.

Newbuild Designs

With space constrained due to river geography, newbuilds are carefully designed, Gill said. “The dimensions are the same, so we can think about having a two-and-a-half deck or three-deck ship and setting the space up differently.”

Guest capacities can range from 140 to 200.

“The main differentiation is on the shore excursion and experience side, plus the entertainment aboard and the food concept,” Gill told Cruise Industry News.

Sustainability

United Waterways is pushing forward with cutting carbon emissions. What is coming before 2030 is a big step toward decarbonization as refits will see ships change over to operate on methanol and biodiesel, along with battery packs.

Expect newbuilds to go the same way, Gill said.

“With new operators coming in, the most important thing to have is infrastructure,” Gill advised. “You cannot enter the market without it.”

That means access to docking stations in prime locations near city centers, of which United Waterways controls many.

Gill added that the company also has areas to lay up ships during the shoulder season to get work done, as well as harbors in Germany and the Netherlands, and is working on two more locations.

No Brakes

The American consumer has not slowed down at all for Gill’s client base, and the potential continues to build for more European-based sourcing, as well as more long-term charters to China- and Japan-based tour operators.

Shoulder season is getting shorter, showing the development of the market, Gill noted, meaning a rush to refurbish ships in a short time. Challenges of years past, such as water levels, are less of a concern these days.

United Waterways has also opened its own school in Bratislava to train new officers, with a program to train ocean cadets to become licensed officers on the rivers.