Ship manager and operator United Waterways says it will expand its B2B approach into ocean cruising, targeting the fast-growing expedition and coastal segments. Earlier this year the company announced plans to broaden its activities to include ownership of river cruise vessels. It now reports it has secured building capacity with China Merchants, reserving slots for new expedition and coastal ships.
Under its B2B concept, United Waterways would develop and build the vessels, but instead of marketing them directly to consumers, it would partner with well-known tour operators and potentially lifestyle brands. The ships would sail under partner brands. The company points to similar market moves, noting that Lindblad Expeditions plans to launch its first river cruises in 2026 through a partnership with Transcend Cruises, which follows a comparable B2B-style business model.
United Waterways says its river-cruise initiative demonstrated strong partner demand. The company previously unveiled plans for 10 river cruise ships and reports it was able to secure partners within six months, working with established brands. Those vessels are being built in Europe and, according to the company, will form a multi-fuel platform designed to comply with upcoming EU requirements.
Building on that momentum, United Waterways believes similar opportunities exist in expedition and coastal ocean cruising. It has reserved a total of eight newbuild slots at China Merchant Heavy Industry (Jiangsu)—four coastal and four expedition vessels. The program will sit under a new brand, Ocean Advice, and the company expects potential synergies with partners from its river business. United Waterways says three of the eight ships are already reserved and it aims to place the remaining slots within the next 12 months.
China Merchants highlights its track record in smaller cruise and expedition tonnage, including construction of seven expedition ships for SunStone at around 200 passengers, later chartered by major brands, with the latest unit delivered recently. CMHI has also indicated it may reduce its focus on small cruise ships due to strong demand in other shipbuilding segments.
United Waterways adds that it has two design concepts developed with Sweden’s Tillberg Design:
-
Expedition class: up to 186 passengers
-
Coastal class: up to 260 passengers
Both classes are designed around comfortable, destination-focused spaces, while their size will allow calls at hard-to-reach locations and smaller ports not accessible to larger vessels. In cooperation with China Merchants, the projects will also incorporate electrification solutions to enable hybrid configurations.
Under its agreement with CMHI, United Waterways says it has already used its first slot by signing a contract for an expedition vessel scheduled for delivery in 2028. The first coastal ship is expected to follow in 2029.
