Luxury Travel Talk: Uniworld, TTC & Seabourn unpack insights, trends at exclusive event

What does luxury mean to you?

Is it the art of slowing down and finding peace away from the noise?

Is it indulging in something special—just for yourself?

Is it stepping beyond the familiar, and exploring new places you’ve always dreamed of – and getting there in a luxurious way?

Those were just a few of the questions posed to an audience of nearly 60 travel enthusiasts at the Art Gallery of Burlington – in Burlington, ON – on Tuesday evening (Nov. 11), during an exclusive “Luxury Travel Talk” event that explored the world of high-end land, river, and ocean travel.

Hosted by a trio of boldfaced names, each representing iconic brands – Aaron Crawford, business development manager at Seabourn; Brenda Bradley, sales manager at TTC Tour Brands; and Ernie Balint, regional sales manager at Uniworld Boutique River Cruises – the night invited both travel advisors (and their clients) to discover once-in-a-lifetime experiences from across the globe.

The luxury-focused event – launched by Crawford and Balint in May and since expanded to include additional suppliers – was designed to support travel advisors to inspire meaningful conversations with clients about planning their next big journey.

“Luxury Travel Talks” have landed in various communities over the past year, from London and Hamilton in Ontario to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Next year, it may expand to Manitoba and other cities in Atlantic Canada.

“It’s about helping travel advisors introduce their clients to the different ways people can experience travel – especially since there are so many options out there,” Balint told PAX at last night’s Burlington stop.

Not your average trade show

The whole idea “started from a place of luxury,” Crawford added.

“We wanted to step outside of the regular trade show box and promote luxury in a unique way,” he said.

From ocean and expedition voyages with Seabourn to unique land exploration with TTC Tour Brands – operator of Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Brendan Vacations, Trafalgar, Contiki, and Costsaver – to high-end river cruises with Uniworld, all three companies are about “immersive travel at the luxury level,” Crawford explained.

“There’s great alignment,” he said. “We share a lot of the same clients and same travel advisors that would be promoting our products.”

“We're trying encourage clients – and travel advisors – to think about luxury differently.” 

Luxury for all

The night underscored that luxury is a personal concept — and that experiencing it doesn’t always require an extravagant budget (although it’s nice to have one).

“Luxury is available to everyone – it’s not always about breaking the bank,” Bradley pointed out.

And depending on how adventurous your client is, there are ways for luxury brands to complement one another.

“You could take a coach tour with Luxury Gold or Insight Vacations and then hop on a Uniworld river ship, and then take a Seabourn cruise down to Antarctica,” Bradley suggested. “There are so many ways to see the world.”

It’s a timely conversation, especially as consumers plan their trips further in advance. Bradley noted that she’s already seeing TTC bookings as far out as 2027.

There’s also significance in seeing three brands come together that, in some respects, compete within the same space — with Uniworld under The Travel Corporation and Seabourn part of Carnival Corp.

“It’s important to show travel advisors that we’re in this together,” Crawford said. “There might be some competition, but really, we're promoting luxury, and whichever brand you pick, there’s hopefully going to be some crossover.”

All eyes on TTC Tour Brands

As waiters circulated with hors d'oeuvres, Bradley, Crawford and Balint each stepped up to a podium to break down the essentials of their product.

Focusing on TTC’s luxury side, Bradley unpacked Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold.

Insight Vacations is a premium tour operator that offers guided trips to destinations worldwide, including Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, aboard business class-style coaches with extra legroom, hand-picked itineraries that include sightseeing and local experiences, four and five-star hotels and attentive tour directors.

Tours usually holds 36 to 38 people, or clients can opt for a Small Group experience with 20-24 travellers.

Bradley noted that guests with Insight Vacations can often access popular attractions – like famous museums – after hours, without the crowds.

Insight has 10 new destinations on offer, including Patagonia, on the southern tip of South America, “which has already caused a huge buzz,” Bradley told PAX.

Luxury Gold, meanwhile, is one level up, offering an all-inclusive tour that involves smaller groups (no more than 24), unique VIP experiences (like a private tour of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, after hours), concierge-level service, 5-star accommodations, and high-end dining.

As for TTC’s other brands, Brandan Vacations (which specializes in Ireland and Scotland) has launched a Small Group travel style for 2026, capping tours at 18 to 24 guests.

“Guests will have the opportunity to stay at the finest places – like Ashford Castle [in Ireland] for example,” Bradley said.

Chauffeur-driven holidays also continue to be popular, she added.

Additionally, Contiki – traditionally known for its youth-driven group tours gears towards 18–35-year-olds – has expanded its age range. It’s now 18 to 45, Bradley said.

“You could have a Mom and Dad, travelling with their 18 or 19-year-old that's just finished school, sharing a Contiki experience,” she said.

Ocean & expedition with Seabourn

Seabourn, on the other hand, is an ultra-luxury cruise line that specializes in ocean and expedition cruising, aboard yacht-like ships, to destinations all over the world, in a service-oriented, concierge-level, all-inclusive setting, with Michelin-level dining.

On the ocean, Seabourn’s largest ships hold 600 guests; its smallest hold 450 guests.

The company’s two expedition ships – Seabourn Venture and the Seabourn Pursuit, built for exploring remote places, with features like submarines, Zodiacs, and kayaks – hold just 264 guests.

Crawford explained how Seabourn, being a small-ship cruise line, often takes travellers to “destinations they might have never heard of before.”  

Polar plunges, private dinners at UNESCO sites, unlimited champagne and caviar…Hey, have you heard of “Caviar in the Surf?”

This is one of Seabourn’s signature experiences, where uniformed staff step into the water and invite guests to join them at a surfboard bar, serving chilled champagne and caviar right in the shallows.

“It’s as decadent as it sounds…and worth every moment,” Crawford said.

Crawford told PAX that Seabourn, these days, is leaning into voyages that enter the unknown – like the cliff-lined waterways of the Kimberley region in Northern Australia, or the Canadian Arctic’s Northwest Passage (an epic voyage that sails from Reykjavik, Iceland to Anchorage, Alaska).

Uniworld’s growing fleet

Then there’s Uniworld, an upscale river cruise line, offering journeys along rivers across Europe, Egypt, India, Peru, and Southeast Asia.

Known for its boutique-style ships—each designed to reflect the culture and character of the regions they navigate—Uniworld, with all-inclusive pricing, encompasses everything from fine wines and guided excursions, ensuring a seamless and indulgent journey.

Something to watch is Uniworld’s growing fleet of new and upcoming Super Ships.

This includes the S.S. Emilie, debuting in 2026; the S.S. Elisabeth, which debuted earlier this year, and the S.S. Victoria, which set sail in 2024 – all in Europe – expanding the line’s fleet size by over 10 per cent since 2020.

The company will also unveil four ships and six new itineraries in 2027.

This includes three builds – the S.S. Audrey, S.S. Marlene, and S.S. São Rafael on Portugal’s Douro River – as well as exclusive sailings on the 15-cabin Aqua Blu, marking the brand’s debut in Singapore and Indonesia.

“We’re really scaling our brand, and fleet, to meet the demand,” Balint said.

Uniworld is also starting to integrate pre and post extensions into itineraries as well.

So instead of offering an eight-day itinerary, Uniworld will do a 10-day trip, with already-included stays (in Vienna, for example) as part of pre or post extension.

“This way there is no worry in figuring out where clients are going to stay,” he said. “It's put together for them in one pretty package.”

Trends to watch

Bradley, Crawford and Balint took a moment to share the trends they’re tracking in luxury travel. 

“Small groups are becoming super powerful,” Bradley told PAX, referring to coach tours.

This, in addition to itineraries that involve multiple nights in one destination and relaxed start times, she said.

At Seabourn, there’s a shift towards European destinations, while expedition continues to be strong, said Crawford.

“Clients are really looking for unique destinations, remote locations… stuff they haven't done before,” he said.

More travellers are also starting to see “huge value” in the luxury space, Crawford said – especially when cruises, expeditions, or tours, are all-inclusive.

And the booking window? Crawford said he is already seeing requests for Seabourn cruises into 2028.

When asked how Seabourn will stand out in today’s crowded expedition market, Crawford highlighted the brand’s ability to offer 26 expedition specialists on board, which brings “so much more value.”

Uniworld is seeing similar booking activity. “Guests are booking further out – well into 2027,” Balint said.

Bookings for 2026 are also filling quickly, but more travellers are realizing they can’t afford to wait.

“River cruising is such a finite product,” Balint said. “There are only so many staterooms, and itineraries, available.”

Uniworld is seeing a spike in the exotics – like Egypt – and more new-to-brand customers, Balint said.

“They want everything curated for them and they don’t want to think about a single thing once they get on board,” he said. “And they want less people.”

Which aligns with Uniworld – in Europe, the company’s ships average between 100 to 130 guests; elsewhere, it can range between 32 and 86. 

As for standing out in the crowded river cruise space – Celebrity, for one, will start sailing Europe’s rivers in 2027 – Balint said “there's still a lot of space on the rivers,” adding that “every experience is different.”

He views Celebrity entering the river market as a good thing as it will put a “huge spotlight on river cruising, which is only going to amplify demand [for river cruising] over the next few years.”

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