Welcome to a new age of travel

When Richard Branson launched Virgin Atlantic almost 40 years ago, most of the established airlines laughed out loud. An airline that was fun? That didn’t treat its passengers as if they were lucky to get a seat? The incumbents muttered into their drinks that it was an experiment that was bound to fail.

They were wrong.

Travel is back, and in this edition of Cruise&Travel we celebrate a sector brought to a standstill by the pandemic but now innovating to survive and thrive.

It’s not just that two years of absence have made the heart grow fonder. It’s also that we have learned to treasure what we get from travel much more. As a result, fresh perspectives on how we can experience travel are now on offer.

The number of luxury hotels in the world is expected to almost double by 2030 – it’s growing at a rate of 5 percent a year. Many hotel brands are branching out: Aman and Four Seasons Resorts now operate private jets tours, limited to small groups who want the very best at any price.

Aman Private Jet Expeditions for instance, are limited to eight or nine couples. Travellers fly aboard an Airbus ACJ 318 or

319, with private cars, drivers and guides in between. The upcoming expedition, named The Grandest Tour, delights guests with a 21-night experience to nine Aman properties in nine different destinations – from Japan to Laos through to India and Greece, and finishing in Italy.

But it comes at a price: $6,949 a day or $152,888 per person.

The Ritz-Carlton is set to launch a yacht collection. And in Shanghai, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is built into the walls of an abandoned quarry. Eighteen floors are under water, you can dine in an underwater restaurant surrounded by thousands of fish, and guests can kayak around the quarry or scale 88 meters of cliff face.

Destinations are also experiencing a roaring renaissance. Nile river ships operated by luxury brands such Abercrombie & Kent, are selling out, as are African safaris and journeys to the polar regions. The new travel maxim is: “If not now, when?”

Cruising is also experiencing a strong resurgence. A flotilla of vessels with fresh design features is sliding down the slipways and finding fans among those who once would never have considered holidays on the water.

In the luxury and ultra-luxury areas, we can’t wait to see Seven Seas Grandeur. We carry some of the architectural designs in this edition, and the craft that has gone into planning the ship’s public spaces would easily win architectural awards on land. It is bringing art and architecture to the high seas. It’s time to dust off the bucket list! CT

Peter Lynch, Editor-in-chief and publisher

Travel

March 2023

Editor-in-chief and publisher

Peter Lynch peter.lynch@bigsplashmedia.com.au

Editor Bernadette Chua bernadette@bigsplashmedia.com.au

Executive editor

Teresa Ooi teresa@bigsplashmedia.com.au

Sub editor

Claire Waddell

Art director Catherine Martin

Commercial director

Phil Mahony phil@bigsplashmedia.com.au

Advertising sales manager

Vida Folden vida@bigsplashmedia.com.au

Contributors and writers

Tallis Boerne Marcus, Sue Bryant, Bernadette Chua, Emma Featherstone, Louise Goldsbury, Fiona Harper, Gabriella Le Breton, Teresa Ooi, Gabrielle Sander

Subscriptions

Phone 02 8227 6486 – Australia

Phone +612 8227 6400 – International cruisepassenger.com.au/magazine

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Cover: Penguin-spotting in Antarctica. cruisepassenger.com.au

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Luxe

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Cruise&Travel magazine is published by Big Splash Media Pty Ltd Suite 206, Level 2 46a Macleay Street

Potts Point, Sydney 2011 bigsplashmedia.com.au

Phone: +61 2 9356 8888

Managing director

Peter Lynch

Don’t try to leave, Argentina…

Argentinians understand the essentials of life: football, tango, food, football and fun.

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Contents / Autumn 2023 Contents MULTI MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS 46

Skiing with the super-rich

Where private jets, bulletproof chalets and ski butlers are the norms.

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Last word