CRUISE NEWS
Top trends for 2022 What does cruising have in store next year? We asked Australia’s top experts. Their verdict: the big winners will be lines offering security, luxury and flexibility. Tallis Boerne Marcus reports.
/ LUXURY TAKES OFF Regent Seven Seas Cruises UK managing director Graham Sadler said earlier this year that “business is ramping up now and it will explode in the coming months”. The ultra-luxury cruise line then celebrated a record-breaking launch day when its 2024 world cruise sold out in under three hours. “It all demonstrates that the appetite for luxury travel continues to grow… we see little easing of demand for our unrivalled space and luxury,” says Mr Sadler. RSSC’s sister brand Oceania Cruises also recently set a single-day booking record, beating out its previous record by nearly 60 per cent. This followed the buzz around its new vessel Vista, which is set to start sailing in April 2023. “The tremendous wave of bookings we saw on the day we opened sales for Vista underscores the extraordinary demand for our acclaimed small-ship, destination-focused vacations,” says Oceania Cruises president and CEO Bob Binder. Michelle Levins, director of My Cruise Concierge, says cruisers are willing to pay the big prices to get the luxury they’re after. “Our luxury clients, while everyone loves a great price, are focused more on the value they receive with the onboard and offshore experiences on offer. “Viking, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Ponant, just to name a few, are brands that our clients are seeking out more as they move up from premium cruising and into the luxury, more inclusive market.” Kathy Pavlidis from Travel Associates is seeing similar patterns, also for brands such as river-cruise line Uniworld, Silversea, Ponant, Regent and Oceania. “There are a lot of ‘revenge cruise bookings’ going on at the moment, with longer and multiple trips being booked,” says Ms Pavlidis. 10
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/ EXPEDITION BOOMS It appears not only are people looking forward to luxury, but cruisers are looking for more unique destinations. More cruise lines are launching expedition vessels, with companies such as Viking and Seabourn branching into polar-class ships. “Expedition cruising is on the rise with high-yielding clients seeking luxury experiences in remote destinations. Even typical non-cruisers are venturing on expedition voyages, as cruises can reach many areas that can’t be done via land,” says Ms Levins. “Bucket-list places are high on the list, especially the Arctic and Antarctica. I think 2020 has taught us not to wait to do that trip in five or 10 years, as we never know what may be around the corner.” Lines are also offering more intrepid destinations. Aurora Expeditions, for instance, has added Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia as well as Papua New Guinea to its list of 2023 itineraries. The ships have also become a base for scientists, with Celebrity Flora, based in the Galapagos, and Hurtigruten and Ponant vessels sailing with fully equipped laboratories on board, taking guests from being observers of exploration to feeling like explorers and researchers themselves. / EUROPE STILL THE CRUISING HOTSPOT Europe has long been one of the most attractive cruising regions, and nothing has changed. But with month after month of border closures, there is more pent-up demand than ever. It’s been a soft
