Luxury hotel brands expanding into cruising coupled with increased expedition demand and a growing appetite for multi-generational holidays is redefining who sails and what they expect, says one luxury travel expert.
As high-end cruise sales strengthen and with a significant pipeline of new ships coming to the market, there’s an expanding range of products to sell, and a greater need to understand the differences between emerging offerings, says Luxury Travel Collection’s head of New Zealand Kelly de Graaf.
Hotel brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Aman are taking their reputations to sea, targeting clients who may not traditionally have considered cruising. “Their small-capacity vessels, high suite ratios and hotel-style service provide agents with another option for clients seeking exclusive experiences without the scale of conventional cruise ships,” adds de Graaf.
The luxury cruise market has tripled since 2010 (in terms of ships), says CLIA which estimates that luxury cruise passenger volumes will reach around 1.29 million in 2026. In addition, more than three dozen new luxury vessels are in the pipeline.
For Kiwi agents, says de Graaf, the opportunity is to look beyond traditional cruise clients and introduce luxury cruising to existing luxury hotel, resort and bespoke holiday customers.
. . . Changes
Expedition cruising is another fast-gaining luxury traction, says de Graaf, with total sector sales said to be up 24% year-to-date, as demand from younger luxury travellers aged 29-49 years increases. “Expedition is where the modern luxury traveller is heading: curiosity, access and a story to bring home. It is no longer only couples. Multi-generational families are booking together, and each generation wants something different from the journey.”
Family travel too is now a major driver of demand. A survey of almost 800 luxury advisors found 69% were receiving increased requests for multi-generational holidays, ahead of premium and luxury ocean cruising at 63%, says de Graaf.
As such, she urges agents to consider different age groups, activity levels and accommodation. Understanding the ships, matching experiences to clients and coordinating more complex family itineraries will be increasingly important differentiators for luxury advisors in a growing market, she adds.
Cruise lines will play a key role at the inaugural Luxury Travel Collection soiree in Queenstown next week.
