Monday, April 1, 2024

The 11 Best Luxury Cruise Lines, According to T+L's Experts

luxury cruise industry

Initially, cruise offerings from the U.S. will be limited to sailings that are seven days or fewer. New players, new ships and an expanding market is the overarching theme for the luxury cruise segment through the end of the decade. The luxury cruise market is projected to carry just over 1 million guests this year, up from over 600,000 in 2019, and heading for 1.5 million by 2030, according to the 2023 Luxury Cruise Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Top factors that would make cruisers most comfortable in port:

As the global health community continues its work to understand and control the virus, the cruise industry will continue its own efforts to work hand-in-hand with leading experts who will help to guide a safe – and methodical – return to the seas. Based on sentiment data from travelers across the globe, a significant number plan to book a future cruise. In fact, over one-third of respondents (35%) are already looking to book a future cruise – an increase of 7% since our first survey in April. Here's your cheat sheet to six different types of luxury cruises to start you daydreaming of your next upscale voyage.

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise - NerdWallet

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:01:35 GMT [source]

Luxury cruising is thriving

In fact, Silversea's butlers take white-glove service to a whole new level — they'll handle your laundry with more care than you do, scour port towns to find your favorite tastes of home, and even help you pack and unpack your suitcase. Further, Silversea's new culinary program, nicknamed S.A.L.T. (for Sea and Land Taste), brings the taste of destinations on board through cooking classes. Of course, there's no need to cook for yourself aboard a Silversea ship, as each one features several restaurants with multi-course menus to whet your appetite every night. The Seabourne is known for its highly sophisticated vibe and incredible quarters, boutique hotel-style rooms and fine dining experiences. Many of the suites even come with private balconies overlooking the shores, in addition to marble bathtubs and huge luxurious beds.

Largest Cruise Companies in the World

Oceania Cruises has just seven ships, but the debut of the brand-new Oceania Vista catapults this cruise line into the luxury division. The cruise line's relatively new Go Local shore excursions for small groups bring travelers to under-the-radar destinations, T+L contributing editor and long-time cruiser Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon reported recently. Her 2022 cruise on Riviera included 70 excursions "from canoeing Croatia’s Cetina River to cooking classes in Athens." Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is one of the major cruise lines in the world, with a market cap of $9.3 billion. The company owns and operates the Norwegian Cruise Lines, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Oceania Cruises.

luxury cruise industry

AIDAmar Opens 2024 Season in Warnemünde

Travelers intending to take a cruise vacation spiked 6% higher than in 2019, with Millennials —those ages 28 to 43, showing the most enthusiasm for a future cruise. In a harbinger of even better days ahead, the number of first-time cruisers jumped by 27% compared to two years ago and by 12% in the past year, showing that more travelers are giving cruising a try. The just-released State of the Cruise Industry annual report shows a remarkable post-pandemic rebound in 2023, with 2 million more people cruising in 2023 versus 2019. The 7% hike brings the total number of global cruisers to an astounding 31.7 million.

Luxury Cruises Trends & Statistics – Smooth Sailing Ahead 2022

It’s more likely that younger people will want to travel again and the number of luxury cruises has increased from 17% to 21% of passengers under 30. With over 20 new luxury ships scheduled to launch in the near future, this report is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the luxury cruise industry. Regent Seven Seas built a state-of-the-art show kitchen and two-story Canyon Ranch spa on its newest ship, while Silversea's newest offers eight restaurants. Hapag-Lloyd's Europa 2 aims for a younger traveler with family suites and babysitting service, yet pleases adults with a gin bar and huge spa.

Viking Cruises

Hotels were able to offer their facilities as quarantine quarters, businesses selling goods could sell online, and restaurants relied on takeaway. Airlines and cruises had to simply stop operating, which was perceived as unfair and cruel to the millions of people employed in this industry. For the first time, the group has included a report titled Oceans of Opportunities, which tracks the industry’s multi-national workforce of some 300,000 employees who hail from 150-plus countries. The publication highlights various employment opportunities within the industry.

Expedition Cruising Gets More Luxurious

The line is also stretching existing ship Silver Spirit, adding a midsection with brand-new suites and increasing its passenger count from 540 to 608. All of Viking Ocean Cruises ships accommodate 930 cruisers, and the line does not plan to deviate from that design with the new ships they have debuting nearly every year. Ritz-Carlton fans are eagerly anticipating the Q launch of the first ship in a trio promised by new cruise venture, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

How Big Is the Luxury Cruise Market? We Want to Find Out

This PDF report examines the luxury cruise industry in depth, profiling all global luxury cruise operators and forecasting capacity growth for each brand through 2027. Others care more about delivering immersive experiences in bucket-list destinations, while some larger cruise lines create exclusive, high-end enclaves on otherwise mass-market ships. With over 20 new luxury ships set to debut soon, this report serves as an invaluable tool for those interested in the luxury cruise industry. However, Crystal Cruises entered the fray in December 2015 with its five-deck, 62-passenger, rebuilt Crystal Esprit. The all-suite ship touts 1.47 crewmembers for every passenger and offers butler service in all cabins; even entry-level accommodations are a spacious 223 square feet. This yacht was meant for socializing on deck or in the dining room; playing by the marina where you can water ski, snorkel or kayak; and exploring in the ship's two-man submarine.

Each custom-built yacht will accommodate 298 guests across 149 suites -- each with a private "terrace," aka balcony. Cruisers can look forward to pampering at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, and dining will be a delectable experience at a restaurant developed by Sven Elverfeld, the chef at the three-Michelin-starred Aqua restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg. Expect itineraries to range from seven to 10 nights in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Caribbean and Latin America; reservations open in May 2018.

This theme is backed into the luxury operators, which have grown since Royal Viking Line and Crystal Cruises got things started. Viking Ocean Cruises is the newest entrant in this category, with a growing fleet of 930-passenger new-builds that focus on port-intensive itineraries, Scandinavian design and modern touches, like free Wi-Fi. For the best in-suite views, book a room at the back of the ship, Kelly Cochrane, executive chef of Regent Seven Seas Cruises tells T+L. Most would agree that social media is a key component to any good marketing program.

Take a tai chi class in a garden courtyard of the Pharo Palace in Marseilles or learn how perfume affects emotions during a visit to the Museum of Palazzo Mocengio in Venice. To tap into the thirst for experiential voyages, Windstar Cruises is sending Star Legend to Alaska for the first time this summer, offering 12- and 14-night cruise itineraries as well as a five-day, add-on land tour of Denali National Park. A five-person expedition team consisting of geologists, glaciologists and marine biologists will be onboard to provide context to the places visited and the animals spotted at sea and onshore. Cruisers can choose optional off-ship, small-group excursions with the expedition team via the ship's fleet of Zodiacs and kayaks. The luxury cruise industry appears to be at a tipping point when it comes to dining.

Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean all reported entering the year with record highs for individual bookings and cruise pricing. Cruise lines will be leaner (witness how many ships have been scrapped in the past 12 months), with the larger lines maintaining far fewer smaller and older ships in their fleets. Companies worldwide will be rethinking their business models and challenging traditional assumptions. It might sound like a contradiction, but at the other end of the scale, we see world cruises and cruises to far flung destinations, whether by ocean or river, becoming more popular. U.S. citizens will be able to return to Europe again, and we predict a boom, especially for river cruises.

luxury cruise industry

One of the key changes is the growing complexity of the large ships, with many adding suites and private lounges to cater to luxury travelers. The quality of the food and entertainment offered has grown leaps and bounds over past years, whether it’s casinos, roller coasters, or even a planetarium. And most of all, cruise ships are embarking with 50% of their passenger capacity.

Updates range from technical improvements to a significant redesign of public areas that adds some touches reminiscent of the line's new flagship, Silver Muse. As previously mentioned, Silver Spirit will be stretched and updated with new and revamped dining venues, an enlarged pool deck and updated spa. Regent Seven Seas Cruises recently updated both Seven Seas Voyager and Navigator, and in April 2018, the line will complete a bow-to-stern refurbishment of Seven Seas Mariner. Look for a redesigned pool deck, refreshed public spaces and suites, a completely revamped casino, remodeled library and the addition of the line's French restaurant, Chartreuse.

Silversea's fleet offers a split of traditional luxury cruise ships with purpose-built expedition vessels. After seeing increased demand across all of its expedition itineraries, the line spent $40 million in 2017 to retrofit one of its original cruise ships, Silver Cloud, and transform it into Silver Cloud Expedition. The ship is now ice-class rated, carries 16 Zodiacs and 10 kayaks for exploration, and has more than 20 naturalists and guides onboard to introduce passengers to destinations across Antarctica, the Arctic, Africa, Northern Europe and South America.

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