upscale cruising 37
UPPING the ante
As upscale cruise fl eets expand, bookings-hungry operators have families, foodies and adventurers in their sights, says Maria Harding
T
he battle for the hearts, minds and wallets of wealthy, upmarket cruise passengers has intensifi ed with the
news that luxury operator Crystal Cruises will expand its fl eet once its acquisition by the Genting Hong Kong Group is completed. While Crystal prepares for its long-
awaited expansion, luxury-sector rivals Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC), Seabourn Cruises and Le Ponant Cruises already have new ships on the starting docks. RSSC’s new 750-passenger Seven Seas Explorer enters service next summer (2016), while Seabourn – which loses the last of its older, 212-passenger ships to Windstar Cruises in May – has two 40,000-ton, 604-passenger vessels due out in 2016 and 2018. Ponant Cruises, which adds the 264-passenger
Le Lyrial to its fl eet in May, has fi tted its ships with ice-class hulls, to equip them for expedition and polar cruising, an upmarket sector which has been successfully developed by Silversea Cruises’ Silversea Expeditions sub-brand. Silversea now has three vessels – Silver Explorer,
Silver Galapagos and Silver Discoverer - exploring the world’s wilder shores and has hinted there may be more in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, it plans to keep its expedition clients loyal with a new series of special interest cruises focusing on bird watching, photography, scuba diving, wellness and gastronomy. Two gastronomy cruises will be
offered, refl ecting another upscale cruise trend towards all things culinary. With the 684-guest Sirena joining its fl eet next
year, Premium Plus operator Oceania Cruises has also been wooing ‘foodie’ travellers by expanding its ‘Culinary Centre’ programme aboard Marina and Riviera to offer 20 new classes and more ‘Gourmet Explorer’ lessons in ethnic cuisine. CLIA UK & Ireland Director Andy Harmer
believes such ‘enrichment experiences’, together with more offbeat itineraries, are the biggest trends in upscale cruising. “Luxury cruising will see more expedition- style cruises, at sea and on rivers,” he says. But Chris Gant, Marketing Manager for
“Professionals aged 45-plus with families are a good target audience, with rich pickings to be made from clients who
holiday in high-quality private villas or boutique hotels in places like Seychelles and Maldives
MIKE FLANAGAN, UK & IRELAND SALES HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
sellingtravel.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68