analysis
High-end seas
The luxury cruise market continues to expand in new and interesting directions, finds Karl Cushing
T
he luxury cruise market is more buoyant than ever. Innovative lines — including Seabourn’s all-suite, ‘six star’ cruises,
plus top-drawer offerings from Silversea and Regent Seven Seas — jostle to grow market share by constantly upping their game, The old saying ‘you get what you pay for’ has never rung more true, with passengers spending more on everything from personalised, atentive service and opulent suites to haute cuisine and innovative shore excursions. According to CLIA’s 2016 Cruise Industry
Outlook report, the ultra-luxury cruise market has grown by 11% in the past five years. “Now, more than ever, there’s a great range of luxury ships on offer for agents specialising in cruise,” says Andy Harmer, CLIA’s senior vice president membership and director UK & Ireland. “Now is a very exciting time for the luxury
cruise industry, as it expands to accommodate increasing customer demand,” echoes Connie Georgiou, head of trade sales and partnerships, UK & Ireland at Silversea Cruises. Silversea is actively targeting a broader global audience, having recently announced a partnership with Chinese hospitality brand Plateno Group to push its products throughout mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
SHIP SHAPES Changing markets bring changing ships. Regent Seven Seas launched Explorer last July, its latest and largest, proclaiming it ‘the most luxurious ship ever built’, accommodating 750 passengers and 542 staff. Seabourn also cranked up capacity on its latest flagship launch, the 600-passenger Encore, whose sister ship Ovation debuts in spring 2018. The duo have a whole extra deck compared to the line’s Odyssey-class vessels, with exclusive VIP outdoors areas and private verandas on all 300 suites,“in line with the expectations of the
luxury traveller”, notes Seabourn UK’s managing director Lynn Narraway. While Silversea awaits delivery of its ninth
ship, flagship vessel Silver Muse this spring, it’s investing £136m refurbishing existing vessels to capitalise on market growth. Silver Cloud is heading into the workshop this summer for a new look; it’ll re-emerge as an ice-class, luxury expedition vessel, complete with 18 Zodiacs. Crystal Cruises is also investing heavily in its
fleet with ‘massive enhancements’ planned for Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony in 2017 and 2018, including full open-seating dining and more suites. Its three new Crystal Exclusive Class luxury vessels launching in autumn 2019 promise ‘the highest space-to-guest ratio of any luxury ship in the past, present or foreseeable future’. “Our commitment to exceeding our guests’
wishes remains paramount,” says Helen Beck, vice president of international sales and marketing, Crystal Cruises. “Every step of the way we’re listening to the feedback of our loyal guests and expert travellers.” Aſter extensive guest research revealed what
Beck calls “an overwhelming enthusiasm” for potential river cruises, the operator tested the waters with its first ‘six star’ river cruise vessel, Crystal Mozart. Two additional vessels, Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler, launch this summer, followed by Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel in 2018. This puts it squarely up against the likes of Uniworld, which has proclaimed its plush SS Antoinete (offering in-suite butler service) ‘the most luxurious river cruise ship in the world’. Having similarly used the 62-passenger Crystal
Esprit to assess the small-ship market, the operator is also primed to ramp up its Crystal yacht cruises offering by unleashing the world’s first purpose-built, polar-class ‘megayacht’, Crystal Endeavour, in mid-2019, with two more debuting in successive years. Endeavour will be
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ABTA Magazine | April 2017
ILLUSTRATION: BEN JENNINGS
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