With fewer passengers, plenty of space and new innovations, luxury cruise ships are poised and ready to set sail in a post-pandemic world. Jeannine Williamson reports.
Cruising may have been on hold but during the downtime upmarket lines have been working tirelessly to make a stylish – and safe – comeback. New ships, high-tech upgrades and tempting itineraries are reason enough to attract clients to the luxury cruise sector and that’s before the latest health and safety protocols are added to the mix.
With nowhere to go, many people have been saving money during lockdown and are now ready to spend it on the holiday of a lifetime, and this also includes new-to-cruise clients. The trend was graphically illustrated when Oceania Cruises’ 180-day Around the World Voyage, with fares starting at £38,059pp, sold out in a single day after going on sale in January.
The line’s president and CEO Bob Binder said: “The high demand for these once-in-a-lifetime voyages showcases the enthusiasm and desire for travellers to make up for lost time over the past year, creating immersive and memorable experiences to destinations across the world, which Oceania Cruises is well positioned for.
“Additionally, while world cruises typically attract legions of loyal repeat guests, Oceania Cruises’ 2023 world cruise saw more than one third of all bookings come from first time, new-to-brand guests, highlighting the strong demand from all types of travellers.”
Space and service as standard
More public space means luxury ships are already very well positioned to adjust to post-pandemic cruising and welcome back guests, says Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of Mundy Cruising.
“What stands out is how little they need to adjust their operations to remain Covid-safe,” she explains. “Plenty of space, table service, private arrangements and personalised trips ashore, small groups, extensive public rooms, spacious uncrowded dining rooms, carefully planned itineraries away from the crowds – everything is designed to avoid queues and large numbers of people in any one place at any one time.
“In addition, with their high levels of staff ratios, rigorous cleaning regimes are easily followed. As a result, no holiday destination is going to be safer than a small luxury cruise ship.”
Her views are echoed by Seabourn’s vice-president of global sales, Steve Smotrys, who says: “There are two items high on travellers’ lists right now as they are making their travel plans. First, they want to feel safe when they travel and at Seabourn the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests, team members, and the people and communities our ships visit have always been a top priority. Over the past year, we have taken it several steps further.
“Secondly, they covet space and privacy when they travel, and this is something that we’ve always offered and will continue to do so. For example, Seabourn’s ships deliver space and privacy in a way that a large ship or hotel property may not be able to.
“The ships are entirely all-suite, no inside accommodations, with a generous amount of space when a guest wants privacy. We also know everyone who comes on and off our ships at all times; anyone can typically walk into a hotel lobby or restaurant.”
New ships to boost luxury offering
There are also exciting new ships on the horizon. Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Beyond will feature The Retreat, a members-only resort-within-a-resort for suite guests, with a private restaurant, exclusive lounge and two-storey sundeck. Celebrity Beyond, which boasts interiors created by award-winning British designer Kelly Hoppen, will set sail on its inaugural voyage from Southampton in April 2022.
Oceania Cruises recently announced Vista as the first of its all-new 1,200-guest Allura-class vessels. Launching in 2023, there will be two staff members for every three guests.
Meanwhile, Crystal Cruises is redefining expedition cruising with the imminent launch of its first polar-class vessel, the 200-passenger Crystal Endeavor, which has a pair of helicopters and seven-person electrically powered submersible for deep-water explorations.
The latest itinerary news includes Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ collection of 13 Spotlight Voyages. Featuring curated enrichment experiences, the programme includes cruises designed to appeal to culinary and wine enthusiasts, history buffs, and art and music lovers.
“We pride ourselves on offering our guests culturally enriching programmes and immersive itineraries that go beyond just the destinations that we visit,” says Jason Montague, the line’s president and CEO. “This new collection of Spotlight Voyages gives discerning travellers the unique opportunity to engage with esteemed experts and ambassadors from the culinary arts, to the world of wine, public broadcasting and many others.”
Long-term confidence as lines invest in future
The final word on luxury cruising post-pandemic goes to James Cole, founder and managing director, of Panache Cruises, who concludes: “The outlook for cruise, and especially luxury cruise, is looking very positive.
“We are seeing a lot of new ships and brands enter the market, such as Emerald Cruises, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Swan Hellenic and Tradewind Voyages, which clearly demonstrates that there is long-term confidence in the luxury cruise sector.
“Luxury cruise lines have made significant investment in their fleets to make them safer, more compliant with the demands for social distancing and provide more space than ever before per customer on board.
“Luxury ships provide up to three times the space per customer and have less people on board, which means less queuing and more flexibility.
“We are seeing trends that the market is moving from all-inclusive to ultra-inclusive, where not just drinks packages are included in the price, but also gratuities, shore excursions, speciality restaurants, chauffeur transfers, butlers and a lot more. You can literally leave your wallet at home.”