Three of Australia’s leading luxury travel advisors share their insights into what’s hot in cruising for 2026 and beyond.
What are your luxury cruise clients’ most sought-after destinations?
“Our luxury cruise clients are gravitating towards experiential and less-crowded destinations,” says Byron Horn, Assistant Manager, Bicton Travel.
“Expedition cruising continues to gain momentum. We’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg (pardon the pun) – the rebooking and repeat guests from expedition voyages are exceptional. Once a client has experienced an expedition, there’s often no turning back.
“Having sailed to both polar regions within seven months last year, sharing my firsthand expedition stories with clients has led to a noticeable increase in bookings.”
Perchalla & Turner Travel Associates Manager Becky Kent-Perchalla agrees.
“I have seen strong demand for Antarctica this year – both the more traditional routes from South America and from New Zealand and Hobart to some of the more remote parts of the continent.
“There’s definitely a skew to longer cruises, especially high-end expedition voyages to far-flung destinations such as the Northwest Passage.
“Clients are also booking expedition and luxury adventure cruises closer to home, in tropical destinations such as Papua New Guinea, the Indonesian archipelago and the Solomon Islands.”
Aurora Travel Director Judy Tanner says that due to the weakness of the Australian dollar against the euro, clients are increasingly booking luxury cruises in the British Isles and Northern Europe.
“Expedition cruising is still very strong. Ponant, Lindblad and Silversea are our most popular lines – I think clients now understand the quality of the expedition teams on these lines, and they are keen to ensure their expedition experience is not just luxurious but experiential and educational at the same time.”
Are clients taking longer, shorter or different types of luxury cruises?
As Horn points out, from an Australian perspective, travel tends to be longer simply due to distance.
“Short cruises are rarely taken in isolation – we’d often back-to-back those cruises or add in pre- and post-cruise land arrangements to ensure the long flights are worthwhile.
“Traditional luxury cruising remains popular; however, we’re seeing a clear shift towards smaller ships that offer greater inclusions, more personalised service, and a more intimate onboard experience.”
Tanner notes that clients are looking for longer cruise options.
“In the past, most of our cruise bookings were for seven to eight nights, but now we are seeing the majority being 10-plus nights. I believe that this is due to the quality, value and relative affordability of luxury cruise offerings.
“We are also seeing a rise in multi-generational travel on luxury cruise lines. Explora Journeys leads sales in this area, offering an excellent standard of cruise amenities and food/beverages, plus several pools, including an adults-only pool area.
“The ability to prepay for an all-inclusive holiday in Australian dollars before leaving Australia is very attractive to this market segment and something we plan to promote this year.”
What is the level of interest in the new luxury hotel yachts?
Horn says, “In October, I sailed on the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Evrima for the first time. Almost straightaway, I felt something unlike anything I’ve experienced before. This new term ‘slow luxury’ is something we are going to hear a lot more of”.
“There is an immediate sense of calm, no rigid schedules and a different rhythm altogether. Rather than constant entertainment, it’s about space, presence and understated elegance. Ritz-Carlton has quietly and successfully shifted cruising from an activity to something closer to an art form.”
Kent-Perchalla and Tanner both note that interest and reservations in this very new sector of the cruise industry, particularly for the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, are increasing year on year.
“I find the greatest uptake is when either myself or someone the client knows has experienced the new-to-market cruises firsthand, so they can ask all the questions a brochure can’t provide answers to,” Kent-Perchalla says.
Are you seeing increasing demand for river cruising?
“River cruising continues to grow steadily for us,” says Horn.
“The value keeps clients coming back. When you consider the costs of hotels in Europe and what you get for your money, you can see why river cruising makes the most logical financial sense.
“Luxury river cruise lines offer inclusivity, ease of travel, exclusive cultural events and experiences, and there are more options for active and small-group shore excursions than ever before.”
Horn says that demand for river cruises in Egypt is stronger than ever before, while Kent-Perchalla is seeing a swing to rivers less travelled, such as the Magdalena in Colombia, and the Elbe, which flows through Germany and the Czech Republic, for a different take on Christmas market cruises.
Tanner says their client base has previously not been strong on river cruising, but this has changed for 2026, with many clients including a seven- to 14-night river cruise in their European holiday arrangements.
What are clients looking for from luxury travel advisors today?
As there are more choices of luxury lines, ships, destinations and travel styles than ever before, clients in all age groups are increasingly turning to expert advisors to help them find their perfect cruise holiday.
Personal service before a journey even begins is integral to its ultimate success, as is being available if something goes wrong while the client is travelling.
Our three experts all agree on the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships with clients, tailoring complex trips for individual needs, having firsthand experience of ships and destinations, attending training courses and being completely honest about what will or will not suit.
Horn sums it up perfectly.
“We ensure we qualify our clients correctly and suggest the correct ship to fit the brief for a perfect match. They might walk in interested in a deal they’ve seen, but after a chat and a few qualifying questions thrown in the mix, often they walk out with something better suited to their individual needs. We sell cruise experiences based on the client, not the deal.
“Storytelling and lived experience play a key role in giving clients confidence and peace of mind, as these bookings tend to be a large financial investment.
“The more things steer towards AI, the more we steer toward EI (Emotional Intelligence). The human experience of connection and relationships with our clients can never be replaced.”
For more information, visit Bicton Travel, Perchalla & Turner Associates, Aurora Travel, CLIA Australasia.
