4 7 How are guest expectations regarding luxury cruising changing? MG: Luxury cruising has changed, and we can’t apply one rule for all guests. Their expectations are becoming increasingly personalised and to truly capture the essence of a luxurious experience, we must get to know both our first-time and repeat guests. Luxurious hardware is expected but it’s the software (our hospitality service) that will have a lasting impression. Resorts World Cruises thrives on building that human connection with our guests and anticipating their needs. JL: Travel is still recovering after the pandemic and many of our guests are choosing to sail with Seabourn because they trust that we’ll put their safety first without compromising their experiences or comfort. Many guests want to make up for lost time and satisfy a craving for adventure, so they desire a deeper connection with nature and more intimate shore experiences. Our unique combination of ocean and expedition ships – the youngest in the industry – enable these experiences in a way that creates loyal guests and gives travel agents confidence to recommend Seabourn. RM: Ultra-luxury guests expect personalisation, seek transformative and immersive experiences, and desire rare and thought-provoking encounters in new and often remote destinations, but they don’t want to compromise on creature comforts. That’s why Silversea has invested in our industry-leading Antarctica cruise offering by acquiring Silver Endeavour, the most luxurious ship purpose built for polar exploration. It perfectly fulfils luxury travellers’ expectations, with technology that immerses them deep into the destination. We’re also recording a growing interest in extended voyages – our world cruises have virtually sold out until 2025. CP: All-inclusive vacations are now a luxury, so we let guests choose whether to go all-inclusive when they book their cruise or pay à la carte for items like cocktails and wine. Luxury guests also expect grander and longer cruises, so we’re offering an epic new 85-day ‘Grand European Bucket List’ cruise spanning 22 countries in the Baltic, Northern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. It’s part of Windstar’s push to offer more luxury-focused experiences and satiate a travel-starved cruise audience ready to book a once-ina-lifetime trip. DP: Today’s luxury customer aspires to collect meaningful stories and embraces travel as an opportunity to reconnect and be inspired. More value has been placed on thoughtful experiences that they cannot find anywhere else over material luxuries. We have this incredible opportunity to elevate the guest experience and provide our guests with transformational, personally fulfilling journeys. One way that we do this is through our Patron of the Arts programme, which welcomes artists, speakers and cultural contributors who reside in each destination to share their talents and insights onboard Evrima. We also offer a selection of exclusive experiences ashore within our Shore Collection programme, or guests can customise their own private tours with our Concierge Ashore. Silversea Cruises’ experts create special moments for guests throughout the cruise, for example by pointing out wildlife while the ships are sailing through destinations “ Sustainability is the future of luxury travel” Roberto Martinoli, Silversea Cruises
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