As we move into 2025, life at sea comes with luxury suites, elevated onboard entertainment, and carefully considered excursions – if you know how to do it right.
While it’s always been big business, cruising has seen more interest in 2024 than ever before. What was a $35.3 billion business in 2019 is expected to be at $53.5 billion by 2029, and luxury cruising is one of the areas seeing increased interest. “The ultra-luxury cruise sector has undoubtedly boomed in the last year,” notes Scott Dunn’s Global Product & Strategy Director, Simon Lynch – and with it comes the opportunity to set sail without foregoing any of the usual comforts you might expect from a five-star holiday.
But there’s more to it than this; as travellers seek authentic ways to connect with a destination, cruising has had to rethink its land-based excursions too. And, showcasing thoughtful in-depth tours and opportunities to explore the best of both land and sea, there’s never been a more exciting time to experience them.
Cruising has transformed and – given the innovations in the industry – is seeing a well-deserved revival among passengers. But what exactly has changed? And why?
In partnership with Scott Dunn
How has traditional cruising been reinvented?
Cruising has changed in almost every way imaginable. It may conjure up visions of crowded swimming pools, beige buffets and whistle-stop port calls, but think again.
High-end, small ships are leading the way to new destinations, and carefully curated cultural experiences (both at-sea and on-land) have been designed to match – making chic, thoughtful cruising accessible to those in the know. And all signs point towards travellers waking up to the changes.
Why has cruising changed?
According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) State Of The Industry Report, 27 per cent of cruisers in 2023 and 2024 were new to cruising, and there’s a change in demographic, too. CLIA reports that the average age of those cruising has fallen to 46 (compared with 49 in 2022), and that 36 per cent of passengers today are under 40. The stats are mirrored in Scott Dunn’s findings too; the average age of a passenger on board their Explora Journeys ships is 45. With the changes in demographic comes a clientele looking for something different.
What is driving the changes?
An industry shake up, for starters. In our 2024 travel trend report, we documented that solo female travel has had an upgrade, and that travellers are turning towards more personal experiences, want to go beyond the obvious, and are keen to give back as they go. All of this applies to cruising too. Eight to 13 per cent of cruisers are now going solo, and the importance of thoughtful, curated off-ship exploration is on the rise.
With a younger, chicer crowd keen to experience life at sea comes a change in expectations. And cruise lines are listening. While the needs of the new clientele may still be overlooked (or at the very least under served) by traditional cruise lines, new cruise ships, brands and itineraries have entered the market, upgrading everything on board – cabin size, dining quality, service and entertainment – as well as their land-based experiences.
What does cruising mean today?
Arriving on Ritz-Carlton’s Ilma is like “arriving on a swish yacht, which is actually a floating five-star hotel,” notes Jules Maury, head of Scott Dunn Private, from her sun bed on board. And it’s no wonder when the ship boasts an almost one-to-one ratio of crew-to-guest; six bars; a wine cellar; a humidor; five restaurants (including a fine-dining option and a private dining room); plus cabins with a large private terrace, personal concierge, welcome bottles of champagne and double bathrooms. You can also upgrade for even more space, including a living and dining area and walk-in wardrobes, or go all out with the Owner’s Suite which comes with a whirlpool and an outdoor shower.
Exterior of the Arts Café, Silver Spirit
Other brands follow suit: cabins on Explora Journeys boast floor-to-ceiling windows and a private terrace complete with a daybed; you’ll find curated sculptures and paintings in the Arts Café on Silversea’s Silver Spirit; and Seabourn Cruises’ intimate fleet offer a yacht-like feel as you sail.
Boredom, be gone
Beyond elevated onboard dining, high-end accommodation and luxe facilities, the new generation of cruising is breaking the mould in other ways, too.
Ritz-Carlton’s Ilma is really more like a superyacht, with direct sea access for watersports, an infinity pool, massage rooms with sea views, a barber, a salon, a stylish boutique store and varied onboard entertainment including jazz musicians and experts to share insights into local life.
Sailing Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, the intimate, 92 stateroom and suite ship Le Lapérouse by Pontant Cruises features an underwater lounge to spot marine life from, fine French dining and a wellness area with spa, sauna, fitness studio and hair salon.
Explora Journeys have turned traditional cruising on its head altogether, saying goodbye to scheduled events and entertainment in favour of small group experiences, tailored to interests such as art, culture or local life.
The best of both: land and sea
The best way to experience a truly revived and refreshed approach to cruising is via Scott Dunn’s new Journeys by Land & Sea itineraries, in which land-based adventures are an integral part. Luxury, small-ship experiences – on board Explora Journeys, Silversea, Ritz-Carlton and Seabourn ships, for example – are combined with extended and elevated time off the ship. Typically offering one or two weeks at sea alongside a similar time on land, cruising this way allows enough time to truly dig into a destination, as well as to sink into a state of relaxation on board a ship designed to be different.
Take their Cape Town to Seychelles cruise, for example, where you’ll start with three days in Cape Town – perhaps delving into the history of South African wine at Groot Constantia Wine Estate or soaking in views of Table Mountain from the cable car – before joining Silversea’s Silver Spirit for a fifteen-night sail to the Seychelles. Along the way you’ll stop at Mozambique and Madagascar where, as Lynch explains, land calls are designed to “skip group activities in exchange for totally exclusive experiences at each port,” and are a world away from the packaged tours that may spring to mind when you think of cruise ship excursions. Perhaps you’ll take a foodie tour of Mozambique’s Maputo or stroll through history in Madagascar’s Antisiranana. On arrival in the Seychelles, six days at Anantara Maia are yours to do as you please. We recommend visiting the spa and snorkelling the nearby atolls.
On the Land & Sea cruise through Greece and Turkey you’ll start with eight nights on land, staying at the brand new One&Only Kea Island, Amanzoe in the Peloponnese, and one of the best hotels in Athens, art-filled The Dolli, before boarding the Ritz-Carlton’s Ilma for a week’s sailing, including stops on the Greek islands of Milos, Santorini and Patmos as well as Turkey’s Kusadasi and Istanbul.
Other Land & Sea options include Barbados to Miami, Singapore to Bali, Brazil to Spain, and a whole lot more – and all offer a true insight into the destinations they call at, as well as ample time to stare out across calming seas and make the most of next-gen facilities on board.
Why book a cruise now?
Cruising is flourishing – no surprise given all the innovation taking place in the industry – and there’s no sign of the changes or interest slowing. Quite the opposite, in fact. And with increased interest in life at sea, further innovation and investment are sure to follow.
Gone are the days of overcrowded ships, small cabins and jostling for space to snap a quick destination photo. If you do it right in 2024 and beyond, it’s all about spending quality time in the ultimate luxury at sea – and delving deep into destinations on land. Considerate cruising may just be the way to see the world in style as we move into 2025. See you on board.
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