Welcome to Citizen Femme’s series, The Take (Off), where our managing editor Katie Silcox shares a personal opinion – hot take, you might say – about travel.
Think you don’t like cruising? I’m asking you to think again. Cruising in 2026 might just be cool again. Here’s why.
Once upon a time, cruising was considered a status symbol for high society.
In the 1940s and 50s, crossing the Atlantic Ocean by liner was for the elite. Although passengers came from all backgrounds, the experience was firmly tailored toward those travelling in First Class, who were offered lavish lunches, large outdoor decks and the best ocean views. There was no integration with those in other classes of travel, who were forced to stay on lower decks and in predominantly indoor spaces. My fellow elder millennials will understand exactly how this played out: why do you think Leonardo DiCaprio’s Titanic character Jack Dawson caused such a stir when he dared to mingle?
Until the late 1950s, an ocean liner was the only way to get from the UK to the USA, and notable passengers on board Cunard’s RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth (two liners that made the Southampton to New York City voyage, which took about four days) include Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn and Clark Gable.
27 October 1950: The Cunard Line QUEEN ELIZABETH , the world’s largest liner , and the Pan American Airways Clipper FLYING EAGLE exchange salutes in New York Harbour.
But, somewhere along the line, going on a cruise became less desirable, less glamorous… less cool. It’s actually fairly easy to trace why.
Throughout the 1960s and beyond, commercial jets like the Boeing 707 became more reliable for transatlantic routes, so cruise passenger numbers for the same route dwindled. Cruise lines had to reinvent themselves to appeal to a mass market: self-serve buffets replaced multi-course lunches; surf simulators replaced shuffleboard; leisurewear replaced chinos during the day; shirts and sundresses replaced tuxedos and ballgowns at night.
Having grown up in the less glamorous era of cruising, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never really been a fan of it. This is probably in part due to an ill-fated cruise I took 17 years ago (my first) with one of the biggest names in the business. The less said about that cruise, the better. The next cruise I took wasn’t until 2022 – 13 years later – and there was a very good reason for that. I simply didn’t want to.
When I did get back on board it was with a family-owned, boutique Greek cruise company called Variety Cruises, and I set sail on an adventure around the Greek Peloponnese on the 49-passenger ship M/S Galileo. Wooden built, with a deep blue hull, brass fixtures and a real sail (that was actually used once or twice, too), this week-long cruise showed me that there was a very real possibility I’d been wrong about cruising. I started to realise that perhaps my sweeping statement about ‘not liking cruises’ was actually pretty ignorant when I hadn’t really considered all the different ways you could do it.
Katie Silcox onboard Variety Cruises’ M/S Galileo in Greece
Fast forward another four years, and that realisation seems to be playing out in real time with my friends, colleagues and social media contacts. Every time I open Instagram, I see more and more people that I follow (and admire) posting photos from the middle of the water.
What’s behind this 360 swing? A few things.
Firstly, passenger numbers. The cruises that have swung the minds of those who swore to ‘never go on a cruise’ are generally not the gigantic ships that carry anywhere between 3,000 to 7,000 guests. Instead, it’s smaller ships that are turning life-long cruise snobs to the water. Sometimes their passenger number comes in at just under 1,000 (like on Viking Ocean Ships and Explora Journeys), other times it’s even less. There are between 300 and 450 people on board the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, circa 200 people on board Viking River Cruises, around 150 aboard Amawaterways’ European River Cruises, and just 100 on Four Seasons Yachts and Orient Express Sailing Yachts. Aman will launch Aman at Sea in 2027, with a voyage for a maximum of 94 guests.
But it’s more than just that. Note the brands gaining traction among those who wouldn’t usually consider booking a cabin alongside strangers: Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Orient Express, Aman. Each doing it in style – exactly as you’d anticipate from such respected brands – and offering the high-end amenities that guests expect from them, whether on land or at sea. This includes complete wellness offerings, dining led by Michelin-starred chefs, and butler-led or concierge services.
Four Seasons Yachts
They’re also not calling themselves ‘cruises’ – according to these brands, their trips are for those who want to set sail on board a ‘yacht’. It might not be a private yacht reserved for just you and your loved ones – and yachting enthusiasts might argue that something of this size, with such a large guest capacity can never truly be considered a yacht. As a comparison, Luminara, the largest in Ritz-Carlton’s offering is 242 metres long and holds 452 passengers across 226 suites, while Azzam, the largest superyacht in the world is 181 metres long but only accommodates up to 36 guests across 18 cabins. But yacht or not: this new era of sailing at sea is a far cry from the days of cramped cabins and soggy buffets.
Some cruise lines offer something smaller and more intimate still. My Greek odyssey around the Peloponnese, for example, was on board a wooden ship with 24 cabins and 49 guests, and Le Pontant sails around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean with 32 passengers across 16 cabins, while Abercrombie & Kent’s Zein Nile Chateau sails just 12 guests down the lauded Egyptian river, in six cabins. Each experience as serene as the next.
Taking a different tack (pun intended), serene is not the goal on Virgin Voyages, whose adult-only, party-hard sailings include immersive and ship-wide soirees, two-story nightclubs, casinos, and even tattoo parlours (the first ever at sea). Aimed at the younger generation – or the ‘young at heart’ as they say – and with space for over 2,500 guests, this is proudly a place for party lovers; the parties just so happen to take place in the middle of the ocean, and are fed to a curious audience via Instagram and TikTok posts.
The casino onboard Virgin Voyages
If your party days are over (mine too), then maybe the new wave of expedition cruising is enticing enough to help you find your sea legs instead. Sailing passengers to some of the world’s most remote and hard-to-reach destinations like Antarctica, The Galapagos and Papua New Guinea, these trips often have a focus on education. They might see you joining local tribesmen as they hunt in the midst of the jungle (book this Cookson Adventure if this sounds appealing), spotting penguins as they waddle across icebergs (book here), or swimming with sea lions and reef sharks (some options here).
According to the State of the Cruise Industry Report in 2025, there’s been a ‘150% growth in global capacity for expedition and exploration ships from 2019 to 2029’. The same report also states that ‘36% [of those cruising] are under the age of 40’ – which is a far cry from the stereotype I’ve had in my mind about cruise passengers for so many years (and which I’ll admit is now probably very outdated). It’s not surprising given the breadth of what’s on offer today.
Whether you’re seeking the high-end service from your favourite hotel brand, a more intimate sailing adventure where you’ll get to know each and every other guest, a wild adventure to the far ends of the earth aboard an expedition ship, or a party-til-you-dock experience with like-minded passengers – there’s probably a cruising adventure to suit your every mood.
So, can you really still say you ‘don’t like cruising’? I can’t. Even if sometimes I might say I’m on a yacht instead.
Katie Silcox is Citizen Femme’s managing editor who writes about travel and culture. Originally from the UK, she’s also lived in India, the UAE and Greece, where island hopping was her favourite summer pastime. She’s previously worked across titles including Condé Nast Traveller, GQ and Architectural Digest.
We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
Any Questions or Tips to add?