Expedition Cruising Is Still Small But Going Mainstream for Travel Advisors
Skift Take
Expedition cruises have come a long way from bunk accommodations on old Russian ships, with a growing fleet of luxury vessels presenting lucrative opportunities for travel advisors. It's especially so for those looking for unique holiday solutions for their well-heeled customers.
Appealing to a broader audience than ever before, expedition cruises and their growing fleet of luxury vessels are opening up new experiences for travelers and sales opportunities for travel advisors.
Cruise Lines International Association figures show cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, and Greenland grew by almost a third between 2017 and 2018, reaching 148,000 passengers.
While the growth is impressive, Ben Lyons, chief executive officer of industry analyst Expedition Voyage Consultants, told Skift the actual numbers are still small in comparison to the rest of the cruise industry.
“All the new expedition ships coming online in the next several years don’t even equate to one new conventional mega cruise ship,” he said.
Lyons added, however, that the options are growing fast, not only from dedicated expedition operators, but also “as more expedition elements creep into everyday cruising.”
Seabourn and Tauck
Among those operators looking for growth in the expedition market is ultra-luxury cruise operator Seabourn Cruise Line, which currently has four of its five vessels allocated to expedition-style travel.
Robin West, vice president of expedition operations for Seabourn, said the line has capacity to serve more than 20,000 guests a year on its Ventures cruises in Alaska/Br
