Figures have shown that luxury travel bookings are seeing a hefty bounce back for 2017 with more than 81% of high-end travel agents claiming their bookings for this year are higher than 2016.
Reports this year have already shown that European river cruises are leading the way in terms of destinations, and holidays to Italy and Cuba are increasingly getting stronger. Affluent consumers are flocking to the newly re-opened port of call, Cuba, due to its exclusivity and the fear that the embargo on the destination could be reinstated.
In general for all destinations, luxury travel customers are interested in travel related to culture and history, sightseeing, dining, wine, cities and towns, and seeing as luxury cruises champion incredible itineraries and an even more incredible way to get there, they have risen in popularity.
As a growing interest in cruises arise, luxury cruise line Cunard encouraged 2017 bookings through a stylish film capturing its ‘Everything You Wanted, Nothing You Expected’ mantra. The film takes viewers through the experiences she may have whilst onboard the line’s vessels and is broken down into three key themes: time, space, and a life less ordinary to highlight the experience had whilst cruising with Cunard.
‘It was immediately clear to us that the experiences and atmosphere available through the ships needed little or no embellishment’, said Barnaby Girling, executive creative director at Alpha century, the creative agency who produced Cunard’s film.
‘The variety, scale and sheer visual impact created by Cunard allowed us to essentially shoot the reality of a Transatlantic crossing and then amplify it with immersive sound design’.
The luxury experiences underscored in the film include in-room butler service, dining options such as afternoon tea, health wellness activities such as spa treatments and jogging, and even sports like fencing. Since this, approximately 29% of agents claim that cruise suite bookings are up this year.
Recent announcements have shown holidaymakers to expect an array of more luxury vessels and cruises coming their way, including Seabourn’s largest every liner which was christened early January, Crystal’s luxury river duo due to launch Spring 2018 and Silversea’s plan to bring its fleet to a total of nine ships with its new ultra-luxury ship in April of this year.
What are your thoughts on luxury cruising? Is this the ultimate way to travel to your favourite destinations? Can you see luxury cruising eventually completely taking over regular cruising? Tell us about your luxury experiences…
