What will be the future of cruise vacations, according to experts

The coming year is the best time for a cruise vacationand there have never been more options for travelers looking to spend time at sea.

This was the key conclusion of almost 100 experts who gathered at the end of October for Travel + Rest Cruise Summit 2024 held at the Waldorf Astoria Cancun, Mexico.

Attendees at the cutting edge of the cruise industry included more than 60 travel consultants, including several members of the T+L Travel Advisory Board. “You are truly hearing from the best in the business,” said Kathy Bano, vice president and publisher of T+L, in her opening remarks.

During the two-day conference, attendees heard from some of the world’s leading industry experts, including Kelly Craighead, CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

“Luxury cruises are such a phenomenon,” Craighead said, noting that 2025 is predicted to be a record year for cruise travel worldwide. “There’s more than just one thing about ‘cruising’, there are many, many, many different types of experiences that resonate.”

Additional trips discussed at the summit included such things as a cruise through the fjords of Norway, an expedition to the North Pole, a trip to see penguins in the Southern Ocean, and relaxing wellness getaways sailing in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. First-class culinary offerings on luxury ships of all types and unique benefits were also discussed river cruises.

Event guests came away with fresh ideas on how best to market these voyages, and appreciated the unique benefits of cruise travel, including the ability to unpack once, visiting multiple ports, and the ease of booking one turnkey vacation. includes several countries.

“Cruising is easy,” said Carmen Teresa Targa, a member of the Travel Advisory Board, who spoke at a panel about the benefits of multigenerational cruising. “Everything is done for me and I don’t have to think,” she said with a laugh.

“If you can put a luxury traveler on a ship, they’ll never look back,” agreed Bano.

In addition to several panel discussions summarizing industry trends, summit attendees also participated in a series of seminars hosted by Crystal, Oceania Cruises, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Viking.

Attendees also had many opportunities to enjoy the hospitality of the Waldorf Astoria Cancun, a magnificent resort located less than 20 minutes from Cancun International on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. This waterfront property is the first purpose-built luxury hotel in Hilton’s Latin American portfolio, featuring two pools, fantastic Mexican cuisine and a destination spa. as T+L co-author Dobrina Zhekova recently told.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts plans to develop several other high-profile luxury developments, according to Philip Peña and Faisal Jaffer, two executives who detailed the growing global influence of LXR Hotels and Resorts during the Cruise Summit.

In addition to workshops and panel discussions, attendees had plenty of time to network and collaborate during two business lunches: one sponsored by Explora Journeys, a high-end line with high marks in the World’s Best Awardswhile the other was sponsored by AmaWaterways, a favorite of the World’s Best Awards voters in the river cruise category.

Many of the participants of the summit expressed new ideas, as well as positive forecasts for the future of the industry. Among the noteworthy sound fragments that can be heard around the summit:

• “Customers who are ‘new’ to cruises should know that these luxury options exist,” said Sandy Schadler, a member of the Travel Advisory Board, who spoke on a panel moderated by T+L’s senior editor. Elizabeth Rhodes.
• “Cooler destinations have been a big turn-on — there’s a huge number of them now, especially the fjords of Norway, Greenland and Iceland,” said Regent’s Brenna Abels.
• “It’s never been safer or more convenient to go on an expedition,” said Ellen McIlwain of Ponant.
• “Our lawyer said this is what I can say: a cruise is the safest way to travel,” agreed Craighead, CEO of CLIA.
• “Gen Z is the most enthusiastic about cruises,” said Ann Madison, another CLIA representative in attendance.
• “There is such a variety on board that we can cater for all tastes,” said Nathan Hickman of Oceania Cruises.
• “Crystal is building two expedition ships,” said Glen Roth of Crystal, the line that now also uses Abercrombie & Kent’s expertise in its shore excursions.

Either way, the theme of opportunity seemed to run throughout the proceedings, with T+L advisors, sponsors and staff agreeing that the future of cruises, especially luxury cruises, is brighter than ever.

“We’ve had parents pull their kids out of school to take them on a cruise from Cape Town to Singapore for 30 days,” Hickman said during a panel discussion moderated by CLIA’s Andy Harmer. “They said, ‘This is more important than school.’