Solo, new cruisers and corporate groups on the rise for Regent, Oceania

Post-lockdown, interest for solo and new-to-brand travellers, as well as corporate incentive charters are on an upward trajectory, according to Steve Odell, senior vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Regent Seven Seas Cruises & Oceania Cruises.

Four out of seven of Oceania’s ships will now feature 14 staterooms, each designed specifically with the solo traveller in mind. The first of these 56 staterooms will debut onboard Regatta this September, followed by rooms onboard the Nautica, Sirena and Insignia.

Seven Seas Explorer’s penthouse suite

An uptick in new-to-brand guests at about 76 per cent was also observed across both luxury cruise lines.

Odell told TTG Asia: “This indicates that travellers are trying out cruising for the first time, and that seasoned cruisers are shifting across from the bigger ships to smaller, more luxurious vessels, with the benefit of more space on board.”

Sales were also stellar for both premuim brands, with passengers booking way in advance for some itineraries.

For instance, Seven Seas Explorer – dubbed the most luxurious ship ever built – sold out in its inaugural sailing in Asia. Scheduled to hit Singapore waters this December, it is fully booked for its Asia-Pacific season.

Itineraries for 2023 and 2024 are selling well too. The 140- and 190-day world cruises for both lines were sold out within a few hours.

Oceania’s opening day for its 2024 collection of voyages recently even ranked among the best single-day booking periods in the company’s history. More than 350 voyages went on sale. The cruise line’s 35-day circumnavigation of Australia departing December 2023 proved to be the most in-demand voyage.

All destinations saw strong bookings, but Asia stood out most.

Corporate incentive charters is another market sector that the luxury cruise lines are actively pursuing. Odell said demand for incentive cruises is fuelled by the “inclusive nature of our products, and the fact that the incentive of travel has more appeal than ever before”.

“We have a specialised team within our business who are experts in every facet of this sector,” he added.

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