Luxury travel has become a popular way of getting to places in recent years. In a previous post, we highlighted the boom of premium travel through private jets in 2022. After a case study of Guy Stockbridge, owner of multiple businesses headquartered in central California, we highlighted that the share of premium travel among airlines has steadily increased since the dip it took during the pandemic. As of 2022, business jets — normally associated with entertainers and top executives — now account for a quarter of US flights.

Aside from premium jets, another form of luxury travel that has become popular recently is the luxury cruise. According to data from Maximize Market Research, the luxury cruise tourism market was valued at $8.11 billion (£6.16 billion) in 2023, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 12.32% from 2024 to 2030, reaching nearly $18.3 billion (£13.9 billion). To facilitate continuous market growth, luxury cruise providers continue to focus on providing higher standards of service, elevated cuisine, and an overall sophisticated cruise experience.

At the same time, there has also been a rise in "savvy" cruisers as companies discover the price gap between premium and luxury lines isn't too high. In fact, the cost of entry-level luxury cruises is comparable to that of premium cruise line suites. As travel by luxury cruise becomes even more accessible, many people may be intimidated by what a holiday on a luxury cruise entails. Below, we'll be sharing some tips for making the most of a luxury cruise:

Choosing your destination and itinerary

Many luxury cruises offer packaged and predetermined itineraries, departing from ports around the world to major cities and exotic islands for a five-star oceanic journey. Compared to point-to-point travel by flight or road, luxury cruises offer ample opportunities for sightseeing and various travel experiences.

Provider Explora Journeys' line of luxury cruises offers destinations to fit various traveller needs and preferences, from the Mediterranean and Western Europe to the Caribbean and Central America. Explora packages these destinations as curated 7-night journeys to promote lesser-known spots, and guests can extend to 14 or 21 nights.

At the same time, Explora Journeys' itineraries include onshore excursions for in-depth exploration of the local culture and experiences your destinations offer, all while avoiding crowds and larger ships. Packaged journeys and itineraries are also much less of a hassle than travel by flight, as Explora helps take care of pre- and post-journey hotels, flights, transfers, and luggage handling, ensuring a worry-free experience for travellers.

Spending time onshore

Credit: Si-take under license CC BY-SA 3.0. No changes were made to the image.

As mentioned above, many luxury cruise lines offer onshore excursions so travellers can better immerse themselves in their destination's culture, cuisine, and experiences. For example, luxury cruise provider Silversea's Silver Muse offers cruise excursions at Japan's Aomori City that take them beyond the cruise terminal. This includes visits to the 300-year-old Nebuta Festival if you're cruising in August, where the city and tourists can enjoy brightly lit decorated floats painted with historical kabuki figures from Japanese folklore.

Travellers can also visit the Nebuta Wa-Rasse Museum, where some of these floats and the stories behind them are displayed. If you're interested in more trips to the museum, you can also check out the Aomori Museum of Art. As you can see, luxury cruises are more than just the onboard experiences.

Enjoying onboard entertainment

Finally, while a luxury cruise experience should certainly be more than just the experiences served onboard, there's no denying that the primary allure of these luxury cruises is the top-notch service for travellers on the ship. There's a reason luxury cruises are often dubbed "five-star hotels at sea". Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Explorer's onboard activities start with the vessel's 1930s Parisian Art Deco-inspired interior decor and offer a range of at-sea experiences, from cooking classes to spa treatments and an onboard jogging track.

Guests can also enjoy the Explorer Lounge for cocktails and live jazz. But for less-extroverted travellers, there is also the option of in-suite dining if you're looking to have a meal before any onshore excursions or other activities while you're on your luxury cruise.