The Shape of Water

Optimistic sailing is on the horizon for the cruise industry in 2023

- Susan J. Young

SAILING INTO 2023, survey after survey shows that consumers are rewarding themselves by planning dream cruise vacations. While some desire to gaze at wild penguins in Antarctica, others wish to sip wines at vineyards along European rivers or venture to Australia. Corralled by pandemic-era travel restrictions, they’re now eager to explore the world in a robust way.

Increasingly, people view personal travel as a priority, and that’s translating into solid cruise demand. On January 3, Lindblad Expeditions posted its largest booking day ever, a 14-percent increase over the previous record day. Call volumes were up almost 30 percent over the busiest day in 2022.

So what top trends are shaping the cruise world this year? Here’s a snapshot.

Longer, More Luxurious Cruises 

Upscale cruise lines including Holland America are adding more grand voyages. These two- to three-month-long cruises allow guests to visit more ports and check off more boxes on their must-see list. Also fueling interest is the increase of remote work, so during an overnight Hong Kong port call one might shop in Kowloon in the morning, then return to the ship to work online before heading out for dinner and a harbor sound and light show. On the rise are even longer world cruises, typically more than 100 days and some 180 or 274 days. For instance, guests on Viking’s newest ship, the 930-passenger Viking Neptune, are now sailing on the 138-day Viking World Cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to London.