Various surveys over the past year all concur on one thing: Australians would rather cut back on anything except travel.
asserted
Australians → concur → travel
Travel Associates, a premium travel brand owned by Flight Centre, recorded a 57 per cent surge in luxury cruise spending in 2025 compared to the previous year.
asserted
Associates → own → year
It says demand for upmarket cruise lines such as Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas and Scenic has increased significantly.
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demand → say → Journeys
Cruisers are spending more money in other ways too, with an uptick in world cruises, back-to-back cruises and longer itineraries.
asserted
Cruisers → spend → back
The cash is also being splashed on upgraded cabin categories.
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cash → splash → categories
The wider opening of wallets was once attributed to revenge spending following the COVID-19 pandemic, but clearly other forces are now at play.
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forces → attribute → play
It seems we’re willing to pay for I-deserve-it treats, and more intimate and personalised cruise experiences.
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I → seem → treats
Another reason spending on cruises is rising, however, is that holidaymakers are looking for more all-inclusive packages.
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holidaymakers → rise → packages
That could be interpreted as an effort to save rather than to spend more.
uncertain
That → interpret → more
Nevertheless, cruising attracts big spenders.
asserted
cruising → attract → spenders
Will the trend slow as the world seemingly gets more uncertain?
asserted
world → slow → ?
Luxe hotel chains don’t think so.
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chains → think → ?
Aman, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton have or will launch ships whose daily rates set new and wince-inducing benchmarks for what people are willing to pay for a cruise.
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people → have → cruise
Suites on a Four Seasons cruise in the Mediterranean are currently hovering at about $US4000 ($5800) a night.
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Suites → hover → US4000
It wasn’t so long ago that $US2000 a night for an entry-level cabin was considered the limit for luxury cruises.
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US2000 → consider → cruises
That’s the fare per day on the longest world cruise currently on offer, 244 days visiting 53 countries and 125 ports on Oceania’s Vista, departing in January 2027.
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That → ’ → January
Do the maths though and you’ll see that a couple will have to cough up $334,280 for the whole journey.
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couple → do → journey
Yet that seems like an absolute bargain compared to a mere nine-night Mediterranean cruise on Regent Seven Seas’ new ship Seven Seas Prestige departing in June 2027, on which the top suite goes for $159,050.
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suite → seem → 159,050
That’s a person, twin share.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Luxury cruise lines are banking on passengers paying for add-ons, too.
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passengers → bank → ons
Anthology restaurant on Explora Journeys’ ships has menus starting from €200 ($334) a person including matching wines, although that’s chump change for those availing themselves of a new watch in the only Rolex stores at sea.
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that → have → sea
Even so-called budget ships expect occasional big spenders.
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ships → call → spenders
A 100-minute couple’s body massage treatment in Royal Caribbean’s Vitality Spa costs $US599 ($870), far more than the entire basic fare on some of its multi-day cruises.
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treatment → cost → cruises
And on Disney Cruise Line, bottles of 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc wine from the prestigious Bordeaux estate are reputedly priced at $US25,000.
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bottles → price → US25,000
EVERYONE ASKS
What does a cruise director do?
Cruise directors are one of the most senior crew members and the most visible – and audible, since they make most of the announcements on board.
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they → ask → board
You’ll see them buzzing around ships organising all the onboard activities, from the simplest of trivia quizzes to theme parties, deck barbecues and evening Broadway-style shows.
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them → see → parties
They’re in charge of overseeing everything that the hotel director doesn’t: all the activities, entertainments and shore-excursion scheduling.
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director → ’re → everything
Cruise directors are the forward face of the cruise line and need big personalities, endless smiles and great interpersonal skills.
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directors → need → personalities
But they’re more than entertainers.
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they → ’re → entertainers
They also have to deal with passengers, take responsibility for guest satisfaction and oversee the ship’s safety and security.
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They → have → safety
They also have to be highly organised and efficient, act as brand ambassadors, manage the entertainment budget and drive shipboard revenue for those activities that involve add-on cost.
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that → have → cost
They’re the emcee, the ringmaster and activities and entertainment manager.
asserted
They → ’re → ?
They do all that while working ridiculously long hours.
asserted
They → do → hours
Cruise directors may have some assistants but on small ships will be a one-man or one-woman band.
uncertain
directors → have → ships
Cruise directors can make or break the atmosphere on a cruise ship, especially on smaller ones where they will likely interact with every passenger.
asserted
they → make → passenger
The Aporia
