Luxury cruise is only just starting to “scratch the surface,” according to CLIA Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz as he heralded a new era of rapid global growth and increasingly immersive guest experiences.
The 2025 Signature Luxury Travel & Style Cruise Awards, held today in Sydney, underscored both the momentum behind high-end cruising and the dramatic shift in what today’s travellers are seeking from high-end holidays.
“More than a dozen brand new cruise ships are set for launch in 2026 and around a quarter of those are in the luxury space,” Katz said. “Together, they represent billions of dollars of investment in the future.”
Since 2010, the luxury cruise fleet has more than tripled, and industry forecasts project a further 20% rise in travellers choosing luxury lines over the next three years.
Travel-agent surveys shared at the event indicate that premium and luxury cruises are currently experiencing the strongest sales growth across the sector. This trend, Katz said, is driven by a profound change in consumer priorities.
“Increasingly the luxury consumer is less focused on material indulgence and far more motivated by authentic, immersive and transformative experiences,” Katz said.
“They’re seeking meaning. They’re seeking connection and a genuine sense of place, rather than simple accumulation.”
This quest has propelled expedition cruising into one of the most dynamic segments of global travel, according to Katz. Specialist operators are deploying advanced, purpose-built ships to explore some of the planet’s most unspoiled regions, often pairing rugged capability with high-end comfort. The result is a form of travel that blends privilege of access with transformative immersion – an increasingly powerful draw for affluent explorers.
Innovation was another major theme of the awards. “Luxury ships are where we are seeing some of the most exciting developments in cruising – in the interior design, in the standards of dining and cuisine, in the creation of remarkable, authentic experiences,” Katz said. In the expedition sector, he pointed out that new technologies are enabling deeper exploration while preserving guest comfort and environmental integrity.
Despite the rapid expansion, Katz stressed that cruise tourism still accounts for just 2% of global travel – and luxury cruising makes up only a niche within that. “We’ve only begun to scratch the surface in terms of what’s possible,” he said.
