With close to 37.5 million people expected to cruise globally in 2025, and that figure tipped to rise to 42 million by 2028, it’s no wonder Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises are investing heavily in new hardware, experiences and partnerships across the brands. 

Steve Odell, Senior Vice President International & Consumer Sales for both luxury cruise brands, says there is currently “huge confidence” in the cruise sector across all brands, from mass market to luxury, with 70 brand new ships on order – representing an investment of US$63 billion coming to the segment.

Speaking at ILTM Cannes this month, Odell said that after COVID, “there was a lot of skepticism about whether the cruise industry would ever be the same.

“But we’ve come back even stronger,” the senior cruise executive said. 

“In the luxury space you now have yachts, you see the hotel industry developing brands; the expedition segment is strong. And luxury is a part of the cruise industry that is moving quickly. About one-third of the new ships being built are under 1,000 guests,” he said.

Odell said Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is “attacking the luxury market” from two different levels. Ultra-luxury, and its all-inclusive offering of all-suites and smaller vessels through Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and entry-level luxury with Oceania Cruises and bigger ships, a higher percentage of staterooms and an “unwrapped price” while still delivering luxury hardware, service, food and beverage. 

With 14 ships in operation between the two brands (the newest of which being Oceania Allura that launched in July 2025), and another seven in the pipeline (three Prestige class for Regent and four Sonata class for Oceania) – and all Italian built, he says NCLH is well prepared for the next decade.  

“It’s a very exciting time for our industry. People are spending more, they want more unique experiences, and our job through this 10 year vision is to deliver on that, not only through our hardware, our service and our food, but through the experiences that people enjoy when they travel,” Odell said. 

“The type of travellers who spend at this price want unique experiences. Cruise can deliver because we move our hotels, we can take them to global destinations.”

Odell highlighted a range of initiatives and partnerships the brands have announced for the future, including an extension of the Mediterranean season for Oceania to a year-round basis with its newest hardware, Oceania Allura in 2027/28. 

“The gradual extension of the Med season, starting earlier and ending later, has now morphed into spending all year in the Mediterranean,” said Odell. 

Maintaining its focus on specialty cuisine, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Sonata, which enters service in August 2027 (and her same class sister ships), will feature two new restaurants, one of which will specialise in Nikkei (Peruvian/Japanese) dishes, aptly named Nikkei Kitchen, and the other Le Table par Maîtres Cuisiners de France – the only restaurant launched with the approval of MCF. 

And on the partnership front, Regent Seven Seas Cruises this month (at ILTM Cannes) revealed an expansion of the partnership with GHA (Global Hotel Alliance) for its 2027/2028 Concierge Collection, with more hotel pre-cruise packages staying at a dozen flagship hotels around the world, including Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul and Capella Sydney. 

Lead image, at Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises’ joint stand within The Sail marquee at ILTM Cannes, from left are: Brennan Quesnele, Lisa Pile, Steve Odell, Paul Beale, Shawn Tubman, Frank Medina, Gabriella Fonzo, Sam Deadman and Alessandra Cabella. Photo: LATTE/Guy Dundas