“Our biggest challenge is convincing non-cruise luxury travelers that cruise is for them.”
That statement was made by Wes D’Silva, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, but the same sentiment was on the lips of every cruise line executive at the 2026 Seatrade Cruise Global conference this month in Miami.
The shared goal turned competing cruise lines into unlikely allies with a united message about the allure of a vacation at sea. The brands are so obsessed with converting more high-net-worth travelers into cruise loyalists that legacy luxury line presidents are unabashedly encouraging upstart lines like The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Four Seasons Yachts.
Mark Tamis, president of Seabourn, even called the phenomenon of hotel brands launching cruise lines “one of the best things that has happened in the luxury space.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the question underlying many of the panel discussions was how to attract a luxury traveler who’s never cruised to the sea. These individuals are likely satisfied with top-tier hotels, splashy resorts, and pampered glamping and may harbor misconceptions of what a high-end cruise experience will be.
Throughout the conference, a few key themes kept repeating as to what might catch the attention of a non-cruiser and turn them cruise curious. The cruise lines are embracing these talking points, but they’re useful tools for travel advisors exploring new options for their high-net-worth clients.
Value Gap to Land
“We are a ridiculous value gap to other vacation alternatives,” Carnival Corp. CEO Josh Weinstein said in the keynote session, and that refrain was heard throughout the conference
Luxury travelers might not be nitpicking over a few dollars, but they still want to feel that they’re getting exceptional value for their money. Cruises can deliver that. Panelists shared stories of $26 bottles of water in Las Vegas and an $800 breakfast at a luxury hotel that turned them off those properties because it read as a money grab. While cruise prices have increased since the pandemic, they haven’t risen as quickly as hotels and restaurants.
“That value differential is our opportunity,” said Bert Hernandez, president of Silversea Cruises.
Travel advisors can extoll the virtues of a luxury sailing – gourmet cuisine, expansive accommodations, butler service, included beverages – and then seal the deal with a price point that would be unheard of for the same amenities on land.
Eliminating Friction
If I’d taken a sip of wine every time an executive talked about cruises reducing friction, I’d be too incapacitated to write this article.
“Cruising ultimately is about reducing friction so people can enjoy the hospitality that we give them,” said Weinstein during the State of the Industry panel. “That’s why they cruise.”
The mantra was taken up during the luxury panel, when the executives talked about how the cruise industry weathers uncertain times.
“We’re all about reducing friction, reducing lines, and making sure the guests have the best experience possible,” said Hernandez.
He described the many ways Silversea eases travel hassles for guests, from handling flight rebookings for travelers who miss their flight to building a hotel in southern Chile to make the process of getting to Antarctica more streamlined.
The way cruises uncomplicate the vacation booking process by bundling together accommodations, transportation, and entertainment – and are prepared to handle unexpected situations, like storms and travel disruptions – are a selling point agents can use to woo time-strapped clients who desire a seamless experience.
“The opportunity that we all have is the land-based consumer, those that would never have considered ocean travel before,” said Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys. “This is really the time to lean into ... frictionless travel. Everything can be booked as one.”
Personal Connections
In a world of AI, with people increasingly disconnected from each other, cruise stands apart for promoting human connections. Cruise line executives made it clear how cruising’s community spirit sets it apart from land vacations.
“What people who have never cruised before do not understand is … you know the name of your room steward. Your waiter knows you,” said Weinstein. “It is so foreign to people who have never cruised.”
You won’t get that kind of human connection with staff at a resort on land, the executives argued.
“A perfect stay at a resort is if you never see the housekeeper,” said Tamis. “That would be an awful experience on a cruise vacation.”
Social clients who appreciate making local connections when they travel are perfect candidates for a cruise, even if they have not expressed interest in a vacation at sea. The personalized experience a butler, bartender, or waiter can offer might just be the card advisors play to interest a land traveler in a luxury cruise.
Cruises can satisfy the current need for cultural immersion with crew from around the world – and often from the region, such as Paul Gauguins’ Polynesian ambassadors – as well as the human touch of a ship where everyone knows your name.
Destination Access
Perhaps the number-one way to get a non-cruiser to consider a cruise is to start with an alluring, otherwise inaccessible destination.
“Our expedition product caters towards travelers that would never have considered a cruise and use the ship as a vehicle to go to some of the most remote places in the world,” said Samuel Chamberlain, CEO of the Americas at Ponant.
It doesn’t matter whether you love to cruise or not – if you want to reach Antarctica or explore the Galapagos, you need a ship. A cruise makes it easier to circumnavigate Iceland, Greenland or Svalbard in the Arctic. Island hopping in the South Pacific or venturing into the Amazon are easier with a cruise.
And once a non-cruiser experiences a sailing because it’s the only way to access their desired destination, they begin to understand the allure of a cruise and are more likely to seek out another sailing.
“It really is a great way to overcome the traveler that is a cruise rejector,” agreed Hernandez.
Travel Advisors are Crucial
What’s a key strategy for convincing a non-cruiser to sail? Enlist the aid of a travel advisor.
“We would be remiss not to recognize the travel advisor,” said Chamberlain, emphasizing that agents are crucial to getting the word out about amazing vacation opportunities on ships and also for matching clients to the right ship, cabin, and itinerary.
The executives were adamant that advisors are important partners because they’re the ones who can educate their clients about the value and benefits of cruising. Cruise line employees can tick off all the ways cruises can fulfill travelers’ vacation desires in a frictionless way, but they don’t have access to vacation shoppers who aren’t already interested in cruise.
Agents who might have loyal clients who have worked with them to plan land vacations are in the perfect position to make the case for the right cruise for the right traveler. They are the ones who can work that magic to convert a non-cruiser into a cruise evangelist. With deep industry knowledge, trust and a personal recommendation, an advisor can address travelers’ hesitations around cruise and change some minds.
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