Ultra luxury hospitality companies are making a decided splash in the ultra-luxury cruise segment with such brands as Aman Hotels Resorts & Residences, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Orient Express entering the marketplace – a fact that is confirmed by data from Global Travel Collection (GTC), which found that 5% of future cruises booking average $40,000, which the host agency said is five times more than a standard sailing.
A Market Built on Brand Loyalty
In effect, these hospitality companies have created a new ultra-luxury cruise niche created by fans of their brands, many of whom have never cruised before.
“This is category creation, not category switching,” said Global Travel Collection President Angie Licea “A client who has spent 15 years loyal to a single hospitality brand is now stepping onto that brand’s ship, and they are bringing the same expectations they have on land.”
“They are not comparison shopping against other cruises,” she added. “They are following the experience they already trust into a new setting.”
A Premium on Privacy and Space
Buttressing the GTC data is the fact that it said its yacht sales are now approximately $3 million year over year, “with strong demand through spring and fall,” the company said.
“Yacht travel is increasingly tied to the same instinct driving the broader luxury market in 2026, a preference for privacy, exclusivity and space.”
Outpacing General Market Growth
On average, the cruise industry at large is continuing to flourish, “growing 5 percent overall, with river cruise up 25 percent and yacht up 40% percent, Global Travel Collection said, adding that its agencies are surpassing all market sectors with a growth rate of 14%, which is three times higher than the industry rate.
“Cruise has shed its old reputation faster than almost any category we track,” Licea added. “The ceiling on what a luxury traveler will spend at sea has gone up dramatically, and the brands moving into this space are the reason why.”
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