Shrinking ships and ultra-luxury: The 15 next big things in cruising

French Polynesia is often transited during Pacific cruises, but it looks set to become increasingly visited in its own right as more ships operate leisurely itineraries that take in famous islands such as Bora Bora and Moorea and more far-flung places too. Locally based Aranui Cruises recently added the Austral Islands to itineraries, while Oceania Cruises has announced its most expansive season in French Polynesia for 2025 when Regatta and Nautica will sail 10-day itineraries round-trip from Papeete as far as the Marquesas Islands. Meanwhile, Ponant will base Le Jacques-Cartier in the region for the 2026–27 season. See aranui.com; oceaniacruises.com; ponant.com

Younger cruises

Shorter cruises, more active shore excursions, and ships with an increasingly less formal atmosphere and dress codes, more interesting dining and more lively activities have all been aimed at attracting younger demographics to cruising. It has worked: the average age of cruise passengers has fallen to 46.5, and only a third of passengers are aged over 60, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). You don’t need a crystal ball to see the trend will only continue, with baby boomers slowly sailing into the sunset and two-thirds of millennials saying they would consider a cruise holiday.

The Galapagos

While political unrest in Ecuador caused alarm early this year and suspended some cruises, it seems this was a mere glitch in the steady rise in popularity of the Galapagos as both a land-based and cruise destination. The wildlife-rich archipelago will be a cruise hotspot over the next couple of years, and small expedition ships specifically dedicated to the Galapagos will only multiply. Among examples, Lindblad Expeditions added two purpose-built expedition vessels to its fleet in July 2024, while Abercrombie & Kent is offering an “Ultimate Galapagos Expedition” in 2025. See abercrombiekent.com.au; expeditions.com

Shrinking ships

In the industry, cruise ships carrying fewer than 1000 passengers are considered small. But those who can’t stand a crowd will welcome the trend towards ever-tinier expedition and luxury cruise ships that cater to those who want exclusive, eco-friendly experiences in out-of-the-way places. Lindblad’s two Galapagos ships carry 48 and 16 guests. Galapagos Explorer, launched this year by safari company andBeyond, carries just 12. The new Spirit of Ponant catamaran in the Mediterranean hosts 12 guests, and Paspaley Pearl by Ponant, launching in early 2025 to sail Kimberley and South-East Asian cruises, fits 30. See andbeyond.com

Solo cruising

We named solo cruising as the next big thing last year but feel it needs another nomination thanks to its ever-surging popularity. More cruisers than ever – particularly women – are going it alone, with solo travellers seeing cruising as a safe option, indulgent treat, or sociable holiday option. New and refurbished ships from the likes of Celebrity, Crystal and Oceania have impressive solo staterooms, and many cruise lines, such as Coral Expeditions, increasingly offer special deals that waive solo supplements. The leader of the solo pack is Norwegian Cruise Line, which this year is offering almost 1000 additional solo staterooms. See celebritycruises.com; oceaniacruises.com; coralexpeditions.com; ncl.com

Holidays on ice

East Antarctica cruises are never going to be that big a thing, but that they’re a thing at all is impressive. Over the last few years, intrepid expedition cruise companies such as Heritage and Lindblad have offered cruises to Antarctica from either Hobart or New Zealand ports. The advantage? You see Australia and New Zealand’s subantarctic islands on the way, get further south, follow explorers such as Scott and Shackleton, and enjoy staggering scenery. In good news for the adventurous, Australian company Aurora Expeditions is offering several Antarctica cruises from Hobart or Dunedin in the 2025–26 season. See heritage-expeditions.com; au.expeditions.com; auroraexpeditions.com.au

Ultra-luxury at a new level

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is launching a new ship in 2026, the first in an entirely new class of vessel that looks set to push ultra-luxury cruising to yet another level. Seven Seas Prestige, which will carry 850 guests, promises opulent suites, new accommodation categories, and a lavish presentation of lounges, restaurants and public spaces. A second Prestige-class ship is slated for 2029. The luxury end of the cruise market is buoyant, with Silver Ray, Explora II and Ritz-Carlton’s Ilma launching this year. A dozen more luxury ships are slated over the next few years. See rssc.com

Terra firma

Cruise companies are increasingly keen to entice guests ashore with the aim of grabbing a slice of the lucrative land-tour pie. Guests, meanwhile, are increasingly keen on seamless, all-inclusive holidays. The result? A surge in land programs, from short stays in departure and arrival cities to more comprehensive pre- or post-cruise tours being rolled out by companies from Norwegian Cruise Lines to Viking. Some of the options now connect cruise passengers to places far beyond coastlines, providing the chance to visit destinations such as Victoria Falls, the Taj Mahal or Mongolian steppes. See vikingcruises.com.au

More time in port

Cruise lines are increasingly allowing guests more port time. In particular, expect a rise in port overnights, which not only allow more exploration time but give cruisers the opportunity to experience cities such as Barcelona or Hong Kong by night. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is even offering some Asian and European cruises with overnight stays in every port of call. Among cruise lines focused on overnights are Celebrity, Oceania, Princess and Silversea. Azamara has been in the vanguard, and now its ships in more than half the ports they visit either linger into the evening or stay overnight. See princess.com; azamara.com

Healthier choices

Wellness has been a big trend on cruise ships for a while, but expect attention to turn from spas to restaurants as cruise passengers demand more healthy choices and more niche dining options. Companies such as AmaWaterways, Azamara, Celebrity and Princess now offer comprehensive vegan choices. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free and low-calorie options are proliferating. We’ll likely soon see more wellness-oriented dining venues along the lines of Royal Caribbean’s Vitality Cafe and Celebrity’s Spa Cafe. Oceania Cruises now features Aquamar Kitchen on Vista and Allura, whose wellness-insured menus feature cold-pressed juices, energy bowls and salads. See amawaterways.au; royalcaribbean.com

Reducing emissions

Cruise ship pollution is under scrutiny, with cities from Barcelona to New York seeking to reduce ship emissions either through regulation or cruise-terminal relocation. One solution is for ships to connect to city power grids while docked rather than running off their engines, which can reduce emissions by up to 98 per cent. Currently, fewer than 40 per cent of cruise ships have that capability, and not all ports, but things are changing rapidly. Three-quarters of cruise ships should have shore-side capability by 2028, and all main ports in the European Union will have to install shore-side electricity by 2030.

Rising river

While the war in Gaza caused shivers in Egypt’s tourism industry at the beginning of this year, it hasn’t rocked river cruising as much as it may have done. In fact, the Nile River is a rising river-cruise favourite and cruise companies are not only pressing ahead with existing itineraries but expanding them. AmaWaterways debuts new ship AmaLila this year, and Viking floats out Viking Sobek, the sixth Nile River ship for the company. Viking Sobek will carry 82 guests on a 12-day “Pharaohs and Pyramids” itinerary, which includes a three-night hotel stay in Cairo. See amawaterways.au; vikingrivercruises.com.au; smartraveller.gov.au

Neighbourhood watch

Australians are showing a marked preference for cruising in their own region. Nearly 85 per cent of us cruised in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in 2023, a rise from 72.5 per cent in pre-COVID 2019, according to CLIA. That doesn’t mean we’re unadventurous, however. Cruises are on the rise in destinations such as Vanuatu, the Philippines and even Micronesia, now explored by the likes of Coral Expeditions and Ponant. Paul Gauguin Cruises, once a French Polynesia specialist, now has itineraries to Tonga, the Cook Islands, Fiji and beyond as far as Bali. See pgcruises.com