‘In the past, the most popular voyages were three four and seven nights. Now we have demand for cruises up to 21 nights. In the Galapagos, more people are doing 14 nights than they are seven nights.
‘A key driver is improved internet connectivity. The cabins are big enough to live in and work in for two weeks and with the rise of digital nomads we’ve really seen an increase in demand for longer duration itineraries.
‘Empty nesters and retirees have really moved the needle for us out of Australia and New Zealand, but it’s also common to see people doing their emails in the morning and then enjoying the ship and the excursions during the day.’
Haimberger says the Covid pandemic has also had an enduring effect on people’s travel preferences.
‘People are looking to explore more and spend extra time with their loved ones. We’ve seen the appeal of slow travel increase for the last two or three years.
‘Markets that were conservative in their spending are now much more inclined to spend their money (on travel).’
Haimberger says Aqua Expeditions is perfectly situated to meet demand for smaller groups (the largest capacity on an Aqua vessel is 20 cabins) and to get off the beaten track.
‘With Aqua you book a single cabin and get a charter experience, because you can still make a personal choice about the way you want to explore the destination.’
She says small ship, high end, immersive cruising still has plenty of potential for the luxury travel advisor.
‘Once a client books an expedition cruise it’s a one-way ticket, they really can’t go back.’
