More luxury options on the way in 2026

More luxury options on the way in 2026

With Wave season now more than a month underway, one trend is clear: luxury cruises are in high demand.

This came up over and over again in my conversations with travel agency leaders and industry analysts at the end of January, and I've heard more of the same this month. I can't say I'm surprised. Wealthy Americans are not only doing just fine but are doing so despite an economy that is having a greater impact on the average consumer. Americans who aren't millionaires are still booking cruises, of course; they're just not doing it as feverishly as those who can afford the luxury products, my sources told me. And those luxury products are particularly abundant this year. After 2025 skewed more heavily toward new contemporary and premium ships, many set to debut this year will join luxury line fleets. Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Viking, Emerald Cruises & Tours and Aqua Expeditions all have new products bookable for 2026. In addition, two entirely new luxury cruise lines -- or as they prefer to be labeled, yacht lines -- are making their debut this year: Four Seasons Yachts and Orient Express Sailing Yachts. Aman at Sea, where rates start at more than $7,000 per night, also opened reservations for its inaugural 2027 season in January, coinciding with Wave season. CEO Jonathan Wilson told me that there had been 140 bookings for the 94-guest Amangati in the first three weeks of sales. "[It] doesn't sound like a lot, maybe, but you know what our price point is and the type of commitment this requires, so we are trending ahead of expectations," he said.

Trend attracts a new clientele

This luxury hospitality-branded niche within the cruise industry is reeling in a new type of customer who has never previously cruised but identifies with the brands because of their ultraluxe properties, Wilson said. Traditional luxury lines, meanwhile, are also in high demand this Wave season. Regent Seven Seas reported that January was its strongest month ever for total bookings. They were up 20% from last January, and the line saw increased demand for itineraries of at least 15 days and guests booking more than one cruise. In a post-Covid world, spending and experiences go hand in hand more than ever, so as those wealthy Americans are seeing their wealth increase, it's natural to expect their spending on travel to increase, too. Bottom line: It's a great time to be selling cruises, but it's a particularly great time to be selling luxury cruises. Source: Travel Weekly