The world’s largest cruise ship… for now

But it won’t hold the record for long.

Royal Caribbean is already building Icon of the Seas for launch late next year and has confirmed it will be bigger, though reports on passenger numbers vary.

Meanwhile, the ship that was supposed to hold the title – Global Dream II with a passenger manifest of 9000 – is expected to be scrapped before it even sails, though it is three-quarters built and $340 million short of its budget.

A flotilla of more than 70 new vessels with fresh design features are sliding down the slipways and finding fans among those who once would never have considered holidays on the water.

From Viking’s amazing expedition ships with submarines aboard to Celebrity’s Edge Class, the design features are truly jaw-dropping. 

Celebrity’s Magic Carpet deck moves up and down the side of the ship and doubles as a restaurant, bar and embarkation platform.

The strongest growth is in the luxury adventure arena. Seabourn is launching expedition ships, Regent Seven Seas Grandeur is promising amazing architectural design and our own Scenic is launching Eclipse II, which will cruise Kimberley.

Our appetite for longer journeys and more extraordinary experiences seems endless. Regent Seven Seas, one of the world’s most luxurious lines, recently released journeys spanning up to 93 days on ships with suites that can command up to US$10,000 a night.

When it launched the Voyages Collection last month the cruise line had a record sale day. 

“Guests are most keen to book exotic destinations with the desire to travel longer with sailings including destinations in Africa, Asia and South America making up approximately 70 per cent of the top 10 itineraries reserved,” said the line’s senior vice president and managing director for the Asia Pacific region, Steve Odell.

“More than a third of bookings have been for Regent’s distinctive suites and above, including the 413-square-metre Regent Suite. These trends illustrate that travellers are putting more value on their time and experiences and are willing to spend more to explore the world in luxury,” he said.

What does that mean? Well, Mr Odell revealed the most spent on a single reservation was close to $400,000. You get the picture.

Oceania, another luxury line which boasts the finest cuisine at sea, sold out its world cruise in three hours. After a two-year pause, cruising hasn’t just come back. It’s exploding onto the world of travel like a bull at a rodeo.

We are booking to the max, joining cruises to tours or back-to-back. Maybe we’re using the leave we didn’t take during the pandemic.

We are upgrading, booking bigger suites first and we want all-inclusive pampering. Airlines report the same.

Viking and other lines are saying they wish they had more ships because Egypt and the Nile are selling out. Africa and the Middle East are favourites, with Africa’s river journeys joined with safaris a particular target.

The Antarctic is among Ponant’s number-one bestsellers in Australia. Bucket lists are being ticked off.

We’ll have more lines and more sailings than ever in 2023, and 2024 looks even stronger. Ship-owners everywhere are heading for authentic, Indigenous experiences. Ponant will have the Le Ponant sailing ship there in 2023, joining it with Paspaley’s flying boats for a unique experience.

Scenic’s Australian owner, Glen Moroney, has long been an innovator. He’s been recreating the design of European river vessels with his Spaceships, and then inventing the discovery yacht class with the Eclipse.

This revolutionary vessel, with helicopter and submarine on board, has now been copied by a number of luxury lines.

But the original is about to get a sister which will sail in Australia in 2024. Others in the field include Moroney’s Emerald, APT and Travel Marvel.

Often made to feel like also-rans, solo travellers will rejoice at the news that Oceania’s first new ship in 10 years, Vista, will have a brand new category of cabin just for single travellers.

The Concierge Level Solo Veranda Staterooms feature a sitting area overlooking a private verandah, a separate sleeping area with a Tranquility Bed and plenty of storage space.