Uncovering expectations of luxury guests and operators

Leyla Oner, CEO Tura Turizm identified a huge increase in the luxury market from her perspective and calculated a 12% increase in the sector versus a 5% increase generally for cruise.

‘What we are seeing is a transformation firstly in age with more guests in their 40s and early 50s sailing on luxury ships and a shift from couples to more families taking a luxury cruise,’ she added and to this end she has created Tura Gold, a division dedicated to only serving the luxury lines.

Luxury segment rebound

According to Lourdes Hainlin, VP partner services Forbes Travel Guide, ‘post pandemic we saw one segment rebound immediately and it was the luxury segment: if you look at what is being built across the world, whether it's a ship or a hotel resort, it's in the very high end, the premium and the luxury and the low end - the middle is kind of being ignored.’

Social media access

Ricky Trautwein, product manager shore experiences and land programs at Windstar Cruises said social media is bigger and easier to access than ever. ‘You can see how rapidly destinations are changing, how top attractions are now being experienced with maybe higher crowds or maybe extra special experiences that you didn't know were available there.

‘So I fill the tours that go to the bucket list destinations, but what will also move the needle is making sure that there is a unique element, particularly a cultural authentic element so when they do leave home, they expect to see that experience on board or ashore.’

Can crowded destinations and luxury go hand-in-hand?

So if VIPs want to go to the bucket list crowded destination is it possible to give them a luxury experience? Stana asked.

Trautwein shared you have to play with timings, find out when the peak hours are, try to bring guests out of that.

'If guests are looking at the time thinking, why on earth are we leaving at 6am for Mont Saint-Michel? It's because it's going to be slammed with groups if we left midday.

'So this way you're able to get in and out early.

'And of course, if they offer any exclusive experiences after hours, those kinds of special events, you do what you can but sometimes you just have to deal with the crowds because it's such an in-demand destination.

'But those are some of the techniques I challenge my tour operators to look for.'

Oner agreed: ‘let's say you're in Kusadasi, where nearby Ephesus is very appealing for the luxury segment.

'So you take them a little bit later, but then it's hot.

'So you need to make sure you give them cold towels on their way, and you need to make new and different routes within the site to make sure that they are feeling they are different in that big site which is full of maybe 12,000 people at the same time.

'If you do it meticulously, it actually can work.

'It just needs to be done with a little bit more attention and essential that they shouldn't feel like they're on a tour,' Oner stated.

Celebrity choice

And as for who picked which celebrity: Oner chose Winfrey; Trautwein picked Beyonce and Hainlin opted for Hepburn.