Bigger vs better: Some of our biggest cruise trends are contradictory

As we learned the hard way in the past few years, you never know what will happen next in cruising. We are constantly wondering what’s next, and what will be different.

Of course, we can’t tell unless we base our guesses on what has already appeared. But while I can’t predict anything original in cruising, I can at least point to the latest trends.

For example, staple cruise destination Alaska is seeing a huge growth spurt. So is European and Egyptian river cruising. Everyone is talking about East Antarctica – or at least a small minority of deep-pocketed expedition cruisers are.

Rising interest in Asian cruising hasn’t been dampened. Cruise Guru says searches for Asian cruises were up 45 per cent in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year.

When it comes to ships, the notable trend is actually two opposing trends. New cruise ships from the likes of Carnival, MSC, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are getting bigger. Other ships are getting smaller and more luxurious: witness the launch of two new cruise lines, Four Seasons Yachts and Orient Express Sailing Yachts.

Meanwhile, the off-season travel trend through which travellers avoid overcrowding and heatwaves has become mainstream in the Mediterranean, where the likes of Azamara, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Viking and Windstar are offering winter cruises.

Astro-tourism has been a thing for a decade. Is astro-cruising about to follow? The total eclipse across Iceland, Greenland and parts of Iberia on August 12 has produced a frenzy of eclipse-gazing itineraries. Cruises to view the aurora borealis are increasingly popular, too.

MSC Cruises reports that sports also drives bookings. Its cruisers are tying in departure or arrival ports with major American football events in Miami and Seattle this year, and MSC is sponsoring Formula 1 motor races in Spain, Texas and Brazil.

If wellness is more your thing, you’ll have increasing choices as cruise lines ramp up their spa spaces and range of treatments. Some such as Crystal, Cunard, Scenic and Windstar offer wellness-themed cruises, and now river companies AmaWaterways and VIVA Cruises are doing the same in Europe.

Australians are upping their spending on cruising, and not just at the luxury end. Cruise Guru says 11 per cent of its overall customers have booked suites, an upward trend. Bookings of cabins with balconies are up too, while inside-cabin bookings are down.

The company also reports a shift towards value-bundled fares that cover inclusions such as specialty restaurants, beverages and Wi-Fi, which mirrors a wider trend towards all-inclusive holidays on land.

That doesn’t necessarily mean more extravagant spending, however. It might be about customers planning ahead, weighing up relative pricing, and opting for what they perceive as the best-value option.

That’s the thing about second-guessing travellers’ motivations. It will always be an inexact art, unless you have a better crystal ball than I do.