Cruise Lines tips

Royal Caribbean Group CEO and President Jason Liberty makes waves in the industry with his ability to pull off industry-changing projects.

Alex Dichter is set to retire as leader of McKinsey’s global travel practice this year, but he’s not leaving the industry any time soon. He’ll be board chairman for HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions), which provides cruise expeditions.

Hornblower Group’s new CEO, Mike Flaskey, is betting on enhanced onboard experiences to drive growth as the company emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Flaskey, who took the helm on August 1, aims to leverage his background in hospitality and entertainment to revitalize the experience and transportation company.

If there’s a slowdown in travel, Viking‘s CEO doesn’t see it. Torstein Hagen said Thursday that bookings on his luxury cruise ships and river cruise lines look strong through next year.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, June 13, 2024. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Lindblad Expeditions said Tuesday it would add two purpose-built ships to its fleet. The adventure travel operator will use the vessels specifically for small-group expeditions in the Galápagos Islands, doubling its capacity there.

Viking on Wednesday provided its first earnings report since its IPO earlier this month. The company, which operates 92 luxury river and ocean cruises, gave a broadly upbeat report.

Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings unveiled adjustments to the company’s strategy as part of its investor day for analysts.

Viking, an operator of river and ocean cruises, and a group of shareholders were set to raise more than $1 billion in an initial public offering on Wednesday.

Aman, in partnership with Cruise Saudi, plans to debut an ultra-luxury motor yacht in 2027 for small-ship cruising. The luxury group said the vessel will be the world’s first convergence between an ultra-luxury ship and a private yacht.

Four Seasons revealed on Tuesday the first itineraries for its new brand, Four Seasons Yachts. The hospitality company also shared the first renderings of its maiden vessel, which it has yet to name.

Known for many years as primarily a Europe-focused accommodations business, Amsterdam-based Booking.com on Thursday launched cruises in the U.S. through a partnership with cruise agency World Travel Holdings.

Norwegian Cruise Line executives are optimistic about demand returning to the Middle East region in 2024 after cutting some trips in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Norwegian Cruise Line has removed Israel from its itineraries through 2024 due to the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas.

One of the hottest areas for hotel companies is the open sea. Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, hopes to launch a yacht-style cruise line Orient Express Silenseas by 2026, according to a report in Bloomberg News on Wednesday.

Lindblad Expeditions expects it will have record revenue in 2023, even though it accumulated a net loss of over $100 million in 2022, Lindblad executives said during a Tuesday earnings call. 

Norwegian Cruise Line plans to cut across the company in 2023, even as demand surges, in order to increase its profit margins, executives said during a Tuesday earnings call.

Lindblad Expeditions’ occupancy soared in the first months of the year thanks to marketing investments paying off with more first-time guests, executives said during a Wednesday earnings call.

On the same day I was set to depart, I received an email telling me where in the world I’d be going. This was exactly what I’d been hoping for. The less I knew, the better.

Traveling alone on a cruise ship can be liberating, convenient, and cheap — so long as you know how to do it right.

Before Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas left the shipyard in Finland, the world's largest cruise ship was built on Fortnite.