Cruising Trends Point Toward Charter
I received an interesting press release this month from American Express Travel. It cited luxury cruising as a growing market, and then listed the top five amenities and excursions that people are requesting onboard cruise ships:
Amenities requested: suite upgrades, private butler service, gourmet chefs, expert lectures, private pools and balconies.
Excursions requested: private tours, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, golf excursions, and scuba diving/snorkeling.
What’s interesting to me about these requests is not that vacationers are making them, but that they think the best place to find these things is onboard cruise ships. Pretty much every single thing on these lists is, in fact, a description of private yacht charter. It’s literally what charter is, compared with a mere upgrade that you can get onboard a mass-market cruise ship.
If only travel agents weren’t so in the pocket of the cruise ship companies, you might actually be offered charter as a vacation option in the first place when you ask for these kinds of things. Instead, companies like American Express Travel seem determined to convince you that you can have a charter-like experience onboard a cruise ship–which is simply untrue.
Should you be one of the growing number of people who want the kinds of amenities and upgrades listed above, then contact a reputable charter broker instead of a travel agent, American Express or otherwise. Cruise ship upgrades aren’t the best way to get what you’re seeking. They’re a far less appealing version of the real thing, which is private yacht charter vacations.