FEATURE duration cruises and destination-intensive itineraries, even if it means less time in port (i.e. a half day instead of a full day),” he says. “This means we are putting more focus on our seven- to 10-night itinerary programme (and shorter pre/post-cruise stays) to ensure we minimise sea days and maximise time in destinations. This is specifically driven by the new-to-cruise customers whose holiday behaviours are often different to our established guests. Windstar Cruises is trying several different itinerary ideas to improve the guest experience. As well as the ‘Off-theBeaten-Path Greek Isles’ and year-round Mediterranean cruising mentioned earlier, Peterson is searching to find ports where the brand can dock in the centre of town. He mentioned that guests love transits of rivers, locks, and other scenic cruising experiences. In warm destinations, he suggested that almost all Windstar Cruises’ itineraries allow guests to use the ships’ marina platform at least twice in a week. Peterson is searching for less traditional homeports too. “Our Southeast Asia cruises are the best example,” he says. “Rather than basing ships in Hong Kong and Singapore, we are homeporting in Vietnam’s Halong Bay (for Hanoi) and Phuket in Thailand. This has two advantages. First, itineraries are slower, since they need to cover less mileage, allowing for shorter durations and/or more time in port. Second, guests can start or end their journeys ‘in destination’, giving them more time there. Cruises focused on Vietnam, for example, almost never start in Vietnam.” Meanwhile, Virgin Voyages is actively curating unique itineraries that enable sailors to enjoy transformative experiences, like being in the path of totality during the solar eclipses in 2026 and 2027. Salzedo highlights that Virgin Voyages will offer three solar eclipse cruises in the next two years. “Overnight and late stays are at the core of our ethos,” she says. “Sailors love to stay overnight in our hotspot destinations such as Mykonos, Ibiza in Spain and Cartagena in Colombia. We try to offer a late stay or an overnight on all our itineraries. With so much capacity in the Caribbean in the winter, we have stretched our Mediterranean seasons a bit longer into the autumn to maximise the beautiful destinations and weather. We don’t want to rush sailors in and out of ports, so we allow for ample time to explore the hinterlands and uncover those local hidden gems.” In what appears to be a clear trend, Marella Cruises is stretching its Mediterranean season too. “We are extending our Mediterranean seasons (where shorter cruising is more possible), notably our Cyprus/Palma and Malaga programmes into March/November when previously they would have only run May to October,” says Duncan. “For exploring some of the more popular destinations like Barcelona in Spain, Greek islands Santorini and Mykonos, and Rome in harlingen discover the hidden pearl of the netherlands Harlingen is a picturesque 13th century historic harbour city located in the province Fryslân in the North of the Netherlands. An undiscovered romantic jewel with a charming centre with more than 600 listed authentic houses. Situated with an open view to a UNESCO World Heritage site the Wadden Sea. Recognized for its wildlife-rich wetlands and tidal habitats. Cruise guests arrive directly in the city centre! cruiseportharlingen.nl
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