TORONTO — Covid’s been a wild ride for every sector in travel, but perhaps none more so than the cruise industry.

Arguably the worst hit in the pandemic (CLIA reported US$77 billion in global economic losses in just the first year of the pandemic alone), with wide-sweeping cruise bans in 2020 by both the CDC and the Canadian government as well as a litany of stringent health and safety protocols and requirements, cruising has gone from rock bottom to record highs over the course of three years.

According to CLIA, the cruise sector is rebounding faster than international tourism arrivals, with cruise tourism forecasted to reach 106% of 2019 levels by year’s end for a total of 31.5 million passengers. And just this most recent Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend, several cruise lines, including Cunard, Princess and Atlas Ocean Voyages, raked in a record number of bookings, proving that cruise demand is back and higher than ever. 

Of course, there were several standout moments in 2023, including the triumphant return of Crystal Cruises, now sailing under the new guardianship of A&K Travel Group, and the launch of Riverside Luxury Cruises, which acquired all five of Crystal’s river ships. Across the board, it’s been a memorable year of massive recovery and major milestones for cruise lines, which have so much to be proud of. 

We checked in with several lines to ask what their top highlights of the year were, and what they hope to improve in 2024.

AMAWATERWAYS, Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President

“We are very proud of the success of our Soulful Experience cruise and the wonderful responses we have received from travel advisors and guests to the additional dates announced for 2024 and 2025. It is priority for us to ensure that river cruising is welcoming and inclusive of all ages and backgrounds. Whether it is our Soulful Experience cruises or our cruises with a Latin Touch, or the many specialty excursions we include in our regular itineraries or custom group excursions we can propose, we want to be sure our guests find personal experiences that resonate with them while cruising with us.

“As for our resolutions for 2024, content remains ‘King,’ so providing our travel partners with easier access to updated visual assets to promote new destinations like Colombia and more diversity in our guest images in terms of age and cultures is something we are committed to doing even better next year. We have a new Media Gallery that will be launched next year along with a Custom Flyer Creation tool that we hope will make it easier for our travel partners to personalize their email and social media marketing.”

AmaWaterways on the Rhône River

AMERICAN QUEEN VOYAGES, Angela Composto, Vice President of Marketing

“This year marked a culinary triumph as we expanded our gastronomic offerings through an enduring partnership with America’s Test Kitchen, unveiling Six Recipes Six Rivers, a delectable assortment of recipes inspired by the rivers traversed by American Queen Voyages. In addition to this partnership, we welcomed renowned gastronomic personalities aboard several Regina and Friends sailings, as well as our Bourbon-themed cruise. These experiences allowed our guests to fully immerse themselves in the diverse culinary landscapes and spirits of the ports visited along our various itineraries.

“Our resolution for 2024 is rooted in a relentless pursuit of innovation. We are excited to introduce new and enhanced Experiential Voyages and special events cruises, offering guests a deeper exploration of the regions we sail. Beyond our established voyages – including wine cruises, bourbon cruises, Regina & Friends cruises and festive holidays on the river journeys – these new themes and special events voyages will offer immersion into niche interests. Some of these new offerings include Baseball Legends, Mardi Gras, Salmon Fest and multi-generational family cruises.”

American Queen Voyages

AZAMARA, Michelle Lardizabal, Chief Sales Officer, North America

“In 2023, we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of AzAmazing Evenings, a signature event that our guests have loved from the beginning. Our dedicated team has curated such unique and immersive experiences for our guests over the past decade, and I’m so proud that we’ve expanded our programming even further this year to launch AzAmazing Celebrations, bringing our authentic cultural events into the daytime and onboard as well. Our team works hard to curate these exclusive events that truly capture the essence of each destination for our guests.

“There is a lot to look forward to in the new year. In January, Azamara Onward’s first World Cruise sets sail, and in May we’ll officially welcome Dondra Ritzenthaler as CEO. I know she’ll use her expertise and great industry relationships to create new interest and enthusiasm for Azamara.

“As an independent, small-ship cruise line, we know Azamara is a little bit of a secret, and this is our opportunity to grow and reach new potential customers. We know we have a great product, as those who sail with us quickly become loyal guests. We also know there are so many more travellers out there who are unaware of Azamara but would love the cruising experience we offer, so we look forward to reaching them in 2024.”

Azamara

CRYSTAL CRUISES, Cristina Levis, CEO, A&K Travel Group

“2022 marked a triumphant resurgence for Crystal. Our return was not merely a comeback; it was a testament to resilience, innovation and a commitment to excellence. This milestone heralded a new chapter under the guardianship of A&K Travel Group, showcasing the brand’s ability to overcome challenges, redefine standards and introduce itself with renewed vigor. 

“While the essence of the Crystal experience remains rooted in our hallmark excellence, the new ownership has infused fresh elements into the brand. Guests can still anticipate the same attention to detail and exceptional service that defined Crystal in the past. However, there are also noteworthy enhancements and innovations under the new ownership, aiming to elevate the guest experience further, especially when it comes to our shore excursion programming. Crystal’s ships have undergone a US$150 million refurbishment, with more than 60% of suites and guestrooms being renovated, larger suites and living spaces, updated public areas, a brand new spa and upgraded dining experiences. 

“Our New Year’s resolution at Crystal is to continue to evolve and stay on the cutting edge of travel. We’re committed to innovation, exploring new destinations and providing our guests with the most exceptional service the industry has to offer. Furthermore, we’re continuing to maintain a sense of tradition while enhancing the guest experience with modern amenities, partnerships and more. We’re also continuing to build Crystal’s future with the announcement of four new ship builds.”

Crystal Serenity, Crystal Cruises

CELESTYAL, Brandon Townsley, Vice President & Managing Director, North America

“We’re most proud of delivering on Celestyal’s promise of a complete fleet refresh with two new ships: Celestyal Discovery and the Celestyal Journey. We are extremely proud of this accomplishment, which allows us to continue to make waves across the industry next season with a renewed sense of direction.

“In 2024, we hope to build upon our trade-centric approach and to work more closely with our agent partners in Canada and the U.S., who are critical to the success of Celestyal’s business. It’s vital that alongside our fleet refresh, we continue to not only invest in our onboard guest experience and offer new destinations and itineraries, but that we continue to also invest in trade support and expand our resources dedicated to specific sales channels.”

Celestyal Discovery, Celestyal Cruises

MSC CRUISES CANADA, Ian Patterson, Country Manager

“In 2023, I am grateful to have witnessed the significant work accomplished by our tremendous Canadian team, which has enabled us to exceed all expectations this year. It has been great to see them grow and work with our trade partners in their success.

“Our New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to look forward rather than backward, embracing a new year of opportunities. We believe that we can always do better, we can always improve in prioritizing people first. We are committed to allocating additional resources to all areas of our business, to serve the Canadian trade and consumer even more effectively.”

MSC Euribia

PONANT, Erica Barbour, Business Development Manager-Eastern Canada

“2023 was a significant year for PONANT as we made so many exciting announcements. We shared that as of Winter 2024-2025, all shore excursions will be included, enhancing our guest experience. We also announced that Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first and only luxury icebreaker, will be the first international cruise ship to sail on the St. Lawrence in Winter 2025. Plus, Le Ponant, our flagship, is the first vessel to have obtained the Relais & Château label. And finally, we shared our commitment to a uniquely designed transoceanic 14th ship, supporting the evolution towards carbon neutrality.

“In 2024, PONANT would like to continue to grow as a resource for advisors and consumers alike, who are interested in learning more about sustainable travel. Just recently, PONANT received the Green Globe Certification for our Explorer Ships, Le Commandant Charcot and our sister ships. PONANT is the first cruise line to obtain this prestigious sustainable tourism label.”

RIVERSIDE LUXURY CRUISES, Peter Ouzounov, Director of Sales, Canada

“The year 2023 marked the launch of Riverside Luxury Cruises. With great fanfare, Riverside Mozart, our first luxury river ship, started service in March on the Danube River and, only half a year later in August, Riverside Ravel started service on the Rhône River in the South of France. We have received very positive feedback from Canadian travel advisors and guests about the culturally immersive, luxury experiences delivered by every staff and crew member aboard both ships. We sincerely appreciate our valued travel partners for recommending Riverside Luxury Cruises and bringing our new luxury brand to national awareness.

“In the second year of our brand, we will further establish our distinctive luxury brand with the travel trade community through training, support and FAMs to help them sell and earn more. We are planning an extraordinary spring 2024 launch of Riverside Debussy, Riverside’s third luxury river ship, providing more opportunities for our travel partners to offer their clients the most exclusive and immersive luxury experiences on European waterways. 

“As part of our great appreciation for travel advisors and their indispensable role in the industry, Riverside is providing a 3% bonus on top of our standard 18% commission through 2024.”

Riverside Luxury Cruises’ Riverside Mozart

RIVIERA RIVER CRUISES, Marilyn Conroy, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, North America

“Since the pandemic, we’ve started to expand our offerings again to keep up with the ever-growing popularity of river cruising. In the past year, we’ve seen the first departure of a new itinerary on the Rhône, and for 2024 we’ve announced three new 11-day itineraries on the Seine, Rhine and Moselle, as well as a new ship and itinerary on the Douro. Also, we’ve consistently been recognized for our outstanding product and our value, receiving awards both in the United Kingdom where our company is based, and here in North America.

“Next year, we plan to cater even more to the North American – and Canadian – marketplace in a few different ways. We have a new drinks package that’s included with every cruise. Guests will be able to enjoy unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks during lunch, and then there’s an open bar from 6 p.m. to midnight. Responding to demand for themed cruises, we also just announced eight new itineraries for 2025 that focus on art, music, history, food and wine. And we’ll be launching a new website in the spring that’s more user-friendly for our agency partners.”

Riviera River Cruises’ MS Geoffrey Chaucer

SCENIC, Lisa McCaskill, VP Sales & Marketing, Scenic Group Canada

“We are proud of many milestones in 2023, including the launch of Scenic Eclipse II and Emerald Sakara. Plus, more travel partners experienced Scenic and Emerald Cruises on FAM trips with our BDMs than ever before. We have a full team of four BDMs across Canada: Tracy Daniels, Lynne White, Caroline Poulson and Mary Lynn Villeneuve. And we’re also proud of our continued partnerships with Canadian celebrity personalities such as Jann Arden, Chef Lynn Crawford and Chef Michael Bonacini. 

“For 2024, we’re focusing on helping our travel partners achieve their business goals, as well as achieving next-level sales growth with our ultra-luxury ocean yacht products. Our BDMs will also continue to have meaningful connections with our travel partners.”

WINDSTAR, Dianna Rom, Vice President of Sales

“I am immensely proud of the extraordinary accomplishments of our sales team, reservations team and dedicated crew members. Their unwavering commitment to excellence and providing exceptional service to our guests has been the cornerstone of our success in the travel industry. Together, we have navigated the ever-changing travel environment with resilience and adaptability. It’s a privilege to work alongside such talented individuals who consistently go above and beyond to ensure the satisfaction and enjoyment of our guests.

“As we enter the new year, we remain committed to shaping the future of travel. We hire compassionate, bright staff who provide exceptional service to our guests as they travel throughout the world. We strive to exceed expectations and make every journey with Windstar Cruises truly extraordinary. And of course, we want to introduce travellers to our beautiful destinations in Tahiti, Iceland, South America and the Caribbean aboard a Windstar yacht.”