Your November 2024 Update from Michael Wilson

Hello and welcome to my November update!

Wow, what a month! With both Cunard and P&O Cruises’ 2026-27 winter cruise programmes going on sale in October, clearly it was going to be a busy month. However, the response exceeded all expectations and, thanks to you, we broke all previous records.

For those of you who may not yet have seen these new sailings from P&O Cruises and Cunard, you will be able to find full details on our website. There are, however, some highlights that I would like to draw your attention to. The new P&O Cruises collection includes sailings to the Canary Islands on board Azura, which will enable guests to make the most of Christmas Day at sea. As Christmas Day will fall on a Friday in 2026 – which is usually a disembarkation day – the schedules have been adapted to ensure guests can enjoy the occasion on board.

Meanwhile, Cunard’s new season of sailings covers October 2026 to April 2027. Among the standout cruises is a full world voyage on board Queen Victoria, which includes overnight stays in ports such as Sydney, Hong Kong, and Cape Town. Cunard’s newest ship, Queen Anne, will be embarking on an 82-night South America Discovery cruise, which has been designed to coincide with the Rio Carnival.

I am sure you will agree there are plenty of fascinating destinations for you to discover by sea in the coming years! If we can help you book any of these sailings, or you need any assistance in finding your perfect cruise, be sure to give us a call on 01246 819 819 or head to our website to make a booking.

With the above in mind, it is no surprise that there are some 67 new ships set to enter service by 2036, with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings leading the way with 13 ships on order across its various brands. Royal Caribbean, which introduced three ships this year, will take delivery of a further seven by 2028, which includes the arrival of Star of the Seas in the summer of next year. Current projections point to 2025 and 2026 being two of the bigger years for new ship arrivals, with notable additions for next year including Star Princess, Norwegian Aqua and Celebrity Xcel, among others.

A major trend I have witnessed this year is that of early bookings, with many operators reporting stronger forward bookings for next year than ever before. Throughout 2024, we’ve seen a significant reduction in late pricing, reinforcing the benefits of booking early. I predict this trend will persist into 2025, with pricing remaining robust.

Interestingly, Fred. Olsen recently introduced a Freedom Fare Price Promise to coincide with their summer 2026 sailings launch. This encourages guests to book early to secure the best value fare on their cruise; anyone who books a Freedom Fare within the first four weeks of a sailing becoming available will receive a cabin upgrade or onboard credit should an equivalent cabin be reduced at a later date. Meanwhile, solo guests will not be subject to any supplements on single cabins during this same four-week period. The new collection of sailings is now available to view on our website – please give our Cruise Experts a call on 01246 819 819 if there is anything we can help you with.

If you have enrolled as a Cruise Club Member, a copy of issue 58 of Into the Blue should be landing with you as we speak. Features in this edition include a spotlight on some of the global events you can plan ahead for in 2025, as well as a celebration of Britannia’s decade at sea. As always, if you are not already signed up to receive your complimentary copy of our cruise magazine, fill in your details and we will add you to the mailing list.

I would also encourage you to complete our online Into the Blue survey. We will be inviting feedback over the next few weeks, which is your chance to reflect on the magazine, and provide us with valuable insights we can use to shape future issues. Please take a few minutes to let us know your views – you can complete the survey by following this link.

The P&O Cruises Arcadia refit 2024 is currently underway, which will deliver significant enhancements across the ship. We can’t wait to see her new look on 25 November when she’ll be back from her refit, and no doubt looking better than ever. You can expect to see new balcony furniture and lots of updates to the soft furnishings, while the Neptune Pool area will see considerable investment with new lounge chairs, sofas, tables and armchairs. This is really great news as Arcadia, being a mid-sized adult-only ship, is a firm favourite with our Cruise Club Members. Likewise, Aurora is scheduled for a similar update in April 2025 and we will, of course, share any details of this as and when they become available. 

Continuing on the theme of adult-only cruises, we are now a few months into our partnership with Marella, and I noticed in recent days that another of their ships will become adult-only for summer 2026. The cruise line already has one such ship, Marella Explorer 2, but she will be joined by Marella Discovery in this category for her 2026 Grecian Discovery, Aegean Gems and Aegean Delights itineraries, which are available to book now.

I have previously reported on our various system updates as this now forms a significant part of my role in the business, while my daughter, Katie, looks after the day-to-day operations. In October, the focus was on integrating our new phone system, which I am delighted to say is largely complete. My attention has now turned towards implementing some amazing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools which we can use in different ways to further improve our already excellent customer service. I will be sure to keep you updated on this exciting area of potential. 

My other current project is bringing Cruise & Stay holidays online. Towards the end of this month, we aim to launch Cruise & Stay holidays which you will be able to book via our website. This will ultimately lead us to be able to offer bespoke packages that you will be able to create online, a feature that will put us ahead of most of our competitors. Keep an eye on our website over the coming weeks as we roll out this exciting new feature.

Finally, we are ending the year with our very own People’s Choice Awards! This is a bit of light-hearted fun that will have you thinking about those little aspects of a cruise that can make a difference to your overall experience. We have compiled a list of 10 different categories, ranging from the comfiest beds at sea to the best cocktails, which you will be able to vote on by following this link. I have already cast my votes, and you have until 15 December to do the same. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the winners!

Once again, thank you for following my updates. I wish everyone travelling over the next month Bon Voyage and a great holiday.