Australian company Oceania Cruises just saw its strongest booking day in the company’s history, signaling high demand despite the current global cruising pause.
On March 3, Oceania opened bookings for 2022 to 2023 “Tropics and Exotics Collection” winter sailings. Shortly after, the cruise line received a flood of interest, resulting in an “all-time record” bookings day since the cruise line first started 18 years ago.
This wildly popular 127-itinerary sailing collection spans several continents – including Africa, Antarctica, and South Pacific – between seven to 77 days. The highest selling trip was a 35-day cruise around Australia during Christmas and New Year’s. But in general, cruises to Asia, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and combined Australia and New Zealand saw especially strong bookings, according to the cruise line.
“The tremendous wave of bookings we saw on the day we opened our new 2022 and 2023 itineraries for sale underscores the extraordinary demand for long and exotic cruise vacations,” Bob Binder, Oceania Cruises’ president and CEO, said in a press release. “Upscale travelers are eager to explore the world once more and are booking farther in advance to ensure their travel dreams are fulfilled.”
This isn’t the first time Oceania has seen massive success with its cruises this year. On January 27, the cruise line opened bookings for its 2023 180-day global sailing starting at $41,600. The trip then sold out within a day.
Looking ahead, in September, the cruise line plans to open bookings for its 2023 cruises in Europe and North America in order to “satisfy demand from consumers and travel advisors who are booking farther in advance.”
Pent-up demand for travel has been felt across adjacent industries like cruising and hotels. Now, figures like Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO, are predicting an upcoming “travel rebound” as vaccine rollout continues and countries begin accepting new visitors. As a result, this high demand for future cruises could signal a strong return for cruise lines after over a year of empty ships and no-sail orders.
Source: Business Insider
