Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of Mundy Cruising, on why the future is luxe

With Seabourn Pursuit, Scenic Eclipse II, Explora I, Silver Nova and Seven Seas Grandeur all having arrived in 2023, you might think we’d be overrun by luxury options – until you realise the capacity of all these together is smaller than that of a single mainstream ship such as MSC’s Euribia, or Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas.

While the core market grows steadily, the luxury sector is showing temporary over-capacity, especially when you add in the returning Crystal ships, and premium products such as Oceania Vista and Viking Saturn.

Sophisticated luxury travellers don’t wait anxiously for the next luxury vessel to come along; rather, they check reports and reviews before adding new options to their wish-list.

It is down to each company to persuade these discerning buyers that their ship is the one.

And they do this so effectively: Seabourn Pursuit with her elegant yet cosy lounges; Silver Nova’s sparkling beach club vibe; Explora I, with ‘homes at sea’; the classic Crystal Symphony and Serenity; glittery Seven Seas Grandeur; sleek discovery yacht Scenic Eclipse II; each with its own allure.

What thrilling times ahead.