THE expedition cruise market is going from “strength to strength” in Australia and NZ as the sector continues to evolve and diversify, says Wild Earth Travel General Manager Aaron Russ. The veteran expedition leader of more than 100 small ship cruises told Cruise Weekly at last week’s Cruise360 summit that...
THE expedition cruise market is going from “strength to strength” in Australia and NZ as the sector continues to evolve and diversify, says Wild Earth Travel General Manager Aaron Russ.
The veteran expedition leader of more than 100 small ship cruises told Cruise Weekly at last week’s Cruise360 summit that part of this growth trajectory has been fuelled by the expedition space “subtly” evolving its offerings.
“So there is now expedition cruising that caters to people that don’t want that level of uncertainty, a softer version of expedition where the guides can tell you in advance how far you’re going to walk,” Russ said.
Russ added it wasn’t about judging either style of cruise, but rather about catering to the various appetites of the market.
“Nobody wants to say we’re ‘expedition lite’ or we do ‘expedition hardcore’, they’re not positive terms, how I see it is about getting the right client on the right ship,” Russ said.
Another part of the growth picture, Russ believes, has been educating prospective cruisers on how expedition cruising differs from traditional cruises.
“Expedition cruising is very much shaped by the personalities and the experiences you have along the way which aren’t guaranteed – you can’t deliver the same whale on every voyage”.
Pictured: Wild Earth Travel General Manager Aaron Russ during a Cruise360 panel session with APT Travel Group’s Chief Commercial Officer Debra Fox.
