CruisePro Set to Expand the French Cruise Market


Après une rénovation à Brest, le Quenn Mary 2, ici dans le canal du Panama, reprendra la mer à l’occasion d’une nouvelle traversée transatlantique au départ du Havre le 25 juin @Cunard

CroisiEurope


Fifteen brands, but not fifteen companies doomed to compete for the same passengers.

For Emmanuel Joly, head of Cruisepro, the breadth of the portfolio is, on the contrary, the main lever for the growth of the general travel agency in France. « All of our brands meet demand without cannibalizing each other », he asserts.

Royal Caribbean targets families and fans of large ships, Virgin Voyages targets adults, while Celebrity Cruises occupies the premium segment.

Cunard cherishes its maritime heritage, NCL leans toward a more relaxed offering, and Azamara focuses on destination immersion.

Cruisepro also covers luxury and ultra-luxury with Silversea, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Seabourn, Crystal Cruises or Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. AmaWaterways finally enables its presence on the river cruise segment.


Cruisepro: deals with networks “in the works”

The proliferation of brands is therefore not aimed at repartitioning the existing client base. It is intended to widen the market by offering responses to profiles and budgets that are very different.

To achieve this, Cruisepro wants to strengthen its ties with travel agencies. Emmanuel Joly notes that signatures with several distribution networks are currently in the works.

The reservation calendar makes this collaboration all the more strategic.

Despite the growth of last-minute sales, driven, he says, by geopolitical uncertainties, the manager recalls that it is generally necessary to book nine to eighteen months before departure to obtain the best terms and preserve a real choice of cabins.

The work with distributors must therefore begin well before boarding. It involves training, product briefings, and the ability to direct each client toward the cruise line that truly matches their expectations.

Cruisepro also aims to bring cruising out of its circle of regulars. “We must reach clients who take exotic trips”, says Emmanuel Joly. In other words, persuade travelers who already travel far but have not yet considered the ship as a way to discover.


New Developments as Proof by Example

The 2027 programming must give agents talking points. Royal Caribbean will position Mariner of the Seas departing from Barcelona on itineraries that travel through the Costa del Sol, Casablanca, Tangier and Portugal. A way to combine time onboard with a sequence of calls rarely gathered on a single Western Mediterranean cruise.

Celebrity Cruises will again offer a seven-night Iceland circuit aboard the Celebrity Silhouette. Cunard, for its part, will focus on a transatlantic crossing between Le Havre and New York on June 25, 2027, aboard the Queen Mary 2. The ship will have just emerged from a renovation carried out in Brest and will feature a French-speaking accompaniment.

NCL will launch in April 2027 the Norwegian Aura, touted as the largest ship ever built for the company. Oceania Cruises will inaugurate the Oceania Sonata in August of the same year, while developing culinary-themed cruises.

On the more exotic segments, Cruisepro can rely on Azamara’s long voyages and the expedition cruises of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. In the river segment, AmaWaterways will reinforce its departures on the Magdalena River, in Colombia, with two 60-passenger vessels and calls in Mompox, a UNESCO World Heritage site.


Laurent Guéna Published by Laurent Guéna Journalist – TourMaG.com
See all articles by Laurent Guéna

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CruisePro 2027: More Innovations to Explore the World by Sea and River


© Royal Caribbean

Climats du Monde


“This year’s geopolitical context has certainly amplified last-minute bookings in the cruise world, but it is important to remember that to obtain the best offers and guarantee the best cabins to discover the world by sea, one generally needs to book 9 to 18 months before departure, depending on the cruise line,” says Emmanuel Joly, director of Cruisepro. “Autumn is therefore typically a sign of a seasonal shift in booking dynamics, with heightened focus on departures for the following year, especially for the summer. The shipowners know this and therefore offer enticing deals to encourage early reservations.”

This is not an easy exercise to select the main opportunities that travel agencies can book with Cruisepro, but here is what could constitute a first approach.

Royal Caribbean. The world’s leading cruise line is strengthening its presence in the Mediterranean in 2027. Notably, the second season of the Legend of the Seas, the latest vessel in the Icon class, which will now depart from Barcelona and Rome from May to October 2027. On the Legend of the Seas, the destination is the ship itself—a ship of excess in terms of memories made with family, simply incomparable. Another novelty for Royal Caribbean in Europe is the arrival of the Mariner of the Seas, a mid-sized ship that was recently renovated and now offers unprecedented itineraries from Barcelona, with calls on the Spanish Costa del Sol, Casablanca and Tangier, then on to Portugal. The Brilliance of the Seas with itineraries to the Greek Islands from Athens is my third choice in this Royal Caribbean selection, a ship of just over 2,000 guests that will regularly visit the new Royal Beach Club in Santorini.



© Royal Caribbean

Celebrity Cruises. With six ships in Europe in 2027, Celebrity, the premium brand of the Royal Caribbean Group, continues to offer unforgettable sea vacations. Let’s start with the Celebrity Infinity, which for winter periods from Barcelona offers long cruises in search of sunshine, toward the Canary Islands and Morocco. In 2027, it will also mark the second season of the latest Celebrity Xcel in the Mediterranean. Not to forget the modern Celebrity Ascent departing from Rome for the Greek islands, or the Celebrity Silhouette which will again host a full summer season in Iceland with a 7-night itinerary around the island.

Cunard Cruises. The iconic British luxury brand will offer unique vacations in 2027. The Queen Mary 2 will be renovated at the Brest shipyard in spring 2027 before beginning notably the Le Havre–New York cruise on June 25, 2027, a voyage with French crew and lecturers on board, with the option to book transfers from Paris and return from New York. But Cunard is not limited to transatlantic sailings; it also offers a portfolio of premium itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and Alaska. And of course World Tours on the Queen Anne and the Queen Victoria, in full versions up to 111 nights but also available in shorter segments that will delight travelers seeking exotic experiences.



© Cunard

Virgin Voyages. The brand of “cruises without children” that includes Wi-Fi, all specialty restaurants, fitness classes, and a highly varied entertainment program has now firmly established itself in the cruise landscape. The Mediterranean, the Greek Islands, Northern Europe, and the Caribbean are Virgin’s new “classics.” And regarding the new features: 16 departures to Alaska, and for 2028 cruises to the Norwegian Fjords from Amsterdam.

NCL. The Norwegian Aura, the largest ship ever built for NCL, will begin its season from Miami and in the Caribbean starting in April 2027. The second major novelty for NCL in 2027 remains in turquoise waters, with even more fun at Great Stirrup Cay, the Bahamas’ private island. And NCL has ambitious plans with the opening of the Great Tides Waterpark, a 2.4-hectare water park featuring 19 waterslides, a kids’ water zone, and a hidden-bar cave.

Aroya Cruises. The “remarkably Arabian” brand with Saudi roots innovates in 2027 with even more departures from Istanbul and Alexandria. A remarkable value proposition, immersive journeys, and the Khuzama suites for the most discerning travelers are the pillars for a brand that will continue to grow in France in 2027.

Holland America Line. For 2027, Holland America is focusing on a major acceleration of its fleet renovation program, the substantial development of its long-haul cruises, for example in Asia, and unprecedented deployments celebrating major anniversaries, such as its 80 years in Alaska.



© Norwegian Cruise Line

The luxury and ultra-luxury brands of Cruisepro will also be in the spotlight for the upcoming season.

Silversea, the luxury brand of the Royal Caribbean group, is launching a massive program that includes 414 new cruises across 12 ships on seven continents. Including a 149-night World Tour and Grand Theme Voyages in South America and the Mediterranean.

Azamara, the destination-immersion specialist with its four small “hotel-boutique” ships, is perhaps the industry’s best-kept secret.

Oceania Cruises, which recently announced its shift to an “adults-only” policy, is best known for offering the finest dining at sea (The Finest Cuisine at Sea). Oceania unveils in 2027 its collection of Specialty Cruises. These are immersive itineraries led by renowned culinary and media figures, such as the cruise line’s culinary directors Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, or the renowned chef Sara Moulton. These cruises will feature cooking demonstrations and exclusive gala menus, notably in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The next season also includes a new ship for Oceania with the launch of the Oceania Sonata in August 2027.

Regent Seven Seas. For 2027, the ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises reaches a new milestone with the introduction of a completely new ship class, the Prestige class, a historic World Tour, and a revamp of its onboard thematic experiences. For its new lineup, Regent Seven Seas adopts an even slower and more immersive approach to travel, featuring 100% overnight itineraries and 19 new intimate ports of call, including hidden gems off the beaten path in Croatia or Colombia.



© Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Lovers of luxury cruises and refined experiences will also be delighted by the new schedules of Hapag-Lloyd, Crystal Cruises and Seabourn.

And to end, moving from seas to rivers, with AmaWaterways, one of the world’s leading river cruise operators, represented by Cruisepro in France. 2027 will be exceptional for AmaWaterways with the arrival of three new ships, including the AmaRudi which will offer an unparalleled space per passenger, ultra-spacious cabins, and redesigned lounges. 2027 also confirms that river cruising is expanding beyond the Danube and Rhine, with even more AmaWaterways departures in Colombia featuring remarkable itineraries on the Magdalena River on two small ships of 60 passengers, for extraordinary journeys and including stops at Mompox, a true colonial jewel preserved and listed as a UNESCO site.