2026 cruise trends that agents should know about

Like fashion and food, travel is subject to shifting trends as customers’ expectations and appetites adapt over time. The cruise setor is no exception, with lines constantly updating and upgrading their products to meet demand. Here are five cruise trends set to shape booking habits in 2026.

 

1. Winter Mediterranean Cruises

Where do you suggest when clients ask for a cruise in winter? The Caribbean or Asia, perhaps? Probably not the Mediterranean, a region loved by summer travellers chasing fun in the sun and beaches – but an emerging cruise trend suggests that the Med is exactly where agents should be recommending for history and culture lovers in the winter.

 

MSC Cruises and Viking have sold the Med over winter for years, while other brands have tried and failed, unable to sell the concept even though it means avoiding the high temperatures and crowds of the summer. But that didn’t stop Windstar Cruises trying again. It offered its first winter season in the Med in 2023-24, and it was so successful that not only will it be repeated, more itineraries and overnight port calls will be added to itineraries.

 

Growing interest has inspired Silversea and Azamara Cruises to offer winter Med sailings, too. The former is making its winter Med debut in 2025-26, the latter in 2026-27.

 

Oceania Cruises will follow with year-round sailings in the Med in 2027-28. Senior VP for International and Consumer Sales, Steve Odell, says these cruises appeal to guests who want to explore destinations they already know from a different point of view. 

 

“They will also give gourmand guests a host of different local dishes and drinks to enjoy, as light tapas and refreshing aperitifs give way to hearty stews and mulled wines,” he says.

 

2. Mediterranean Expedition Cruises 

If winter in the Med doesn’t do it for clients, maybe they’d like an expedition cruise there instead? It might not be as exciting as penguin or polar bear-spotting in Antarctica and the Arctic, but it is a chance to see the region in a new light and get a taste of expedition without the extreme conditions of Antarctica and the Arctic.

 

“It’s a way for travellers to experience our style of immersive exploration, while making better use of our ships year-round,” says Andrew Turner, AE Expeditions’ Director of Sales for the EMEA region.

 

AE Expeditions is making its Med debut in summer 2026, joining National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and Atlas Ocean Voyages, which offers epicurean expeditions that will include trips to farms, tapas makers and wine estates. Turner says AE Expeditions’ Med focus is on culture, history and hidden coastlines.

 

“What remains consistent is our expert expedition team and excursions that bring travellers closer to the heart of each destination. We see real momentum as agents gain confidence in presenting an expedition-style product in such an accessible region,” he says.

 

Aurora Expeditions’ ship Douglas Mawson

 

3. Emerging Cruise Destinations: Egypt and Alaska

Despite the recent unrest in neighbouring countries, Egypt’s Nile cruises that take passengers on a journey past ancient temples and tombs are in huge demand, so much so that Viking is launching another two river ships there in 2026, while Travelmarvel is entering the market with new ship Travelmarvel Sirius.

 

“We’re confident Egypt will become one of the most sought-after regions in our portfolio,” says David Cox, Travelmarvel’s Chief Executive.

 

Abu Simbel, Egypt

 

Alaska is also hot stuff, prompting Princess Cruises and Holland America Line to base a record number of ships there in 2026, and for others to start moving in. Azamara Cruises returns after seven years away and Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises and Crystal are set to make their debut.

 

“Our European guests have been awaiting the opportunity to sail to Alaska with MSC Cruises,” says Chief Executive Gianni Onorato. The sailings are on MSC Poesia, now with an exclusive Yacht Club and Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, following a refurbishment in February 2025.

 

The Fish House in Ketchikan, Alaska

4. Solo Cruising 

Solo cruising has come of age over the past few years as cruise lines have established single exterior cabin categories, no longer expecting those travelling alone to only reside in inside cabins, and also reduced or waived single supplements.

 

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Crystal and Ambassador Cruise Line are among lines with individually priced single cabins rather than 100% supplements, while Saga Cruises and Riviera Travel have dedicated solo river cruises, and Riviera is going one stage further, allocating river ship George Eliot exclusively for solo cruising from 2027.

 

“It will have just 68 passengers instead of the usual 132, so will be a more intimate experience,” says Riviera’s Product Director, Will Sarson.

 

5. Elevated Cruise Ship Entertainment

At a cruise conference in 2009, delegates laughed when the then UK boss of MSC Cruises predicted that, one day, Elton John would replace the ubiquitous songs-from-the-shows acts on cruise ships. Elton might not have performed at sea yet – but new NCL show Rocket Man: A Celebration of Elton John has been a huge hit, and onboard entertainment has come on in leaps and bounds with big-ticket Broadway and West End productions becoming more commonplace on cruise ships. 

 

Back to the Future: The Musical is playing on Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, Dirty Dancing is on MSC Virtuosa and Come from Away is on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth. 

 

Mega star Gloria Gaynor has been entertaining Crystal passengers recently and, in October 2026, the lead singers of Wet Wet Wet and Spandau Ballet, Marti Pellow and Tony Hadley, will headline on an Ambassador Cruise Line voyage in Scandinavia. More hit productions are sure to follow and with entry included in the bookings, the value of cruising is further underlined.

 

 

Back to the Future: The Musical on board Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas

 

 

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Discover More About Cruise 

Supporting the growth of the cruise industry, Connections Cruise Arabia will return to Dubai in the UAE in 2026, following the success of the inaugural edition in 2025. The two-day event, taking place from 28 to 29 September, will welcome more than 500 travel trade professionals from across the global cruise ecosystem. To register your interest in attending, contact Connections.