Luxury boutique operator Carrier has seen a significant rise in demand for cruise holidays, with sales up by 69 per cent for 2024 year-to-date, following its largest-ever booking

The Manchester-based operator, which recently booked a private yacht charter valued at more than £2 million, said cruise is more appealing than ever to its clientele.

In response, Carrier has released a new cruise guide aimed at targeting broader audiences who wouldn’t fall into the traditional cruise-goer category, while providing tips for agents on how to sell holidays at sea to this hard-to-reach market.

Helen Tabois, product manager for cruise at Carrier, said: “Our focus is on small ship, luxury cruising and on highlighting the opportunities for bespoke sailing to lesser-known destinations combined with enriching experiences afloat and ashore.

“Our new lookbook is designed to do away with any misconceptions and present cruise in a way that will appeal to our ever-growing demographic of High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth clientele.”

In September CLIA UK managing director Andy Harmer OBE revealed that consumer demand in expedition cruising has never been higher, with the association now ramping up its agent education initiatives for the sector.

The Our World for Cruise guide will help both cruise-specific and land-based agents identify new-to-cruise customers who are worth targeting, while presenting an in-depth curation of onshore experiences, from culinary excursions to wildlife encounters, and luxury cruise line operators that might appeal to affluent travellers.

Tabois adds: “Our guide highlights the different types of cruises available, the destinations you can experience them in, and the best ships to set sail on.

“When someone cruises with Carrier, the cruise can be one element of longer holiday with pre- and post-cruise experiences crafted by our destination specialists, or it can be the holiday in its entirety.”