Video tour of Seabourn Ovation below
The boss of Seabourn has dismissed concerns about over capacity in the luxury cruise market and says the line has “not even begun to touch the opportunities” the sector presents.
Speaking onboard new ship Seabourn Ovation this week, president Rick Meadows said the luxury land-based holiday market was virtually untapped and the line was targeting agents who sell premium hotels.
Meadows said: “The opportunity I see is unlocking more luxury travel sellers in the hotel space that are not selling cruise. It’s very appealing to people that are land lovers that have not discovered cruising.”
Ovation is sister ship to Seabourn Encore which launched last year and takes the line’s fleet to five.
Last year Ritz-Carlton revealed its plans to enter the cruise sector with three yachts, while Cunard, Silversea, Ponant and Crystal Cruises all have ships on order.
Asked whether there was a risk of over-capacity in the market, Meadows said: “We have not begun to touch the opportunities. It’s so rare to be in a social setting and find people that understand cruising, let alone luxury cruising. There’s a major opportunity.”
The ship’s interiors, which are almost identical to Encore, were overseen by hotel and restaurant designer Adam Tihany.
Meadows said Tihany’s background was “part of the reason” they selected him to appeal to luxury hotel guests.
He said the line, which is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this year, had invested a lot of time and energy in targeting new-to-cruise customers which was now “starting to grow”.
The line’s bolstered activity programme, Ventures by Seabourn, has helped attract this new audience, Meadows said.
“It goes back to that misconception about cruising that it could be boring or confining. One of the things we know people want is authentic experiences off the ship, so we’ve spent a lot of time developing the Ventures programme and that has resonated with our existing customers but the new to brand customers love it.
“This programme has been very powerful (in attracting) new to brand.”
Meadows would not confirm if any more ships were planned but said: “There’s nothing on the books but look to our history to inform the future. We are very fortunate to be part of Carnival Corporation and what that can bring to us (in terms of) the opportunities to evolve and grow.”
UK managing director Lynn Narraway echoed Meadows and said the line was not looking to “take business from other lines”, but attract luxury land travellers.
Meadows said: “Lynn and her team have done a fantastic job. The UK is our second biggest market so it’s critical for us. We’ve spent a lot of energy understanding it and there are touches throughout (which acknowledge that).”
Ovation will be christened in Valletta, Malta on May 11 and actresses and singer, Elaine Paige, will serve as godmother.
She will spend most of her maiden season in northern Europe and sail a series of seven-day Baltic and Scandinavia cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm, and longer 14-day voyages, visiting the Norwegian fjords and British Isles.
Travel Weekly’s video tour of Seabourn Ovation, with Scott Anderson of The Luxury Cruise Company