Cruising goes niche

Cruise tourism is carving out an increasingly dominant footprint across Middle East travel portfolios, evolving far beyond conventional mass-market sailings into specialised, high-yield niches. 

From polar safaris on water and halal-friendly ice voyages to record-breaking ultra-luxury suites and adults-only debuts, niche cruise operators unveiled compelling, high-yield options for the Middle East travel trade at the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market. 

Here are the top products, itineraries, and brand narratives, shaping the cruise landscape for regional advisors:

Quark Expeditions

Positioning itself as a leader in polar-only luxury adventure with 35 years of polar heritage, Quark Expeditions is introducing Middle East travellers to the Arctic and Antarctica through active destination immersion. To honour environmental regulations restricting Antarctic shoreside presence to 100 passengers at a time, Quark operates vessels carrying under 200 guests. This capacity allows the operator to execute simultaneous, non-stop off-ship rotations- half the passengers explore via Zodiacs while the other half trek on land - ensuring no guest spends time waiting onboard. 

According to Becky Francis, Senior Director, EMEA & China, Quark Expeditions, the experience is anchored in expert-led, remote exploration. Quark’s vessels are equipped with high-grade hardware, such as Ultramarine’s twin helicopters, which drop travellers onto Greenland’s ice sheet or untouched Antarctic summits. 

Beyond flightseeing, guests can take part in one-day kayaking programs, stand-up paddleboarding, and overnight camping on the Antarctic ice in specialised bivouac sleeping bags. In the Arctic, Quark facilitates hands-on cultural immersion with Inuit communities. 

Accompanied throughout by glaciologists, zoologists, and marine biologists who double as lecturers and Zodiac drivers, the voyages offer sightings of orcas, humpbacks, and polar bears. To simplify complex expedition logistics for the trade, Quark provides transfer packages connecting via single-point gateways like Helsinki for Svalbard or Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and Santiago Punta Arenas, Chile for Antarctica. 

Quark is developing tailored charter buyout programmes (catering to groups from 138 passengers to 199). 

Polar Latitudes Expeditions

Addressing one of the GCC market's key cultural requirements, polar expedition specialist Polar Latitudes Expeditions is introducing dedicated halal-friendly voyages to Svalbard (scheduled for August) and Antarctica (slated for March 2028). Rather than attempting full ship certification, which proved commercially restrictive in previous industry trials, the line has engineered an inclusive hybrid model. 

Speaking on this development, Craig Upshall, Director of Retail Sales, UK, India & Middle East, explained that onboard culinary programmes eliminate pork entirely and bar the use of cooking alcohol, alongside providing curated non-alcoholic beverage inclusions, while retaining bar service for international guests. 

Operating in the premium experiential sector, Polar Latitudes Expeditions delivers intimate, small-ship educational voyages focusing on wildlife encounters and polar history, bridging a key accessibility gap for regional travellers venturing to the ends of the earth. 

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

In the ultra-luxury ocean tier, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is preparing for the December arrival of its newest flagship, Seven Seas Prestige. The vessel will introduce the largest suite in the cruise industry: the Skyview Suite, spanning more than 800 square metres across two decks. 

Designed to accommodate up to six guests - directly catering to the region's multigenerational families and traveling couples - the suite features a private spa, private fitness room, dedicated dining venue, and round-the-clock butler service. Despite commanded rates of roughly $20,000 to $25,000 per night, the top accommodation sold out six to seven months ahead of maiden deployment. 

As detailed by Roberto Cabello, Business Development Manager, Southern  & Eastern Europe and Middle East, for Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises, Seven Seas Prestige will deploy across the Caribbean for the winter season following an inaugural transatlantic crossing from Barcelona to Miami, before repositioning to Europe and the Mediterranean for summer. Known for museum-grade onboard art collections - including original Picasso works and a historic Fabergé egg on sister vessel Seven Seas Grandeur - Regent delivers an all-inclusive, six-star format encompassing specialty restaurants, top-shelf beverages, laundry services, and pre-cruise luxury hotel stays with private transfers. 

Oceania Cruises

Sister brand Oceania Cruises is undergoing a strategic evolution, having transitioned into a dedicated adults-only cruise operator. The shift has expanded the line’s demographic appeal, drawing in couples across their 30s and 40s seeking culinary-driven, relaxed luxury without family-oriented distractions. 

Outlining the brand's fleet expansion, Cabello noted that following the rollout of Vista and Allura, Oceania is preparing to launch a brand-new vessel category next summer with Oceania Sonata. Sized at 1,400 guests, the ship class introduces next-generation dining concepts and destination-centric routings, reinforcing the brand's standing as a foodie-focused alternative to mega-resort ships. 

HX Expeditions

Operating as a dedicated, standalone expedition company, HX is bringing its 130-year heritage of mindful exploration to Middle East travel advisors. Targeting curious travellers who prioritise scientific discovery and environmental awareness, HX maintains a versatile fleet structure designed for a range of remote and fragile environments.

Speaking to TTN, Matt Irwin, Trade Partnership Manager – EMEA at HX Expeditions, emphasised that the operator's mission is to bring off-the-beaten-track expedition travel into the regional mainstream. Offerings range from the 90-guest MS Santa Cruz II in the Galápagos Islands to 490-guest polar expedition sailings aboard purpose-built hybrid battery-powered vessels MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen, as well as the 250-guest MS Fram and 150-guest MS Spitsbergen. MS Roald Amundsen was the industry's first hybrid battery-powered expedition ship when it launched in 2019, while both vessels use hybrid technology designed to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by up to 20%.

The fleet operates across the Arctic and Antarctic seasons, with MS Roald Amundsen also featuring on HX's new 19-day Northwest Passage itinerary circumnavigating Baffin Island as part of their recently launched 2028/2029 programme.