Four more small ship cruise companies have partnered with Australia’s most experienced small ship cruise specialists, Cruise Traveller, which now represents 53 boutique, luxury and expedition cruising operators around the world.

The new companies to join Cruise Traveller’s exclusive collection of small ship journeys are Albatros Expeditions, Oceanwide Expeditions, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji and Murray River Paddlesteamers.

The Managing Director of Cruise Traveller, Craig Bowen, welcomed the four new partners to Cruise Traveller’s growing stable of clients.

“Since 2003, we have grown rapidly to become Australia’s most experienced small ship cruise specialists, marketing and promoting our partners’ river, boutique and expedition cruise products to Australian travellers and travel agents,” Mr Bowen said. “We are trusted as experts in this field and have retained and even strengthened our entire team and support services throughout the Covid-19 period so we look forward to supporting our four latest partners to come onboard with us.”   

Mr Bowen said the small ship cruise sector had quickly expanded in recent years with a record number of vessels being launched and commissioned to meet surging demand, and that, despite ongoing challenges, this micro industry would be the first cruise sector to fully restart operations after Covid-19.

“Many of our small ship partners have launched new and creative itineraries around the Australian coastline which are already selling strongly,” he said. “And when borders reopen here and abroad, travellers will increasingly seek the space, freedom, ease, friendliness, eco-sustainability and personal service that smaller ships offer as well as the advantage of accessing smaller, more remote ports and sailing closer to wild scenery and wildlife.

“Advance bookings lodged with Cruise Traveller for 2021 product to the end of July, 2020, were up 29 per cent up on the same period last year for 2020 sailings, highlighting the robust and tenacious demand for small ship adventures.

“Once international travel is reopened, high end, small ship experiences will be at the forefront of regrowth in the market,” Mr Bowen said.”

Oceanwide Expeditions is an experienced operator of boutique nature and wildlife voyages in remote regions such as Greenland, Iceland, Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands and the wildest areas of Scotland. Albatros Expeditions specialises in active adventures during cruise expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica, Iceland and the North Atlantic.

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji offers multi-day, small-ship discovery cruises through Fiji’s beautiful islands, visiting tropical gems larger ships can’t reach.  And Murray River Paddlesteamers operates the historic, renovated, 18-guest overnight vessel, PS Emmylou – a rare wood-fired paddlesteamer, which offers three to six-night journeys on the Murray from Echuca.

Call Cruise Traveller on 1800 507 777 or visit www.cruisetraveller.com.au