Saturday, June 7, 2025
In an exclusive email interview with Travel and Tour World, Matthew Eichhorst, President of Expedia Cruises, shared in-depth insights into the current state and future of the cruise industry, highlighting key consumer trends, technology integration, and strategic goals shaping Expedia Cruises in 2025 and beyond.
Cruise Demand & Demographic Shifts
Eichhorst attributes the ongoing surge in cruise bookings to shifting demographics, with Baby Boomers embracing retirement travel and Gen X and Millennials entering the cruise market—often as multi-generational families. This has prompted cruise lines to launch new ships equipped with amenities catering to all age groups, enhancing the appeal of cruising for wider audiences.
Flexibility, Health & Sustainability
Expedia Cruises is addressing modern traveler concerns by offering flexible travel options, such as Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance and monthly payment plans. While health and sustainability practices are primarily cruise line-led, Expedia Cruises supports these efforts by keeping customers informed and aligning product offerings accordingly.
Appealing to Younger Travelers
To attract Gen Z and Millennial cruisers, Expedia Cruises is evolving its Vacation Consultant network. It actively recruits younger advisors and equips them with advanced marketing tools, including AI-powered content creation, social media scheduling, and influencer campaigns via its proprietary Social Hub Tool.
Emerging Cruise Trends & Itinerary Shifts
Cruise preferences are evolving, with greater interest in immersive shore excursions, lesser-known ports, and unique experiences. River cruising is booming on rivers like the Douro, Nile, and Amazon, while ocean cruise lines are heavily investing in private islands, which consistently receive higher guest satisfaction ratings. Expedition cruising to remote destinations like Antarctica and the Galápagos is also on the rise.
Role of Technology & AI
Eichhorst highlighted how Expedia Cruises leverages technology to enhance both traveler and advisor experiences. AI tools integrated with platforms like Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Microsoft Power BI provide personalized marketing and robust sales analytics. This data-driven approach is revolutionizing how consultants engage with customers and manage operations.
Exclusive Programs & Partnerships
The Expedia Exclusive Staterooms program offers value-added benefits by pre-blocking inventory on high-demand itineraries, while the One Key Loyalty program enhances savings for members. Signature events like the annual 3-Day Sale with Princess Cruises continue to attract significant interest.
Environmental Considerations
While environmental sustainability is not yet a top priority for most travelers, Expedia Cruises ensures its consultants are educated on the cruise industry’s green advancements, such as alternative fuels and waste reduction.
Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Eichhorst’s goal is for Expedia Cruises to become North America’s top retail host agency. With over 250 franchises and 6,800 consultants, the company is expanding across the U.S. and investing in digital platforms that simplify the booking experience and boost consultant efficiency.
Cruise demand is reportedly surging in 2025. What key factors do you believe are driving this renewed interest in cruising post-pandemic?
It’s largely fueled by shifting demographics. Baby Boomers, now between 60-80 years old, are embracing retirement and cruising more than ever. At the same time, Gen X and Millennials – often with their children – have started to cruise. In response to this growing interest, cruise lines are building new ships with amenities tailored to travelers of all ages. Multi-generational travel, where grandparents, parents, and grandchildren travel together, also continues to be a strong trend.
How is Expedia Cruises adapting its strategies to meet evolving consumer expectations around flexibility, health protocols, and sustainability in the cruise space?
Cruising has always provided a high degree of customer flexibility. For example, we offer Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance, as well as comprehensive medical coverage. We also give customers the option to make monthly payments on their vacations, offering added financial flexibility.
While health and sustainability protocols are primarily led by cruise lines and resorts, Expedia Cruises supports these efforts by keeping our customers informed and offering travel products that align with their preferences and expectations.
With a younger demographic increasingly entering the cruise market, how is Expedia Cruises tailoring its offerings to attract Gen Z and millennial travelers?
We’re actively broadening the demographics of our Vacation Consultant network by recruiting Millennials and equipping them with modern marketing tools, particularly in social media, digital advertising, and influencer campaigns.
Our consultants have access to our Social Hub Tool, which enables them to publish both branded and customized content across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. It also features built-in AI tools that streamline content creation, allowing consultants to stay active online while focusing more time on prospecting, selling, and client service.
Cruise itineraries are shifting, with more emphasis on immersive shore excursions and lesser-known ports. What trends are you seeing in destination preferences?
Some of the biggest trends we’re seeing are the continued expansion of river cruising, major investments in private island destinations, and the rapid growth of expedition cruising. While iconic rivers like the Danube, Rhine, and Mekong remain popular, new hotspots are emerging, such as Portugal’s Douro River, Egypt’s Nile, and the Amazon.
On the ocean side, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Disney, and Norwegian are investing heavily in building their own private islands in the Caribbean. Guests who visit these curated private islands consistently rate them higher than traditional ports of call.
How are technology and AI shaping the cruise booking experience for both travelers and Expedia Cruises’ network of travel advisors?
Travelers are increasingly using AI tools to explore and compare options more easily, while our Vacation Consultants benefit from AI-enabled tools that enhance productivity and streamline operations. We use generative AI to support content creation, social media marketing, and customer communications.
We’re expanding our AI integrations through tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Microsoft Power BI. These platforms allow our marketing to be far more personalized, such as optimizing email send times for individual customers. Power BI also provides powerful, data-driven sales insights that weren’t possible before.
In terms of partnerships with cruise lines, what innovations or exclusive offerings is Expedia Cruises bringing to the table in 2025 and beyond?
Our Expedia Exclusive Staterooms program continues to deliver some of the best value in the travel industry. By pre-blocking large groups of staterooms on high-demand itineraries, we’re able to secure preferential pricing and exclusive amenities for our customers.
Additionally, Expedia Members Prices – available through the One Key Loyalty program – give us added leverage to offer exceptional last-minute deals. Our annual promotions, like the upcoming 21st Expedia Cruises 3-Day Sale with Princess Cruises, deliver unmatched value and are highly anticipated by our loyal customers.
What role does Expedia Cruises play in promoting sustainable cruising, and how do you see environmental priorities influencing consumer decisions?
We regularly publish content highlighting the significant sustainability efforts made by cruise lines, from alternative fuels and exhaust scrubbers to onboard waste management and recycling innovations. While travelers generally appreciate these advancements, environmental concerns are not typically a deciding factor.
That said, we ensure our Vacation Consultants are well-informed and ready to address questions on sustainability when they arise. Destination, by far, remains the most important factor for cruise travelers.
Looking at the global cruise landscape, which regions or cruise markets (Europe, Alaska, Caribbean, etc.) are showing the most significant growth in 2025?
The Caribbean continues to attract the largest number of cruisers. However, there is growing interest in Japan, Iceland, and Greenland – all regions that offer convenient ship access, favorable exchange rate, and rich cultural experiences. Expedition cruising is also surging, with staple destinations like Antarctica and the Galápagos performing strongly. Emerging regions like Kimberley in Western Australia are drawing adventurous travelers with deep immersion into the rugged outback.
Finally, what’s your long-term vision for Expedia Cruises in the next five years, especially in an industry known for rapid innovation and resilience?
Our vision is to be the number 1 retail host agency in North America. We’re achieving this through our over 250 franchisees and more than 6,800 Vacation Consultants, whom we proudly call “Navigators of Spectacular Vacation Experience”.
Unlike many host agencies, we offer both centralized corporate support and localized service through our franchisees, enabling strong engagement with consultants and consumers alike. We’re continuing to expand in the U.S. and investing in technologies – like Salesforce, Adobe Sign, and Microsoft 365 – that reduce friction and improve efficiency for both consultants and travelers.
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