S1, E3: Behind the Byline: Seatrade’s Anne Kalosh on the Strategic Forces Reshaping the Cruise Industry

Anne Kalosh is the editor of Seatrade Cruise News and she has decades of experience covering the cruise industry—so much experience, in fact, that she recently appeared on Netflix’s Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.

On this episode of View From Afar, she joins host Aislyn Greene at Seatrade Cruise Global for a deep dive into how cruising has evolved to attract new travelers. From groundbreaking sustainability efforts to the growing influence of local communities—these are the trends shaping the future of cruising.

Transcript

Aislyn Greene, host: Welcome to View From Afar, a podcast by the travel industry for the travel industry. I’m Aislyn Greene, associate director of podcasts at Afar, and in this episode, we’re bringing you the latest from Seatrade Cruise Global, the annual Miami conference that brings together the best and brightest in the cruise industry.

I sat down with Anne Kalosh, the editor of Seatrade Cruise News, a global B2B website. She’s covered the cruise industry for decades, and even got her start as a shipboard editor sailing the world on a cruise ship.

Anne, welcome to View From Afar. It’s so nice to meet you in person. We’re here at Seatrade, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. What has the mood been like?

Anne Kalosh: It’s been extremely enthusiastic considering the economic uncertainty and volatility, the backdrop. But there were at least six new ships ordered, which is a sign of confidence and optimism. And the sessions have been packed. There’s been a very good vibe, I think, and lots of people here.

Aislyn: Amazing. Well, you mentioned the kind of economic uncertainty, and during your keynote yesterday, you asked some questions around that, and many of the executives were taking a more wait-and-see approach. But what’s your take on this as someone who has covered the industry for so many years?

Anne: I, of course, take their cue because they’re the ones who are telling me what they’re saying about the business. B, but, but I do feel that it is a moment of uncertainty, and the change in the U.S. administration, you know, they haven’t really made the contacts there yet. I think they have a lot of people to get to know, and what’s going to happen— . . . the impact of the tariffs on the supply chain for the cruise ships—t. That’s gotta be a big concern for them.

Aislyn: Yes, absolutely. So, like, they are saying, we’ll wait and see. In the meantime, business is booming. And one of the big areas of growth that I’ve read about is in the millennial market. All signs point to them being the next big group. So I’m curious to know if you think they’re aging into cruising, or if the cruise industry has done a better job of marketing to a younger audience?

Anne: I think both, but definitely the cruise industry is doing a better job of marketing, and if you see the product on the ships, how it’s changing—f. For example, special areas devoted to families with small children, Icon of the Seas, for example—, so they’re really creating products for younger customers, I think, and getting the word out about that.

Aislyn: Even hearing things about moving away from more formal dinner nights and toward food halls and these things that seem like they match what people in their thirties and forties are looking for.

Anne: Exactly.

Aislyn: Well, one of the other things that has been really cool to see is this move towards cruise lines working more intimately with local communities and making sure that cruising is benefiting everyone in, in a positive way. Can you tell me more about what you’ve seen in terms of that kind of transition?

Anne: Well, for example, the whole private island and destination story, which is often perceived as the cruise line, is developing a private place where they keep all the money to themselves.

And in fact, at a place like Celebration Key, which is Carnival Cruise Lines, [a] big new development in Grand Bahama Iisland, they have a ton of, of jobs that are being created for local people], and they’re using local vendors and artisans in many of the shops. So that’s just one example where [cruises are] giving jobs to local people and, and stimulating the economy.

I was sailing recently on a Ponant ship, an icebreaker, through Canada in the winter. It was the first Canadian winter cruise. And in that situation, there were a lot of native communities living along the St. Lawrence, and I got to go and stay in an Innu community tent, which was sold as a shore excursion, get to know the local people, and that was a wonderful experience, hearing about their daily lives. So another sort of local outreach.

Just at this conference I heard about a region I didn’t know of called Tthe Great Bear Sea, which is, the waterway, uh, along British Columbia, leading up to Alaska, that all the ships sail through, and they’re interested in having more outreach to cruise ships to talk about their communities and culture and preservation and sustainability efforts with wildlife in the area.

Aislyn: That’s so cool.

And then the ball is more in their court. Right? You know, they’re saying, Hey, we want this kind of tourism. How could we partner to work together in a way that will celebrate our culture and benefit us in the way that we want it to?

Anne: Exactly. And the cruise lines are looking, they want—, one of the big messages that has come through is more authenticity, more local things, more local sourcing and sustainability. A, and all of these things play into Native communities, First Nations communities, wanting to share their, their authentic culture, supply products, and, and also as their economies change, for example, in the British Columbia, where are logging and fishing may be going down. So communities need new economic resources.

Aislyn: Yeah.

Anne: And the cruise industry could be something beneficial to both.

Aislyn: When did you start to notice that conversation change within the industry?

Anne: Some years ago, but it’s really gotten more intense, I would say, in the last few years. Also, as you see more small cruise lines and expedition companies coming into the business.

That’s their whole thing. Right? Destination. As opposed to the ship being the destination. It’s the places where the ships are going that are important. And I think the culture’s changed too. You mentioned millennials wanting more authentic experience.

Aislyn: Yeah. And maybe looking for things like sustainability and always environmental, social, that’s a part of their decision- making.

Anne: Absolutely. People are growing up with this expectation now.

Aislyn: Yeah. Right. It’s an expectation. I mean, it’s been really heartening to see that those have been, and I don’t, I don’t wanna say buzzwords, but that’s the conversation, and it seems very genuine and complex.

Anne: I think it is genuine, and lots of companies are making efforts, —Virgin Voyages, an example— to source their products, be more sustainable. All the companies are, are doing that. But just to mention a new brand that came on the scene, starting out with that foundation.

Aislyn: Well, speaking of destinations, it’s always interesting to see, you know, which destinations are emerging for cruises, have new ports, are popping up on traveler’s’ radars.

Are there any that you’ve seen in this space?

Anne: Actually, several pop into my head right now.

So Bahamas, there’s such a proliferation of private and exclusive destinations there. Why tThe Bahamas? —cClosest to the place where the main cruises sail from Florida. Right? So there’s fuel savings, and it’s a way to have short cruises to introduce more, more people into the business. So the Bahamas are really popular now because of all of the destinations and big ships.

Then, conversely, on the other side of the globe, Japan is having its moment. I think it’s, it’s a very popular destination. Asia was the last travel market to recover and open up after the pandemic. So there’s been a lot of demand to go there. And one of the companies I interviewed at this conference, Mitsui, bought two former SeabournSeaborn cruise ships. They already have a couple of their vessels, but they’re not only marketing to Japanese, but to North Americans who want to travel in Japan on an authentic Japanese experience.

Aislyn: That is so cool.

Anne: That was interesting. It sounds like a fabulous experience, and they’ve secured a famous Japanese chef who’s trained in French, thate has this sort of, like, interpretation of French food with Japanese ingredients, and they have a lot of traditional activities. For example, Japanese storytelling and iIkebana and all kinds of cool and interesting things to do, and wonderful excursions.

Another one, Greenland, which has been in the news a lot, uh, has been attracting a lot of expedition ships in recent years.

Aislyn: You’ve covered this industry for many years. How have you seen it evolve?

Anne: Definitely a greater environmental and sustainability focus. The whole authenticity and destinations, uh, creating products for new markets and a more diverse range of people. So families with small children and people who like to be very active and people who like to relax and spas and, you know, gourmands—, cruising has always been about eating, but the ships have really the most spectacular dining you can imagine. Michelin star chefs and all kinds of wonderful innovations on the dining front, so.

Aislyn: Before we started, we were just chatting about why the stereotypes around cruising have been so stubborn. And why do you think that is? Because they’re so far from being true anymore. Pick a stereotype, and I feel like we could debunk it.

Anne: Yes. Yes. I, I don’t know. Uh, Anna Nash, who’s the new president of Exploraer Journeys, a new brand started by MSC Cruises . . .

Aislyn: Mm-hmm. Yep.

Anne: . . . a small- ship, luxury brand, came from the hotel and resort sector, and, and she said, yes, that stereotype exists. And, and yet, once people experience a cruise, they love it. It’s got the highest guest satisfaction rating in all of travel, according to research. Cruise ships are very visible, and you see the stack with smoke coming out. I mean, sometimes that may just be steam exhaust. It’s not necessarily pollution emissions, you know? So, so they’re visible, and, and there’s a lack of understanding about everything that’s being done behind the scenes, I think.

Aislyn: And maybe it’s a harder story to tell? I mean, it’s so complex.

Anne: A really complex business. It’s highly regulated too. That’s another misperception, that ships are sort of lawless and, and, uh, when in fact there are so many layers of regulatory controls for everything.

Aislyn: And as you, as we were also discussing before we hit “record,” the cruise industry has made this commitment, and they’re required to be net zero by 2050. So where do you think we are at in this moment in time? I mean, Viking had some interesting news this week.

Anne: Yes. One of the big news points of the conference is that Viking announced it is having the first hydrogen fuel cells on a cruise ship, which is a great advance. That’s a zero emission. Now, that doesn’t power the ship the whole time. That’s just for short stints when they’re in places like the Norwegian fjords, zero- emission requirement there, so they’ll be able to comply. B, but it’s a big step forward, and, and companies are looking at all different kinds of technologies and so forth, but it really comes down to the availability of fuels, and that’s beyond the cruise industry’s doing.

That’s a challenge for a society, shipping for airlines.

Aislyn: I’m curious to know if you have any thoughts on Viking being the first one to go out to, market with this? They seem to be willing to kind of take risks like this.

Anne: Yes, well, Viking, and it’s, it’s founder and owner, Torstein Hagen, pride themselves in being contrarian, right? So, you know, no kids, um, you know, no nickel-and-dimingnickel and dimming, all of these things. And I think that they’re willing to think outside the box, and, and try something different. And this is something where everybody will share the information, and Torstein Hagen said, this is going to be open source.

Everything that they learn and do. And Fincantieri, the, the preeminent builder of all cruise ships in the industry—, not the sole builder, but they build more than anyone else—, look at all their other clients. They’re the ones who developed the fuel- cell technology. And so, of course, they’re going to all be sharing and, and looking at this, and maybe that’s not the solution. Maybe it turns out to be methanol, or maybe it turns out to be something else. Maybe a variety of, of solutions and fuels and technologies.

Aislyn: But how do we know until we try?

Anne: Exactly. That’s one thing. I’ve covered this business for a long time. I learned something new every day. It’s really fascinating. But I can’t wait to report on the first emission- free cruise ship. That will be so exciting. I hope I get to do that.

Aislyn: And when do you think that might be? If you had a, you know, crystal ball.

Anne: Well, there are some in development right now. Ponant has a project that would be emissions- free involving sails and fuel cells and other technologies. Orient Express is building a vessel with new sails technology developed in France, and um, that’s very interesting. Um, so that’ll be sail and LNG- powered [liquified natural gas], that concept, but, who knows.

Aislyn: You were recently featured on the Netflix show Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney. So, A, how did that come about? And, B, what was it like, and was it as crazy as it seems?

Anne: It was totally crazy and really fun experience. My, my big night in Hollywood, I had a great time. I was contacted by John Mulaney’s producers through LinkedIn of all things, and they were looking for someone, an expert in the cruise industry. And so their producers called and we talked for several hours, everything about the cruise industry, but I had no idea what I was getting into until I walked out on stage for this live show where I was the straight person and all the other guests were big celebrities, having fun and commenting about this business.

Aislyn: Like Ben Stiller, Quinta Brunson, uh, Nick Kroll. Those were your partners. So what was it like to be, I mean, I would be intimidated by being up against these like, comedic minds, but also trying to represent my industry. So how did you walk that line?

Anne: Yes. I researched all of them because I wondered if they had any cruise experience, and I found out Ben Stiller’s parents, the great comedians, Jerry Stiller and Ann Mira had been on The Love Boat several times. And Quinta Brunson had actually taken a sailing course,

Aislyn: Oh, wow.

Anne: that’s not exactly cruising, but she’s been out on the water. And Nick Kroll, I learned from the show, had been on a Galapagos cruise. ,

Aislyn: Do you think that you convinced Ben Stiller to go on a cruise?

Anne: I was hoping they would ask me what cruise I would recommend for each of them because I was thinking about that.

Aislyn: Oh, that’s a good idea.

Well, so you didn’t have the opportunity to do that on the show, but can you tell us what you would recommend for each of these celebrities?

Anne: Gosh, sure. I had so much fun thinking about this. So, John Mulaney is a new father.

He’s got two small children, and I thought I would put him on Icon of the Seas in the ultimate family vlla, this multi-story suite where, you know, he and his wife could be with their kids and the nanny and have, have a great time, but it’s also private and exclusive.

Aislyn: Love it.

Anne: Quinta Brunson, who mentioned if she had a holiday, she’d like to pamper herself at the Four Seasons. I’d put her on the Four Seasons yacht for sure. She would love that. And probably in the Funnel Suite, that’s the top. multi-story suite. Um, it’s encased mostly in glass, and it’s four stories high. It has a huge terrace and it has a waiting pool, a dipping pool on, on the deck. So I think she would enjoy that.

Aislyn: Mm-hmm.

Anne: Privacy and pampering

Aislyn: Absolutely. All right. And then we have Ben Stiller.

Anne: Ben Stiller. So Ben Stiller, such a big star and he could go anywhere, right? But I’d send him on an expedition to Antarctica because I think that would be something really unusual and fun and adventurous, and he could go on a very exclusive ship there and have privacy and comfort, but a big adventure. I think he would enjoy that a lot with his wife.

Aislyn: Yeah. Well, and last but not least, Nick Kroll who went on the Galapagos cruise, where would you send him?

Anne: I think I would send Nick on Carnival Cruise Line because he is a comedian and he does great impressions and Carnival carries more guests than any other company and a great variety of people. So that would give him a lot of different folks to study, a lot of accents to work on. And also they have so many comedy clubs, so maybe he could do a sort of guest appearance one night and thrill everybody on board.

Aislyn: Or heckle the other comedians.

Anne: Exactly. Good point.

Aislyn: Well, cruise lines, listen up. I feel like this is a great opportunity to follow up on this show and get some celebrities out.

Anne: Exactly.

Aislyn: Alright, well final question. Where are you cruising next?

Anne: I am so excited because right after the Seatrade conference, I’m not going home. I’m going to Norwegian Cruise Lines new ship, Norwegian Aqua, and I’m really excited because they have a production show dedicated to Prince. I’m a big Prince fan, so I can’t wait to go into their show. It’s going to be like a theatrical concert where we can stand up and watch the show , but I think that’s gonna be really exciting.

And that’s it for this episode of View From Afar. In the show notes, you’ll find links to the cruise lines Anne and I discussed, as well as to Afar’s Travel Advisor newsletter.

Join us next week for an interview with Maud Bailey, the CEO of Accor’s Sofitel, Sofitel Legend, MGallery, and Emblems brands. And you can find more Seatrade content on our sister podcast, Unpacked. The link is in the show notes.

 Ready for more views from Afar, visit afar.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok. We’re @afarmedia. If you enjoyed today’s exploration, I hope you’ll come back from more great conversations. Follow the show to make sure you don’t miss an episode and be sure to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast platform. It helps other travel industry experts find it.

This has been View from Afar, a production of Afar Media. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, music composition from Epidemic Sound.

Ready for more views from afar? Visit afar.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok. We’re @AfarMedia. If you enjoyed today’s exploration, I hope you’ll come back for more great stories. Subscribing always makes that easy. And be sure to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast platforms. It helps other travelers find it.

This has been View From Afar, a production of Afar Media. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with special assistance from Jennifer Flowers.