Forget mystery flights: travellers are taking adventure further on mystery cruises

Cruising is evolving fast, as cruise lines respond to shifting passenger expectations and look for new ways to keep people coming back. Here are four trends shaping the industry right now.

Like surprises? Imagine boarding a ship and not knowing where you are going apart from the departure and arrival ports. Windstar has a mystery cruise in Spain this year, with Northern Europe and Japan in 2027. Passengers find out the ports up to 36 hours ahead of time to allow tour bookings. Fred Olsen Cruises' guests don't know where they are going until they get there, while Uniworld Boutique Cruises has also been keeping passengers guessing with mystery cruises over the past few years.

Expedition cruising is all the rage and for many, being able to do something to help the wildlife or the environment is part of it. Many cruise companies offer "citizen science" programs, including Aurora Expeditions, Ponant, HX, Viking, Chimu and Lindblad Expeditions. Guests can take part in photographing and logging whales, birds and other species; checking on marine creatures and coral; observing cloud formations, glacial movement and so much more. Read all about one such cruise on page 20.

Cruising is attracting a younger audience with millennials and Gen Z warming up to voyages as cruise lines do more to lure younger generations. Cruise Lines International Association reports that more than one-third of Australian cruisers (34.2 per cent) were aged under 40 in 2025. The average age of the Australian travellers taking to the sea in 2025 was 47.3, which is down from 50.4 in 2019.