Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises are looking to deepen awareness of luxury cruising across the GCC through travel advisor education, clearer product differentiation and first-hand ship experiences, with Oceania Vista’s Gulf calls in May 2027 offering another opportunity to engage the regional trade.
Speaking to The Cruise News Middle East at Arabian Travel Market 2026, Roberto Cabello, Business Development Manager, Southern & Eastern Europe and the Middle East for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, said his first ATM provided an opportunity to reconnect with preferred partners while also meeting travel advisors with whom the brands have had less direct contact.
“Considering the increase of demand from this area, I think it’s the right moment to be here,” Cabello said.
Two distinct luxury propositions
Although the two brands sit within the same cruise group, Cabello said they address different luxury customers. He described Oceania Cruises as an entry point into luxury cruising for guests looking to move beyond premium or more familiar cruise products, with gastronomy and longer itineraries central to the proposition. Food remains one of Oceania’s strongest differentiators. The line operates with one chef for every 10 guests and offers hands-on cooking classes through The Culinary Center alongside chef-led culinary tours that can combine local market visits with onboard cooking experiences.
For Cabello, those experiences can particularly suit seasoned travellers seeking something more specialised from a cruise holiday.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises sits further into the ultra-luxury segment, with its highly inclusive model forming a central part of the proposition. Current Regent inclusions across all suites include unlimited shore excursions, specialty dining, beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuities and valet laundry, while Concierge Suites and above include a one-night pre-cruise hotel package.
Cabello said understanding those inclusions can help advisors communicate the value of the product more confidently.
Product knowledge builds selling confidence
That confidence remains an important part of developing the luxury cruise category in the region. Cabello said larger and more established cruise brands can be easier for advisors to sell because they are already familiar to both the trade and customers. Luxury products require a deeper understanding of what distinguishes one brand from another.
His view is that education needs to continue through direct engagement with cruise lines, trade events and training. Once advisors understand the product and what is included, he said, they become more comfortable recommending it to the appropriate client.
That differentiation also matters because the customer seeking a family-focused cruise may have very different priorities from one looking for longer itineraries, gastronomy or a highly inclusive luxury experience.
First-hand experience brings the product to life
Cabello sees ship visits as one of the most effective ways to build that understanding. When Oceania or Regent vessels are in port, the brands can invite travel advisors and, in some cases, their clients on board for an introduction, ship tour and lunch.
For Oceania in particular, experiencing the dining product first-hand gives advisors a clearer understanding of one of the brand’s defining elements.
“This is the best way,” Cabello said of providing advisors with direct exposure to the ships.
Full familiarisation sailings can be more difficult to accommodate when ships are operating at high occupancy, making port-day visits a practical way to give regional partners meaningful product experience without requiring a complete voyage.
Oceania Vista brings a Gulf opportunity in 2027
Oceania Vista’s scheduled Gulf programme in May 2027 could provide another opportunity to bring the product closer to the Middle East trade. The ship’s current itinerary includes Dubai on 11 May, followed by Abu Dhabi and Doha, before returning to Dubai on 14 May. Vista is sailing as part of Oceania’s 180-day world voyage, while the second Dubai call also forms part of a 20-day Doha-to-Athens sector.
Cabello said the visit could create an opportunity to showcase the ship to regional partners.
“It would be a fantastic opportunity to show the ship to the trade,” he said.
The Gulf calls reinforce the wider opportunity Cabello sees for luxury cruise brands in the region. For Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, growing that market will depend not only on visibility, but on helping travel advisors understand two different products well enough to identify the client best suited to each.se as a holiday category and more about helping customers navigate a much wider choice of cruise experiences.
More from ATM 2026: Read Cruise at ATM 2026: The Industry View, TCN’s flagship analysis of the trends, trade priorities and market opportunities emerging from this year’s show.
Source: This interview was conducted by The Cruise News Middle East editor-in-chief Sini Jerome at Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai.
