A new ship and a new destination in East Africa, as well as the chance to view the world’s largest tortoise population. It all marks Aqua Expeditions’ expansion after five years of operating in Southeast Asia and South America, further details of which were released last night at a private media dinner in Sydney hosted by Francesco Galli Zugaro, Founder and CEO of the cruise line.
Speaking to LATTE, Zugaro said the ship will be located between Seychelles, Tanzania and Zanzibar and will cater to guests seeking nature and wildlife experiences.
“Our five ships, with a sixth to be launched next year, will offer high-end, small group expeditions with a maximum of 40 passengers, providing a curated and bespoke experience,” he said.
“The new destination that I recently fell in love with is Aldabra, an island north of Madagascar that is the biggest Atoll in the world and home to the largest giant tortoise population in the world, some 150,000 of them, 10 times the quantity of Galápagos.”Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.The island sits in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there is no human population, only six rangers and from there guests can travel to Tanzania to take a safari.
“Our largest ship is only 20 cabins, eight guests to a guide and that allows me to do something very curated, very bespoke,” he said of the wider fleet.
He pointed out that his company is bridging the gap between private yachting and expedition cruising with all inclusive excursions and meals.
“We’re attracting this foodie design adventure for the affluent, which is where the trend is,” Zugaro added.
Zugaro believes Aqua Expeditions appeals to guests sense of adventure, explorers who want to go on Safaris, to Antarctica, to Galápagos.
“They want to go on these soft adventures without sacrificing any creature comforts in food and accommodation, so you can get onboard and you don’t have to worry about anything , it’s all inclusive,” he said.
“Factor in roughly US$2,000 per person per day.” Approximately AU$3,085.
“All excursions are included, wines, satellite internet, scuba diving, snorkelling, as long as the value is there, people are willing to spend because they want something very authentic, which is the hallmark of Aqua Expeditions”.
“I’ve invested strongly in the Aussie market with sales representation and I’ve just set up a call centre in Bali that services Australia so they can get bookings for South America the same day which will help me grow my business here.”
He says the Aussie market is a significant focus with plans to grow from 6-7 percent to potentially 15 percent of global revenue.
Aqua Expeditions unveiled plans for the yet-to-be-revealed-new ship in September, and will launch the new program in December 2025.
