Trend: Wellness Ships, Wellness Trains
Week of October 22nd, 2025
Small, Luxurious Ships that Cater to Never-Cruisers–The New York Times
In the cruise industry, it always seemed like ships only got more gigantic. But a counter movement is underway: a surge of ocean liners small enough to be branded yachts (less than 500 people). And there is much wellness on board, from Guntû, a “floating ryokan” that sails around Japanese islands, to Ritz-Carlton’s Luminara, with resort-level wellness offerings. Many of the newer small ships operate under the auspices of luxury travel brands like &Beyond and Ritz-Carlton. Both Four Seasons and Orient Express plan to launch their first ships next year, while Aman’s Amangati is scheduled to set sail in 2027.
This luxury cruise wants to be a ‘blue zone’ at sea–CNBC
Storyline Cruises plans to launch the MV Narrative in 2027, a wellness-residences-at-sea and floating longevity clinic concept. It aims to build a 10,000-square-foot longevity and wellness space supporting the 530 residences on the ship. The Optimal Aging program will include functional and genetic testing, nutritionists, stem-cell therapy, human growth hormones, peptides, and more. Residents can live there for a lifetime, but it won’t come cheap: cabins start at $1 million.
Yes, cruises can be good for you — take these 10 wellness sailings–The Times UK
This roundup of some wellness-focused cruises around the world shows the depth of their offerings, from sunrise yoga on a clipper ship to personal training, with on-board experts in everything from somatic therapy to meditation.
TrendWatch: Experiential Train Travel –Sheer Luxe
With people hungry for earth-friendly and experiential travel, train travel, especially night trains, have moved far beyond a niche indulgence for the ultra-wealthy to include younger and more diverse guests. The “wellness” is embracing travel being as much about the journey as the destination, but there is much traditional wellness on offer, from spas to stargazing. People want strong storytelling, not sightseeing. Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express takes you to artists’ studios in Penang and on jungle hikes; The Wild Scotland route on the Royal Scotland features commando training and fire-feasting sessions, led by local experts.
Belmond launched first-of-its kind Wildsmith Wellness Suite on board Britannic Explorer train–European Spa
The first spa on the rails in England and Wales launched this summer, a slow journey through Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales, the result of a collaboration between Belmond and the British wellness brand Wildsmith. The Wellness Suite focuses on experiences with mindfulness and grounding techniques at their core, such as their signature Circadian Rhythm Reset, all inspired by the world outside the train windows.
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