Deb Corbett is the CEO of the luxurious PONANT cruise brand in the Asia Pacific region. To kick off the year, we got her thoughts on what’s going to dominate the cruise industry in 2025 and some of PONANT’s key initiatives.
What trends will dominate the cruise industry in 2025?
Looking ahead to 2025, sustainability will continue to take centre stage. More and more travellers are making eco-conscious choices and at PONANT we are deeply committed to pushing forward in this area, constantly striving to reduce our environmental impact. Another trend I expect to see is a shift toward smaller, more intimate ships. Guests are seeking more personalised and immersive experiences – opportunities to explore places that are off the beaten path, far from the crowded tourist spots, especially in Europe. It’s about going deeper into the destinations, connecting with them in a way that feels real and meaningful.
I also believe that cultural immersion and local community engagement will become even more important. People want more than just a holiday; they want to truly understand the places they visit and the people who call them home. And of course, technology will continue to play a bigger role. I see real-time sustainability tracking becoming more common, alongside our ongoing efforts to make our ships more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. It’s an exciting time, and I believe these trends will shape the way we travel in the years to come.
What do you expect to happen in 2025, specifically relating to your industry?
2025 will be a defining year for our industry as we continue to improve in both sustainability and guest experience, with steady growth in the luxury segment. I expect a growing demand for eco-conscious travel with travellers prioritising companies that offer unique itineraries and uphold responsible environmental practices. For PONANT, our eco-friendly fleet, coupled with our partnerships in scientific research and conservation will be key. Our luxury icebreaker is returning to Antarctica this year, with great excitement from our trade partners and clients looking at booking those once in a lifetime polar explorations. Our cutting-edge polar vessel will provide unmatched experiences in places like Snow Hill where guests can observe the large emperor penguin colony. In Europe, we’ll offer more exclusive access to lesser-known gems – coastal towns, hidden islands, and serene spots where guests can truly connect with destinations in places like the Mediterranean and the Scottish Isles. And in the Kimberley, we’ll continue to set the standard with immersive itineraries that blend stunning landscapes with deep cultural engagement, offering guests a unique, sustainable journey in one of the world’s most beautiful and untouched regions.
What do you want to happen in 2025?
I’d love our trade partners and guests to continue embracing the thrill of planning together, to continue having the planning part of the excitement – a process where everyone feels inspired, supported and confident and for the industry to continue looking at PONANT as the storyteller and ambassador of immersive cultural explorations. We can deliver on this. I’d like to spark a new collective excitement for unique experiences, where the planning and booking is as rewarding as the journey itself; to build excitement around Grand Voyages by my team creatively curating options for trade partners and their guests to have unmatched longer journeys that fill their travel calendars – to expand travel possibilities.
Having guests connect deeper with the world, igniting their curiosity to explore further and wider before would be wonderful and having these guests return as ambassadors of the places they have visited and the people they have connected with would be magical. I’d also like to empower friends and individuals travelling together to benefit from our Free Solo Supplement Program, while enjoying the privacy of their own rooms. This will redefine travel freedom, making it accessible, inclusive and tailor-made. In 2025, I want travel to be a powerful force for good—one that fulfills dreams while building a better, more connected world.
What major business/industry/association initiatives do you have planned for 2025?
We have many associations we are excited about in 2025, ranging from staff empowerment to onboard guests’ experiences or sustainability.
We are very excited this year to have Jonathan Shackleton joining some of our Ross Sea expeditions in February, providing exceptional story telling on Antarctica. A cousin of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest
Shackleton, a historian and Antarctica specialist, this partnership reflects the desire we have to take guests’ experiences further onboard, whilst they immerse themselves in a destination. Jonathan Shackleton has joined our expedition team in the Ross Sea, providing enhanced knowledge and perspective on the history and the future of the white continent. I am very excited to also announce Jonathan is scheduled to join us on an epic journey from South America to Tasmania on board Le Commandant Charcot in 2026 too!
Continuing our alliance with local organisations to ensure we maintain the connection with the destinations we visit is extremely important to us. For example, our support of the Macquarie Island Conservation Foundation (MICF) continues this year through the Ponant Foundation. The grant we have given to the foundation allows them to carry out some of their conservation projects on the island, something close to our heart and part of our ethos. The goal being to give back to the destinations we visit, and Macquarie Island is one of them, part of our Subantarctic Island’s expeditions. In addition to supporting conservation, some members of the MICF will join us again on some of our itineraries at the end of the year and early next year as guest-speakers onboard, again, enhancing the narrative and educational aspect of our expeditions.
Communities around the world shape the Ponant experience on so many levels, whether it be the communities of our seafarers that work on our ships or the locals and inhabitants we encounter that help us craft our journeys and welcome our guests. Without a sense of community, Ponant wouldn’t be able to deliver that strong connection on our voyages. This is something we developed at a staff level in 2024 and that we will continue doing in 2025 and beyond, dedicating some of our staff’s working hours to giving back to the community, and foster this sense of solidarity in all aspects of our company’s daily activities.
In 2024 we were very excited to collaborate with Oz Harvest, Australia’s successful Food Waste Fighters Non For Profit organisation and have our Sydney team support them through their Cooking for Cause project. We are excited to have built that connection and are planning further collaboration this year as part of our ‘giving back’ philosophy.
Finally, I am thrilled by the recent announcement of Aqua Expeditions joining the Ponant Explorations Group, a great testament of Ponant’s commitment to expanding into unique exploration experiences.
A beautiful alliance of brands that has got us all excited for the future of the group.
What are your personal goals for 2025?
To continue fostering a workplace environment where my team feels valued, supported and empowered to thrive in a culture of creativity and innovation, and to achieve sustainable business growth. My aim is to maintain transparency and integrity in my decision-making and to be an advocate for continuous learning for personal growth. My personal health and wellness goal is to maintain a balanced and sustainable lifestyle that supports both my physical and mental well-being, enabling me to lead with energy and resilience and by prioritising my own health and wellness, I want to lead by example, inspiring my team to value their well-being and create a culture where success is built on a foundation of sustainable habits. I also want to ensure that as a leader I’m giving back more and more to my local community and making a positive difference in the lives of my family, my team and the organisations that I support. To sum this up, 2025 is a year of purpose-driven impact, where making a difference in people’s lives is at the forefront of my every day.
