If you didn’t make it to the 2016 World Leading Cruise Lines (WLCL) Summit then don’t worry, as Travel Weekly was on-board Carnival Spirit to bring you all the latest updates.

As the cruise industry continues to grow at a record pace, the WLCL Summit focused on the opportunity for travel agents to tap into the growing market.

There were some big announcements and updates from The Carnival Cruise Lines Group brands Seabourn, Cunard, P&O Cruises, P&O World Cruises Princess Cruises, Holland America Line (HAL) and Carnival Cruises.

Here are the biggest take away announcements from the event.

P&O Cruises Australia

P&O Cruises will open up new worlds for its guests on-board and on land in 2017, with the launch of Australia’s first virtual reality experience at sea as well as the cruise line’s first port in the remote Kimberley region.

P&O will make its first call to the Kimberley, adding Kuri Bay – a remote coastal bay north of Broome boasting magnificent red rock escarpments and a turquoise bay – to its cruise offerings from Fremantle.

The cruise line is investing in its technology offering, unveiling a PlayStation®VR experience which will take guests to extraordinary new worlds at sea as part of an exclusive partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment Australia. The technology will roll out across the fleet over the next 12 months, starting with Pacific Jewel later this year.

Seabourn

Next year will see ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn launch its popular Ventures by Seabourn expedition program in Australia and New Zealand.

Giving guests the chance to immerse themselves in the region’s unique wilderness, Ventures is designed for small groups and enables guests to navigate stunning waterways, secluded inlets and scenic islands via Zodiac inflatable boats or double sea kayaks, launched from the unique fold-out water sports marina on Seabourn vessels.

The optional excursions offer an informative and educational way for guests to enhance their cruise with intimate tours led by an expert team of scientists, scholars and naturalists.

Princess Cruises

In celebration of 10 years of world cruises from Australia, Princess Cruises announced its longest and most exciting world cruise yet. Sea Princess will offer guests a 106-night voyage in 2018.

Departing Sydney on June 5, 2018, the historic circumnavigation of the world will visit 40 destinations in 27 countries over a distance of 32,000 nautical miles (about 1.5 times around the Earth).

Highlights include a range of exciting new ports across Greenland, Newfoundland and Eastern Canada as well as overnight stays in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations such as New York, Barcelona and Venice.

Known for its longer, destination-rich itineraries, Princess pioneered world cruises from Australia in 2008 and remains the only cruise line to offer Australians the opportunity to cruise around the world from their doorstep.

Carnival Cruise Line

Australians can enjoy Carnival Spirit a little longer as the ship will remain based in Sydney, Australia, fulltime until 2018, instead of the heading to China for the northern summer.

The decision was made based on the current success and popularity of the Australian operations. Featuring 35 new cruises to and from Australia from April to December 2018, this new program will go on sale on 4 November 2016.

Meanwhile, Carnival Legend will return to Australia in October 2018 for her fifth extended summer season of sailing in Australian waters.

Holland America Line

Holland America Line (HAL) continues its journey of a bold new story, touching on all aspects of the cruise experience.

The evolution inspired by re-evaluating guests wants and needs includes added ships with service and a classic style, complete and immersive culinary experiences and destinations and itineraries based on expertise through ‘Destination Guides’.

The last area of distinction is a focus on entertainment and enrichment, offering guests a new Music Walk experience. This incorporates the much-loved B.B King’s Blues Club, Lincoln Centre Stage and Billboard Onboard offerings.

Cunard

Australians and New Zealanders are flocking to Europe to join Cunard cruises in record numbers, with bookings up by almost 60 percent in 2017 from previous year.

The GBP90 million remastering of Queen Mary 2, the biggest investment in luxury travel, just might have something to do with this. Additionally, the Queen Victoria is also undergoing a refurbishment ready for the European summer season.

Cunard is evolving with the times while still maintaining the traditional British brand, working with Australians perceptions of the cruise line, particularly in the dress standards.

P&O World Cruises

P&O World Cruises are experiencing increasing numbers of Australians heading north for a world cruise, as popularity grows for the Baltic offerings.

Traditionally however, the Oceana remains a favourite amongst Aussies, with the Mediterranean sailings producing solid forward bookings for 2017 itineraries.