Yoga overlooking the Santorini caldera, tai chi in a Thai park, thermal baths in Italy, or sailing to hot springs in Patagonia: Oceania Cruises is expanding its wellness tourism offerings. The company now features more than 50 excursions designed to combine destination exploration, local practices, and a quest for well-being.
For tourism professionals, the announcement confirms a significant shift in the luxury cruise market. Wellness is no longer limited to treatments offered in the ship's spa. It is becoming a central theme of the journey, capable of influencing itinerary choices and enriching the marketing message.
Summary
Oceania Cruises extends wellness beyond the ship
In an announcement published on July 23, 2026, Oceania Cruises presented a selection of its "Wellness Discovery Tours," available in Asia, Europe, and South America. The company indicated that it offers more than 50 excursions of this type.
These onshore experiences are organized in small groups and put passengers in contact with local specialists. They cover several areas, including yoga, tai chi, walking, thermal baths, dance and some culinary traditions.
According to the specialized press, luxury cruise lines are increasingly seeking to offer experiences that go beyond the typical port visit. Oceania Cruises is part of this trend, linking its excursions to practices or traditions found in the destinations it visits.
From yoga in Santorini to the thermal baths of Patagonia
In Santorini, Oceania Cruises offers a meditative yoga session on the terrace of a winery, followed by a tasting of local wines overlooking the caldera.
In Bangkok, one excursion includes an introduction to tai chi near Viharn Sien Park. In Hanoi, another experience combines this practice with a vegetarian lunch at a Buddhist monastery located on Mount Yen Tu.
The company also highlights an introduction to traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The program includes a meeting with a practitioner and an introduction to various approaches, including acupuncture and cupping. These activities should be considered cultural experiences and do not constitute a guarantee of medical results.
In Italy, passengers can explore the Terme dei Papi spa from the port of Civitavecchia or take an excursion to thermal baths in the Naples region. In Chile, a catamaran cruise through the Aysén Fjord leads to the hot springs of Ensenada Pérez in Patagonia.
A strategy built around local traditions
Oceania Cruises does not present these excursions as mere leisure activities. The company seeks to connect them to the history, practices, and landscapes of the territories visited.
In Colombo, one of the excursions includes an introduction to Kandy dance. In Bilbao, a walk along the cliffs is combined with a visit to Getxo and local culinary traditions. In Ho Chi Minh City, an experience focuses on organic tea and Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine.
This approach allows the company to combine several dimensions in a single excursion: physical activity, local encounters, cultural discovery, and gastronomy. For agencies, this positioning offers more specific selling points than a general promise of relaxation.
Well-being continues on board
The "Wellness Discovery Tours" complement the offerings available on ships around the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center. Oceania Cruises highlights treatments, fitness areas, group classes, plant-based cuisine, as well as juices and smoothies.
The official Aquamar website states that passengers can participate in yoga, strength training, or fitness classes. The offering also includes facials, massages, and various body therapies.
The coherence between onboard activities and shore excursions is a central point of the strategy. Well-being is no longer presented as an isolated service, but as a component that can accompany the entire stay.
A global market estimated at $6.8 trillion
This positioning comes at a time of strong growth in the global wellness economy. According to the Global Wellness Institute, this economy reached $6.8 trillion in 2024, after a 7.9% increase in one year.
The organization forecasts average annual growth of 7.6% between 2024 and 2029, at which point the market could approach $9.8 trillion.
This data covers eleven different sectors and does not solely measure wellness tourism. However, it shows that spending related to well-being is playing an increasingly important role in consumer decision-making.
A new argument for selling luxury cruises
For distributors, the advantage of this offering lies in its ability to better segment customers. The same cruise can be presented from the perspective of relaxation, physical activity, gastronomy, or cultural immersion, depending on the traveler's expectations.
A yoga session at a Santorini vineyard offers a different experience than a boat trip to hot springs in Patagonia or an exploration of traditional Chinese practices. This diversity gives travel advisors more material to personalize their recommendations.
However, professionals must verify the conditions of each excursion before marketing it. The duration, level of exertion, any contraindications, the language used, and availability can vary depending on the departure point, the vessel, and local conditions.
Oceania Cruises transforms the port call into a wellness experience
Oceania Cruises' strategy illustrates a broader evolution in luxury tourism. The value of a trip no longer rests solely on comfort, service, or the destination. It is also built around personal time, encounters, and the opportunity to learn a local practice.
Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises, summarizes this approach in the press release: “Travel is now one of the best ways to take care of yourself. It allows you to get away from the daily grind, slow down, open yourself up to new cultures and destinations, and then return home with a new perspective on the world.”.
For Oceania Cruises, the challenge now will be to maintain a credible link between each activity and the destination in question. It is this authenticity, more than the mere promise of relaxation, that will allow the "Wellness Discovery Tours" to stand out in the long term within the luxury cruise market.
Sources
- https://experience.oceaniacruises.com/news
- https://www.oceaniacruises.com/wellness
- https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/2025-global-wellness-economy-monitor/
- https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/the-global-wellness-economy-hits-a-record-6-8-trillion-and-is-forecast-to-reach-9-8-trillion-by-2029/
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