According to Slojourn Studio – one of Australia’s leading travel representation agencies – the growth of the cruise industry in 2026 presents a significant opportunity for resorts and hotels, as traveller appetite for pre-and-post-cruise stays and deeper destination experiences steadily rises.

Today, more guests are building additional time on land before or after sailing, moving beyond the brief stopovers typically built into cruise itineraries. Ports have transcended their status as in-and-out stops and are now considered gateways to more all-encompassing exploration.

Slojourn Studio Sales Director, Fiona Cogar, says: “If we think about travel as a form of artwork – which in many ways, it is – cruising is the sketched outline of a journey, while time on land is the painting that fills in the detail and adds the colour and beauty. It’s the difference between glimpsing a destination and forming an emotional connection and understanding.”

While cruising has many benefits such as ease and access to multiple destinations within a single journey, travellers are recognising the limitations of fleeting transits, with an increasing desire to slow down on land and have time to explore further than the shoreline.

In response, a collection of luxury travel partners within the Slojourn Studio portfolio – spanning Cambodia, the Greek Islands, Italy and India – are seeing demand for extended stays that allow guests to delve more meaningfully and memorably into the local culture, landscape and daily life.

Cambodia is More than the Mekong with Song Saa Private Island

For travellers sailing through Southeast Asia, Cambodia is becoming more than a departure point or fleeting stop on the way to the Mekong. Before embarking on river itineraries, guests are choosing to extend their time in-country to enjoy a more intimate perspective of its coastline, culture and island landscapes.

At Song Saa Private Island in the Koh Rong archipelago off Cambodia’s southern coastline, travellers can combine a cruise itinerary with a high-end stay across overwater villas, jungle sanctuaries and barefoot luxury residences. The experience moves between Khmer cultural immersion, marine conservation through the Song Saa Foundation, and restorative wellness designed to ease the transition between sea and land.

“The landscape of Cambodia is incredibly diverse,” says Fiona. “While the Koh Rong archipelago feels beautifully removed, it remains easily accessible, and offers travellers a very different paradigm of Cambodia, from its culture and communities through to its coastal and island environments.”

The resort’s newly launched wellbeing sanctuary – Saraan Sanctuaries – adds another layer to the stay, with jungle fitness, overwater yoga and nature-led therapies inspired by Buddhist philosophy, positioning Song Saa as a restorative beginning or end point to a broader journey.

The Layers of Santorini Unfolded with Andronis

For many cruise passengers, Santorini is experienced in a predictable fashion – arrival alongside peak-season crowds, a brief stop in Oia, perhaps a sunset, then departure before the island reveals much more than its most photographed edges.

The ANDRONIS hotel collection disrupts that pattern entirely. Across four distinct properties, guests can explore Santorini through a portfolio of stays spanning cliffside suites, design-led retreats and spa-focused sanctuaries, with shared access across restaurants, wellness spaces and amenities.

This integrated approach allows travellers to move fluidly between properties, accessing signature dining, infinity pools, spas and curated experiences regardless of where they are staying – effectively opening the island as a single ecosystem rather than separate hotel addresses.

Across the collection, guests see more than the highlights, venturing into vineyard landscapes, volcanic terroir tastings, private cooking classes rooted in Cycladic tradition, and village visits where everyday life continues away from the cruise circuit.

“What makes ANDRONIS so compelling is not only the individual properties, but the way they work together, allowing guests to uncover different sides of the island, access multiple restaurants and wellness spaces, and see Santorini as a tapestry,” explains Fiona.

The Mediterranean Exhale at Daios Cove

After weeks moving between Mediterranean ports, many travellers are seeking somewhere to properly pause before returning home. On Crete, Daios Cove offers a natural counterbalance to the pace of cruise travel, with the KĒPOS by GOCO wellbeing centre positioned as a core part of the post-voyage experience. The focus shifts from movement to restoration, with hydrotherapy, advanced wellness therapies, movement practices and tailored recovery rituals designed to reset the body after extended time at sea.

“Crete lends itself so naturally to this part of the journey,” says Fiona. “After the pace of a cruise, guests are looking for somewhere to slow the pace, and Daios Cove offers that balance; combining meaningful cultural access with a genuine focus on recovery and wellbeing.”

Outside of the resort, travellers can explore the Palace of Knossos, take part in traditional tile-painting workshops and wander through mountain villages, layering cultural discovery with relaxation. For families travelling together, larger accommodation offerings including the Collection Villas and The Mansion provide space to extend their Mediterranean holiday in more spacious settings than the confines of a cabin.

India Beyond the River with Anecdotes

For travellers sailing along the Ganges, India passes by in ever-changing images, from riverbank rituals and temple towns to artisan workshops, festival grounds and day-to-day life.

“India is one of the most richly layered and vibrant countries in the world,” says Fiona. “The best way to experience it is with people who truly understand it – a DMC like Anecdotes, who have the relationships, knowledge and on-the-ground access to unite travellers with the most considered, elevated version of each region. It’s that insider perspective that transforms a journey from simply seeing India to passionately experiencing it.”

Anecdotes design extensions that leverage direct connection, unlocking access to regional festivals, private encounters with craftspeople, textile traditions and culinary moments that bring travellers closer to the living culture of the country.

*Journey through Italy with Italy Charme*

Italy, Unhurried, with Italy Charme

Away from the ports, Italy is primed for a slower way of travelling – long lunches in regional trattorias, mornings in vineyard country, and time in towns that don’t feature on the typical cruise route. As a specialist DMC, Italy Charme curates these transitions between sea and land, shaping itineraries that encourage travellers to stay longer, go deeper and experience the country with intention. From private villa stays in Tuscany to guided journeys through Puglia and immersive culinary encounters across the regions, each extension is designed to marry travellers with place, not just points of interest.

“Italy is not a destination to be skimmed. When travellers take the time to stay on land and work with a local expert like Italy Charme, they start to live it, breathe it, and understand it in a way that simply isn’t possible from a ship,” Fiona adds.

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