Luxury cruise lines expand Philippine itineraries to lesser-known islands

Luxury cruise lines including Ponant and Silversea are planning more sailings to the Philippines in the coming years, with itineraries featuring longer stays and visits to lesser-known islands.

“Most clients who booked are sailing from all over the world. Domestic travellers are very minimal,” said Shan Dioquino David, CEO and president of CITTI Elite, the preferred sales agent in the Philippines for Silversea, Ponant and Scenic Cruises.

David said Ponant’s nine-day Philippine cruise aboard Le Soléal, scheduled for February 3 to 11, 2028, will sail from Manila to Iloilo in the Visayas and the islands of Kalanggaman, Limasawa and Higatangan in Leyte, and Sibuyan in Romblon, before calling at Calapan in Oriental Mindoro and returning to Manila.

Ponant’s Horizons of East Asia and the Philippines cruise, scheduled from October 23 to November 5, 2027, will feature a 14-day itinerary covering Busan in South Korea, Shanghai in China, Japan and Taiwan, as well as four days in the Philippines, visiting Batanes, Claveria in Cagayan, Hundred Islands in Pangasinan and Manila.

Silversea’s Silver Cloud will operate an expedition cruise from June 9 to 23, 2027, covering Darwin in Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as nine days in the Philippines with shore excursions in Luzon and the Visayas. The same ship will sail from Manila to Darwin from June 23 to July 14, 2027, with stops in Malaysia and Indonesia and six days in the Philippines.

Silversea’s Silver Muse will sail from December 5 to 19, 2027, visiting Manila, Coron and Puerto Princesa in Palawan as part of its Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia itinerary.

Scenic Cruises, which visited the Philippines in 2025, is also scheduled to return in 2028.

David said itineraries featuring lesser-known provincial destinations were attracting interest from luxury expedition cruise operators, citing the Philippines’ more than 7,000 islands, beaches and cultural heritage.

“Post-pandemic, luxury travel trends have spiked interest in upscale, experiential expedition cruising across South-east Asia, especially in the Philippines,” David explained.