Ambassador Cruise Line CEO Christian Verhounig has told trade partners the cruise line’s 2026 and 2027 programs are fully hedged and there are no plans to introduce fuel surcharges despite rising fuel costs.

In a letter to trade partners dated March 30, Verhounig said the escalating crisis in the Middle East should end any illusion that the travel industry can rely on short booking windows, last-minute demand and price slashing.

“Quite simply, the lates market is dying,” Verhounig said. “Geopolitical shocks are no longer rare disruptions; they are becoming a defining feature of the global economy and consumer behaviour is adjusting fast.”

Verhounig said travellers understand that geopolitical instability, fuel price swings and economic pressures can quickly translate into higher fares and reduced availability.

“Travellers are not naïve,” he said.

Ambassador has sold more than 87 percent of capacity across its 2026 program.

When the company launched its 2028-2029 season on March 12, 2026, sales in the first hour alone amounted to more than one third of the total achieved across an entire day when launching the 2027-2028 season in June 2025.

“These figures make it abundantly clear that guests are booking earlier and in far greater numbers to lock in prices and secure the itineraries, cabins and sailing dates they want before global events potentially drive costs higher,” Verhounig said.

He said around 2.8 million UK residents are expected to visit Gulf Cooperation Council countries this year alone.

“In a world where demand remains strong but uncertainty rises and supply tightens, consumers who delay will simply miss out,” Verhounig said.

Verhounig said the era of short booking windows is drawing to a close and persistent geopolitical volatility will force both operators and travellers to plan further ahead, without the fallback of distressed inventory suddenly appearing.

He said prices for key Western Mediterranean destinations such as Spain and Portugal have already started to firm, with increases of up to 15 percent reported for Spain and around five percent for Portugal.

“With demand shifting away from Eastern Mediterranean destinations, availability tightening and fuel costs expected to feed through later in the summer, further upward pressure on pricing is widely anticipated,” Verhounig said.

He said Ambassador’s no-fly sailings from the UK present a compelling alternative for customers looking to plan ahead with greater clarity and assurance.