Andrea Zelinski
Murder. Mystery. "The White Lotus," the black comedy from HBO, captures audiences' attention by peeking into the fictional lives of guests and staff at a beautiful luxury resort.
But some cruise line executives are hoping the show's third season, taking place in Thailand, will also spark their interest to cruise there.
Shortly after the show's Feb. 16 premiere, I noticed a pair of cruise lines promoting itineraries that visit Asia, each noting that buzz about the "The White Lotus" is worth tapping into.
Dianna Rom, Windstar Cruises' vice president of sales, said the line was "definitely" keeping an eye on excitement around the new season.
"In the past few years, we've seen how shows like this can shine a spotlight on a destination in a really powerful way, and we anticipate it will spark even more interest in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand," she said.
In 2026, Windstar will offer new itineraries there on one of its newest ships, the Windstar Star Seeker, which will be delivered in December. The line will offer two core itineraries that can be combined with pre- and post-cruise tours that offer a peek into local life, like by exploring hidden markets or visiting an elephant sanctuary, she said.
The itineraries will begin in Bangkok or Phuket, Thailand, or Hanoi, Vietnam. In Bangkok's case, the Seeker is small enough to sail upriver to dock there.
Without adding on pre- and post-cruise tours, the line's cruise-only itineraries include a 10-day Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand voyage and an 11-day cruise with calls in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
Norwegian Cruise Line is getting in on the action, too, with itineraries that offer visits to historic temples and visits to the Phi Phi islands. Of its six cruises to Asia, one option is a 13-day cruise on the Norwegian Sun in January, sailing from Singapore with calls in Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia and ending in Bangkok.
The travel industry has reason to think it can see a bump in business from "The White Lotus." As my colleagues Jamie Biesiada and Brinley Hineman reported, travel got a boost to Hawaii and Sicily, Italy, where previous seasons of "The White Lotus" were filmed.
The interest in Thailand is there. In the past month, search demand has skyrocketed for "Four Seasons Koh Samui," the hotel where the third season takes place. Search rose by 1,311%, according to tour operator software provider Bokun.
"With its pristine beaches, world-renowned cuisine, and rich cultural heritage, Thailand was already a dream destination. The White Lotus' return offers a unique opportunity to leverage the show's heightened visibility and drive even more bookings to this beautiful location," said Samuel Jefferies, senior growth manager for Bokun.
Now we'll see if the cruise industry can translate that interest in that resort life to a visit via sea.