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SOME BUSINESSES START WITH A PITCH. OTHERS WITH A PLAN.
REGAL ESCAPES BEGAN WITH A CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO DREAMERS AND A GLASS OF WINE.
It was a slow fusion of vision and experience — Alwin, a seasoned cruise expert with a flair for numbers and logistics, and Thomas, a creative force with an eye for brand-building. As co-founders of Regal Escapes, they combined their individual strengths and shared values to create a brand that brings sophistication and soul to luxury travel.
Thomas serves as CEO and is responsible for Regal Escapes’ long-term vision, strategic direction, growth initiatives, and key partnerships. He leads the brand’s development and oversees its daily operations, ensuring that each decision aligns with their shared values and evolving ambitions. Alwin, a founding partner, plays a sales consultative role in the business while managing his independent consultancy, Abroad with Alwin, and his work with the ITC Group.
What started as separate musings eventually collided over their shared obsession with intentional travel. The result? A boutique luxury travel company that doesn’t just book cruises – it crafts deeply personal journeys across oceans, cultures, and emotions.
‘We believe the journey should be just as exquisite as the destination,’ says Thomas. ‘Luxury isn’t excess. It’s care. It’s intention. It’s knowing that your favourite wine will be waiting for you in your suite before you even ask for it.’
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Alwin, who began his career aboard cruise ships, is equally passionate. With over two decades in the travel and cruise industry, his experience spans everything from on-board operations to senior sales and planning roles for major international travel brands. ‘Travel reshapes us,’ he adds. ‘It’s not just geography — it’s emotional. Transformational. That’s what we create for our clients: seamless, soulful experiences.’
Together, they are the heartbeat of Regal Escapes. And it shows.
CRAFTSMANSHIP BEHIND THE SCENES
Running Regal Escapes is no gentle sail. From updating real-time itineraries to finessing the visual identity of the brand, it’s a 24/7 symphony of precision and passion. ‘We joke that our “out-of-office” is just another office with a view,’ Thomas quips.
Still, the rewards are immense. Like the client who once messaged them mid-cruise, champagne in hand, writing: ‘This is the happiest I’ve been in years.’ For Alwin and Thomas, moments like that are reminders: this isn’t just business. It’s a legacy of joy.
The duo admits that building a brand while nurturing a relationship is its own kind of voyage. ‘We’ve learned to stay in our lanes,’ says Alwin. ‘Thomas leads the business and strategic development, while I focus on sales and meaningful client interactions.’
From instinct-driven ideas to data-led pivots, their process is more gut-feel than boardroom. ‘Our best decisions have often started with a hunch and a “What if we just tried?”’ Thomas adds.
BEYOND THE BROCHURE: WHAT MAKES REGAL ESCAPES DIFFERENT
This isn’t cookie-cutter travel. This is curated elegance.
What sets Regal Escapes apart is how hands-on they are. They know the ships. They’ve walked the decks. They obsess over the smallest details, so that their clients don’t have to. Whether it’s Antarctica — ‘the ultimate in remote, raw beauty’ — or a tailor-made European itinerary with private tours and fine-dining reservations, every voyage is laced with thoughtfulness and refinement.
‘We’re not just planning holidays,’ Alwin says. ‘We’re helping people connect — with themselves, with the world, with the people they love.’
Their process is meticulous. A client might begin with a casual email, but from there, Regal Escapes builds a story: the right cruise line, the perfect suite, flights, transfers, pre- and post-cruise experiences. Nothing is left to chance.
When clients work with Alwin, they step into a journey where every element is crafted with care and clarity. Alwin’s approach is warm, intuitive, and detail-focused. He begins with a thorough discovery — getting to know not just travel preferences, but personalities, pace, and passions. Then comes the weaving together of a tailor-made itinerary, from the big picture right down to the tiny indulgences that elevate a trip from memorable to magical. Clients can expect responsiveness, transparency, and a genuine interest in their happiness. Whether it’s managing special requests or aligning dates across complex routes, Alwin ensures that the process feels effortless.
A LIFE LIVED IN CHAPTERS
When they’re not orchestrating bucket-list voyages, Thomas finds solace in nature, horse rides, and good food. Alwin, ever the homebody, prefers music, books, and culinary experiments. Their shared guilty pleasure? ‘Definitely interior design,’ says Thomas with a laugh. ‘We redecorate more than we should.’
They share their home with Arthur, a spoiled Cavalier King Charles, and two cats, Max and Trixie, who keep the household balanced in equal parts grace and chaos.
THE FUTURE BECKONS
Regal Escapes is growing — new partnerships, a flagship experiential space, and a deeper integration into South Africa’s luxury lifestyle landscape. From January next year, Regal Escapes will expand beyond cruise travel into a full-service luxury destination company, signalling a bold new chapter. This evolution will bring with it a dedicated office space, team expansion, and an even broader portfolio of curated travel experiences.
But what won’t change is their commitment to something no algorithm can offer: the human touch.
‘In a world moving towards automation, we offer soul,’ says Alwin. ‘When things go wrong, our clients don’t get a chatbot. They get us.’
As the luxury travel industry embraces automation, Regal Escapes offers something that can’t be digitised — intuition, nuance, and deep human connection. In an age of speed and systems, their vision is refreshingly human.
They dream of future collaborations that reflect their values: authenticity, elegance, and meaningful storytelling. Alwin and Thomas are inspired by those who turn experience into art.
A collaboration with South Africa’s JAN, for instance, would be a dream, curating culinary journeys that are as meaningful as they are memorable. They’re also inspired by global storytellers and conservationists: David Attenborough, whose life’s work has fostered deep respect for the natural world, and the late Anthony Bourdain, who redefined travel as a deeply human and cultural act. ‘That’s exactly what we aspire to,’ they say. ‘To travel with heart.’
LEGACY IN THE MAKING
Their dream? To leave behind moments that mattered. To be remembered not just as travel curators, but as memory-makers.
‘Luxury,’ Thomas says, ‘used to mean “things” — now it means time, space, and effortless detail. It’s that rare sense of being fully present. We now understand that true luxury is personal. For one person, it’s a butler; for another, it’s complete solitude.’
As for their own personal paradise? Alwin dreams of island ease — slow mornings, warm air, and the rare luxury of switching off completely. Thomas craves the stillness of mountain escapes — long walks in nature, fresh air, and the space to reflect.
But Antarctica calls to them both — white, vast, untouched. A destination they haven’t reached yet. A metaphor, perhaps, for what still lies ahead.
And like any great journey, they’ll get there. Together.
