With the recent spate of bigger plus more innovative cruise ships being launched into the cruise market, generally known as ‘mega’ ships, that offer visitors many different unbelievable new activity and entertainment options, it’s interesting to think about whether there exists a future for cruise lines including Cunard, who pride themselves on remaining faithful to the traditional legacies of sea travel.
‘Mega’ ships give you a wide selection of innovative activity and entertainment options including sets from zip wires to carousels, to skateboarding to surf parks, and from mountain climbing to ten pin bowling. These monster-sized vessels couldn’t be moving further away from the regular cruise image when they tried.
And it’s not only the mega-ships which are moving away from the traditional cruising image, but the ‘normal’ sized ships for several of today’s cruise lines also bear little if any resemblance to the image most of the people would envision when considering cruise holidays. Dining is one area where almost all the main players in the marketplace are damaging the mold – and today, instead of structured and rigid dining times, which for a lot of potential cruisers might be off-putting as they don’t want to have a hurried plot inside the day in order not to miss dinner, a few whole arrays of more flexible dining options with varying names, but meaning a similar thing, no set times for dining. Names for these initiatives include Flexible Dining, Anytime Dining and My Time Dining as well as a wide array of cruise lines that offer these more flexible options including Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International, and Princess Cruises.
However, although these new and much more contemporary concepts are doubtless assisting inside the ongoing development of the number of people who cruise in the UK, let’s take into account that we are British, therefore, we do love tradition. It has to be a positive thing that Cunard remains true to their roots since many, many cruisers do be devastated if they could don’t find afternoon tea served by white gloved-waiters, formal dining as well as the deep wooden decor of the stunningly beautiful and luxurious elegant Cunard’s vessels.
These traditional cruisers would be the staunch bread and butter from the industry. These visitors are apt to have money to shell out, remain loyal to traditional cruising, and repeat cruise holidays time and time again. They also usually are slightly older, so that as their children have gone home can travel ‘off-peak’ thereby filling ships which otherwise may sail with empty staterooms.
It’s worth considering the place sector within the travel industry. Within this sector, there are hotels worldwide to meet various tastes, from traditional country manor hotels to funky and contemporary city venues, we can glance at the cruise industry being a similar thing. No longer is cruising purely suitable for only 1 sort of customer, but there’s now a cruise line, plus a ship for everyone. It’s all about choice now, and certain that, whilst the current cruising choices are assisting to grow the market, without the traditional lines including Cunard, the sector would most definitely suffer.
