Comments on: Cruising Trends for 2010

By: Alternate Restaurants Onboard Are In Demand | 4 Dream Travel

Alternate Restaurants Onboard Are In Demand | 4 Dream Travel — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:57:10 +0000

[...] Cruising Trends for 2010 It wasn’t long ago… I remember quite clearly all the… [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:18:27 +0000

I watch the changes you discuss with dismay and disappointment. It seems that almost everything I loved about cruising is dying a slow death. Count me among those people who loved dressing to the nines on Formal Nights. It was like stepping in to a movie roll to play a hand of blackjack in formal wear after dinner. An experience now often ruined by the fellow sitting next to you dressed like an aging hippie beach bum. I’ve always looked forward to making new friends at dinner and sharing my daily adventures with them each night, those days are likely gone forever soon, as it seems people would rather be an anonymous face in a sea of thousands then run the risk of meeting someone that might have a slightly different world view then their own. Soon to be gone as well are the days when your waiter and busboy treated you like they had known you forever by the third night. Nothing can ever replace that level of service or its Upstairs/Downstairs feeling of glamor. No longer will I be as willing to try some exotic new flavor for dinner with this concept of a la carte either. If I have to pay extra for it I’d better know I’m going to love it before hand. Come to think of it if I have to pay for everything extra, plan out where I’m going to eat every meal (often having to factor in what I can afford), and eat with people that don’t know a necktie from a cumberbund, all while getting service from people who won’t see me twice in their lifetime, and participating in events with people who have known me all of 5 minutes then I might as well be taking any ordinary vacation anywhere. Oh wait, I forgot if I plan my own vacation I can pick a place that is happy to let me bring my four legged child with me as well, unlike cruising. All I can say is thanks cruise industry you are slowly killing one of the things I have most cherished in my lifetime.

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:52:30 +0000

One trend I have started to see, and believe will grow even more, is that many mainstream cruisers who cruised in big suites are moving up to luxury ships. Yes, you sometimes end up with less space but I am amazed by the number of Princess, Celebrity, and HAL cruisers I have run into who have not gone back. With Seabourn and Silversea debuting new larger ships, I imagine they will be trying even harder to get the large suite passenger to move up.

The other trend I see is the return to “classes” on ships. So many, of the mainstream lines give sometimes significant benefits to the large suite passengers.

By: Paul Motter

Paul Motter — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:45:23 +0000

I love this topic – who else would think to write about cruising in 2020 when we just finished the marathon of growth for 2009 we have been anticipating since 2006.

This is actually a great topic, and it deserves a lot of thought.

Lets look at some of the other trends you forgot to mention: drive-to cruises. More people want to cruise from close to home. That says that cruising in itself can be an activity, that you dont NEED a big ship just to attract cruisers.

However, the bigger ships out there are commanding the higher prices, so it is obvious there is also a market for those.

River cruising in Europe has quietly exploded while we were not looking. That says people want TRAVEL experiences from their cruises, and more up-close. Interesting.

I agree that dress codes will continue to diminish. In the future there will be no formal nights or even dress codes. There will just be signs that say “we request no jeans or t-shirts in the dining rooms.”

We already know people want balcony cabins, but the advent of ships with 80% verandas was another 2000 decade development.

Anyway – this is a great topic – thanks for starting it!

By: Mike M

Mike M — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:05:56 +0000

Kuki:

The future has been here for quite awhile. It is called Star Cruises of Asia. Their cruises are basically ala carte and the more you pay the more you get. The cruises are big with gamblers but their entertainment is more “big time” and they were the first with multiple dining venues. No wonder they were and still are part owners of NCL. I predicted a long time ago that cruise lines would be using the Star model in the future and I see that prediction coming true.

The ship will become the destination and the “travel” aspect of cruising will become the back seat. It may take awhile but I do believe it will become that way for the entire industry.

Take care,
Mike

By: Dave Beers

Dave Beers — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:06:42 +0000

Where did 10 years go? I remember helping get our work computers Y2K certified.

Anyway, I can easily see the main dining room assigned seating thing go away. I also think some mainstream cruise lines will look at the Modified American Plan where you get two meals per day included but have to buy all other meals or snacks. If cruisers think they have to hand over their cruise card a lot now, well, just wait. Using the reservations system such as on the Oasis, cruisers could layout their day and pay for it from the cabin. Mainstream cruising is going to be ala carte in a big way over the next few years.