Seatrade Cruise Global, the largest annual gathering of the cruise industry, is underway in Miami Beach with more than 11,000 in attendance.
Tuesday's events opened with the annual State of the Industry panel, a separate panel with the industry's top female executives, and a keynote by Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association.
She noted the continued growth of the cruise industry worldwide, with 28.5 million people taking cruises in 2018, a 6.7 percent increase over the prior year. That compares to 17.9 million cruisers in 2009. The projected total of cruisers in 2019 is 30 million.
Craighead said the industry continues to innovate and attract new cruisers with innovative new ships - in all, 18 new ships will enter service in 2019 for CLIA-member cruise lines.
The economic impact of the industry is impressive as well, she said, noting cruising accounts for 1.1 million jobs worldwide with total spending related to cruising of $134 billion.
The State of the Industry panel featured Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings; Arnold Donald, president and CEO, Carnival Corp.; Richard Fain, chairman & CEO; Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; and Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises.
The executives all agreed that business is doing extremely well. "I don't see it ending," Del Rio said.
Fain said the industry has continued growing because it continues to innovate to meet changing tastes of customers.
Donald noted that millennials are attracted to cruising because they're searching for adventure, but the people with the time and money - retired Baby Boomers - continue to be a strong source of clientele, especially as their numbers double in the next few years.
The female executives - Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line; Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises; and Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises - agreed that they feel a responsibility as role models to increase the number of women working in the cruise industry, especially in non-traditional roles. Lutoff-Perlo noted that Celebrity now counts four female captains, while Swartz shared the story of a woman who started work at sea as a spa therapist but now is a second officer.
In other news from the Seatrade conference:
- MSC Cruises revealed plans for a new cruise terminal at PortMiami that will support its expanding presence in North America and the Caribbean in particular. Under the agreement, which was approved by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, MSC Cruises will design, construct, operate and maintain a large building that hosts two cruise terminals (AA and AAA) as well as two berths. The new terminals will be able to host two mega cruise ships at the same time, allowing the Company to conduct two turnaround operations simultaneously, handling up to 28,000 passenger movements per day.
"With another 13 cruise vessels due to join our fleet in the next eight years, our ambition is to have our most innovative ship classes represented at PortMiami, bringing a wealth of choice to our North American as well as international guests," said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises executive chairman. Work on the new terminals will start in early 2020 with completion by late 2022.
- Seabourn offered details on public spaces designed by Adam D. Tihany on two purpose-built luxury expedition ships set to launch in June 2021 and May 2022. The Expedition Lounge, Discovery Center, Landing Zone, and Atrium are spaces that will act as the communal hub on Seabourn Venture and another yet-to-be-named sister ship. The Expedition Lounge will be the heart of the ship, where guests can enjoy a drink while sharing stories of their day. The Expedition Lounge will feature an etched glass partition displaying a vintage map of Antarctica and vitrines showcasing tools of the trade.
The Discovery Center next door will host lectures, briefings, and enrichment programming. The Landing Zone is the launch and recovery point - a "mudroom" - for landings, letting guests change and clean their gear in comfort while also providing space to store their rubber boots. The Atrium is a focal point on all Seabourn ships with its elegant winding staircase. On the expedition ships, the skylit space will continue the wood and metal detailing present throughout the ship.
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