CruiseCompete has listed seven trends to consider for the new year. While most are on the money, they only tell part of the story.
New Chic
First on the list might be a bit premature for this year given The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Virgin Voyages won't launch until 2019 and 2020, respectively. Nonetheless, they are both available to begin booking in 2018, and each represents major existing travel brands entering the market that may foreshadow others following in the months ahead.
Cruising is still a relatively small segment of the travel industry overall, but its potential for continued exponential growth astounds. Such numbers are sure to eventually get the attention of other hoteliers and transportation companies interested in a slice of the pie.
The likelihood that additional established companies try their hand at cruise travel sooner than later is very high.
2,553 Ocean Front Restaurants
CruiseCompete counts a staggering amount of at-sea dining venues offering exceptional culinary experiences akin to shoreside hotels. Of course, the variety of Italian Mediterranean, Pan-Asian, Churrascaria (Portuguese barbecue), traditional steakhouses, authentic New York pizza, ice cream and much more will only continue to expand.
Not mentioned are collaborations with celebrity chefs, which will likely also blossom in 2018 and beyond.
From Guy Fieri and Curtis Stone to Roy Yamaguchi and Thomas Keller, we've only seen the beginning of where partnering with the world's most creative culinary artists can take cruise ships. There are still plenty of high-profile names out there in which the lines can foster new relationships.
Well-Being Experiences
MSC Cruises has teamed up with TechnoGym for its fitness centers, and the line will also embark on the first Weight Watchers cruise in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Seabourn works with Dr. Andrew Weil for its onboard wellness program via meditation and yoga and has its own series of theme cruises scheduled with the health expert.
Just as cruise ships trend simultaneously larger and smaller in size, so too do guests' onboard behaviors. Buffets and decadent dining may always be a component of many sailings, but inversely, other passengers seek out healthier alternatives and education pertaining to clean living and greater longevity as well.
The Excitement of Exclusivity
With so many new ships coming online in 2018, plenty of passengers will have the privilege of saying they alone were on the inaugural cruise of this or that vessel. What's more, so many of them are now all-inclusive, making their experiences even more uniquely special.
While its message is inherently contradictory and confusing, perhaps that's what Crystal Cruises is getting at with its "Where All Inclusive is All Exclusive" tagline.
New Vacation Words
Skip-Gen cruising refers to a multigenerational sailing enjoyed by grandparents and grandchildren without the parents along.
Boomerang cruising is splitting the benefits of roundtrip homeport cruising in half by traveling to a destination and then returning home onboard.
Both are becoming more and more popular as is this last one, which is not really a new one: back-to-back cruising.
While you could always choose to book multiple cruises on the same ship, one way to experience multiple vessels according to CruiseCompete is to end one voyage and hop right on another vessel entirely but from the same port.
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