DEL.ICIO.USAJC.COM CRUISE GUIDE
Cruise ships offer more choices, flexibilityFor the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/10/08
Eight cruise ships are launching maiden voyages in 2008, with some being diverted from the Caribbean, the cruise industry's traditional hot spot, to Europe and Asia.
The largest of the bunch will be Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas, which has room for 3,643 passengers and is set to embark in May.
 Celebrity Cruises / AP |
| Celebrity Cruises shows a computer rendering of a natural grass lawn designed for the cruise liner 'Celebrity Solstice.' |
 Joerg Sarbach / AP |
| The cruise liner 'Norwegian Gem,' leaves the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany |
It still won't surpass the line's Freedom of the Seas, which broke records as the world's largest in 2006. The next world's largest ship, from Royal Caribbean's new Genesis class, is scheduled to debut in 2009, with enough space for 5,400 guests.
Between now and 2012, the Cruise Lines Industry Association expects 35 new ships to be introduced, which represents about $21 million in investment from companies, said Bob Sharak, the association's executive vice president of marketing. Annually, about 97 percent of passengers from North America who take cruises do so on CLIA-member ships.
Although those figures include smaller newcomers like luxury line Pearl Seas Cruises, many of the new ships continue to hold 2,000- and 3,000-plus passengers.
"It's not large for the sake of being large; it's being large for the sake of options and choices," Sharak said.
Among those intriguing amenities: A half-acre natural grass lawn, called the Lawn Club, on the top deck of the Celebrity Solstice (debuting in December) for picnics, boccie, croquet and other activities.
An expected 12.8 million guests will travel on CLIA member cruise lines this year, up from an estimated 12.6 million in 2007. About 10.5 million are expected to originate from North America ports, and 2.3 million from international markets. On average, customers are booking at least five to six months in advance, according to association data.
Along with ship sizes, cruise industry experts identified two major trends in cruising that could help direct your vacation plans for 2008.
The Caribbean cools
The Caribbean has struggled as a year-round cruise destination, said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of CruiseCritic.com, causing some cruise lines to send ships to other hot spots such as Europe, the Mediterranean and Alaska.
"When you look at baby boomers and the amount of wealth that they've accumulated ... they're looking for exotic things to do," said John Zamora, the Miami-based global cruise sector leader for consulting firm Deloitte & Touche.
Spencer Brown said evidence of the trend is Royal Caribbean's decision to take one of its ships out of the Caribbean and send it to Europe for the whole year.
"That's fairly radical," she said.
The Caribbean represents about 41 percent of cruise capacity, a drop from the past few years, according to CLIA data. But Zamora said he doesn't believe the Caribbean is oversaturated when statistics show the opportunity for growth.
About 34 percent of the U.S. travel market has never been on a cruise, and only 17 percent have done so in the past three years, he said.
"There are still plenty of people to go to the Caribbean," Zamora said.
Still, finding a deal may not be as easy as it has been. The Caribbean's winter season continues to be strong, Spencer Brown said, leaving the summer as the best time for value pricing, if people plan early.
"It's not like everybody is deserting the Caribbean in the summer," she said.
Plenty of themes
Themed cruises are a significant trend, Zamora said. Some cruise operators offer up to 30 types of themes, according to Deloitte data.
"They're just hot. You can do a theme cruise on everything from Motley Crüe to needlepoint," said Spencer Brown. "If you're never cruised before, it's a great way to start cruising. You get on board with a bunch of people who are interested in something that you are."
But the most popular trend right now, especially in the luxury market, is fitness and spas, said Zamora.
That also ties into changes in dining on cruise ships, with more flexibility in cuisine, from spa cafes to high-end steakhouses, as well as seating times and schedules.
"Historically, cruising has been characterized as all- inclusive and not fitness- oriented," he said. "The midnight buffet is less popular now."
Spencer Brown said the focus on health and wellness is one of the most exciting trends she's seeing.
Recreation offerings include everything from surf parks to boxing rings, both available on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.
For dining, spa cafes are becoming more common on ships.
"It's no longer a line item on a menu or just part of the buffet," she said.
Destination spa experiences offered by lines such as Costa Cruises and Celebrity Cruises include special cabins with soothing color schemes and different toiletries than other rooms, plus fitness programs, spa treatments and access to restaurants with lighter fare.
Cruise operators are also offering more choices in itineraries by bundling land-and-cruise vacations. That's become popular among major operators who have realized there's room to grow the market, but that some folks remain skeptical about cruising, Zamora said.
Offer cruise newcomers a chance to be on land for three to four days and at sea for the same amount of time, and "you can generally get someone to agree to do that."
All aboard
Ships slated to debut this year:
• MSC Poesia, 2,550 passengers, April
• Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas, 3,643 passengers, May
• Carnival Splendor, 3,006 passengers, July
• Holland America Line's Eurodam, 2,104 passengers, July
• Pearl Seas Cruises (ship not named yet), 210 passengers, August,
• Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess, 3,100 passengers, November
• Celebrity Solstice, 2,850 passengers, December
• MSC Fantasia, 3,300 passengers, December
Source: Cruise Lines International Association
Services »
