A CRUISE LINE FOR EVERYONE Each FCCA cruise line creates its own unique vacation experience for the traveler: AIDA Cruises: Originator of the “club cruise” concept, a casual, active approach to cruising, with an emphasis on wellness. Azamara Club Cruises: Delivers a deluxe experience that focuses on small, out-of-the-way destinations, with luxuries such as butler service for every stateroom. Carnival Cruise Lines: The first line to offer quality cruise vacations at an affordable price, inspiring the motto “Fun for all.” Celebrity Cruises: A premium line with an emphasis on enrichment, especially in art and dining. Costa Cruise Lines: Festive, elegant service and ambience, devoted to “Cruising Italian Style.”
Cunard Line: Continues a tradition of luxury cruising that began in 1840, furthering the standard of British elegance and superb White Star Service.
P&O Cruises: Combining classical British elegance with modern attitude, a luxurious cruise experience with a sense of adventure.
Disney Cruise Line: Magical voyages for all ages but especially for families, adding the Disney touch to entertainment, dining and other onboard experiences.
Princess Cruises: Indulgent service and elegant surroundings create an atmosphere that encourages passengers to “Escape completely.”
Holland America Line: Holland America Line, renowned for its gracious service, spacious cabins and quality dining, marks its 140th year in business in 2013.
Royal Caribbean International: Creator of some of the industry’s most memorable onboard innovations, such as surf simulators and onboard ziplines.
MSC Cruises (USA): A unique blend of maritime traditions and Mediterranean cuisine, delivered with classic Italian service.
Seabourn: Small-ship cruising that takes guests to less-accessible ports and gives them intimate experiences onboard and ashore.
Norwegian Cruise Line: The creator of Freestyle Cruising, the first to offer travelers a more relaxed way of vacationing at sea.
TUI Cruises: The “feel-good ships” create a laid-back, all-inclusive atmosphere for their predominantly German passengers.
School and family reunions, weddings and even corporate meetings and trainings are taking place at sea, but cruise lines are beginning to make room for the single traveler, a growing segment of the market. Norwegian Cruise Line made big news for single travel in 2010, when the new one-person studio cabin debuted with the launch of Norwegian Epic.
Several lines have gone so far as to expand existing facilities or build brand-new ones, spending billions of dollars to bring in visitors to boost local economies. “The establishment of over 30 North American embarkation ports provides consumers with unprecedented convenience, cost savings and value by placing cruise ships within driving distance of 75 percent of North American vacationers,” states the FCCA. “By providing significant cost savings through the convenience of avoiding air travel, the new homeports have introduced leisure cruising to a wider customer base.”
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entire water park on the top deck. Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class sports The Lawn Club, with real grass you can sink your toes into. Cruisers can relax in pampered abandon in onboard sanctuaries complete with their own wait staffs. Entertainment often comes direct from Broadway and Las Vegas. Dining has come far from the days of the midnight buffet; some of the world’s greatest chefs have dazzled diners at sea. One of the most far-reaching changes in cruise dining is the increased freedom of choice; Princess Cruises was one of the first lines to offer flexible programs in which passengers eat when and with whom they choose, rather than be restricted to set dining times. Specific segments of cruise travel have been welcomed aboard in a big way in the last decade. In the 1990s, Disney Cruise Line led the way for family cruising with its kid-friendly spaces, although the line has also proven to be a popular choice for adults. Most cruise lines now offer extensive youth programming for young guests right into the early teen years, and suites and staterooms are designed to make families feel at home (or even better).
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Many lines have responded to their new customers by relaxing the onboard ambience; dress codes and attitudes are more casual. Others, such as Cunard Line and MSC Cruises, have retained the elegant customs on which they were built. But whether standing on tradition or moving toward a new realm, it’s always about one thing: giving customers what they’ve come aboard for.
Places to Go
The cruise industry’s innovation has extended far beyond itself. Each year, cruise lines upgrade and enhance the shore excursions they offer to passengers, working with local governments and tour vendors to provide authentic experiences to visitors. Far more than a fast taxi ride around the city or a day at the beach, today’s excursions offer real enrichment and education along with fun and diversion.
It’s all part of a continuing evolution on the part of the cruise industry. “The cruise product is diversified,” states the FCCA. “Throughout its history, the industry has responded to vacation desires of its guests and embraced innovation to develop new destinations, new ship designs, new and diverse onboard amenities, facilities and services, plus wide-ranging shore-side activities. Cruise lines have also offered their guests new cruise themes and voyage lengths to meet the changing vacation patterns of today’s travelers.”
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