Rock Climbing Wall

Royal Caribbean – Innovation in Action

A recent survey by www.idealcruising.co.uk of it’s British customers on board a Royal Caribbean cruise around the Mediterranean revealed that the number one reason that they chose Royal Caribbean was because they perceived the cruise line to offer non-traditional cruises. When digging deeper it was clear that customers had been swayed by Royal Caribbean’s advertising campaigns that had featured product innovations such as a rock climbing wall, an ice rink, and flow-rider.

Royal Caribbean’s Flow Rider produces artificial waves that recreates a surfing environment on the deck of the ship. The flow rider which is features onboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas shoots waves at 30 MPH, and an incredible 60,000 gallons of water a minute. It’s a great feeling riding the waves on board a 150,000 tonne ship that is riding some even bigger waves below you. Falling off however in front of several hundred people watching you can be humiliating however!

 The rock climbing wall is a really popular feature, and all the safety aspects are covered. Royal Caribbean staff are there to supervise you in a one-to-one ratio, and they are there to support you if you are struggling. Helmets and special rock climbing boots are also provided, and the great thing is that this is all at no extra cost. You don’t have to have any previous experience and as long as you have reasonable fitness levels it is a great introduction to an exhilarating sport.

 Another popular aspect of Royal Caribbean the various whirl pools that are located on the main deck. These are open all day and also in the evening, and after dark they are a popular hang-out place for teenagers.

For those that prefer a more energetic cruise, Royal Caribbean have an amazing state of the art gym, with an array of cardiovascular exercise machines all of which face out towards inspiring panoramic views of the ocean when the ship is at sea. There are also a selection of aerobic, spinning and yoga classes taking place throughout the day.

Ice skating is yet another differentiating activity that is available, which defies the conventional thinking of what you can do on a cruise. For those however that prefer not to be inside on a sunny day, roller blading up on the main deck is a good alternative, and for those less energetic, the mini golf again on the main deck is great entertainment for all the family and even those not blessed with sporting acumen. 

 Those responding to the survey when probed about the priority that they put on the ship’s facilities and product innovations showed that it was not the individual product features that were important, but more the collective impact that they had in creating an image of a cruise that was a fun experience and pitched at a more youthful audience. Respondents also referred to on board activities such as karaoke, themed disco nights in the main concourse of the ship, and state of the art gyms as other examples of what made the experience on board a Royal Caribbean ship a positive one. When asked about if they would consider a cruise again with Royal Caribbean, over 90% replied positively, with value for money as the number one factor, followed by high customer service and then entertainment

 

Future of Cruise Ship Innovations

2008 is an exciting year for cruising with the addition of 8 new cruise ships to the booming market.

• April – P&O’s Ventura , MSC Poeisa

• May – Independence of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

• July – Carnival Splendor, Ms Eurodam (Holland America)

• Nov – Ruby Princess, MSC Fantasia

• Dec – Celebrity Solstice

Each ship is being built on the promise that it will be bigger and better than its current sailing rivals, with a heavy focus on innovations at sea. Already we have ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, F1 simulators, self leveling pool tables, boxing rings, bowling alleys and 4 deck high water slides. So the big question everyone’s asking is; what could possibly be coming next?

Well, the answer is grass. Real growing green grass.

Celebrity Cruises have proudly announced that their latest fleet addition, the Solstice, will feature a grassed lawn area where guests may “enjoy bocce ball and croquet, practice their putting, picnic with a basket of wine and cheese, or simply feel the grass between their toes, while sailing the oceans of the world”. And, if all the grass isn’t too much excitement, you can go and watch the hot glass show, another industry first.

Clever, or just plain dull?

Is this really the best they can come up with? Or, are they taking a brave step outside of the current innovation trend box? In reality, the ice skating rinks are a little on the small side, the bowling alleys only have 4 lanes, and does anyone really want to go boxing?

It seems the cruise companies are measuring their success on the uniqueness of their ship innovations, but I wonder if that’s what today’s typical cruise passenger is really looking for.

Pre 1960’s cruising was all about the destination, the ship simply providing comfortable accommodation. Then came more emphasis on the actual voyage itself, with the onboard experience becoming as important as the destination. It seems we may now be facing a u-turn, with more and more cruisers wanting to explore new, “undiscovered” places which offer a more intimate cruise experience which the mega liners just can’t offer.

In spite of this, the cruise industry seems to be confidently striving forward with their bigger is better approach with Royal Caribbean’s mind blowing Genesis project on the horizon. Building by far the largest ships at sea, 2009 will see a vessel that has a capacity of over 5000 passengers with a gross tonnage in excess of 220,000 tonnes, compared to the current largest, the Queen Mary 2 at a mere 160,000 tonnes, it’s a pretty outstanding figure.

Surely there must be concerns over the damage a ship that large may cause. For a long time, cruise ship damage seems to have been ignored, when, in reality, they are one of the world’s largest, uncontrolled sources of air pollution, and surprisingly, more damaging than flying. Sewage, oil contamination and coral reef damage are all becoming increasing concerns.

Royal Caribbean have recognized this and have stated that one of the most important priorities for the new ships is energy efficiency and the minimisation of waste to make the ship as environmentally friendly as possible.

What they can’t control is annoying disembarkation queues, port over crowding and inaccessible ports. But, at least there is a boxing ring to let out all those frustrations, if it’s not already been booked up…

So what is coming next? Whilst some of the cruise lines are heading down the more subtle route, others are sailing full steam ahead with their innovative ship features. What do you think of the current cruise ship innovations? Have you ever made use of them whilst onboard? Would an ice rink and bowling alley influence your choice of ship? What do you imagine future innovations may be? And would you fancy a trip on the Genesis class ships?

A Cruise Ship Review Of The New 2006 Cruise Line Offerings For Your Cruise Vacation

If you are a veteran cruiser or just curious about cruising, the year 2006 will be introducing many new cruise ships for you to consider when planning a cruise vacation. Call your travel agent and ask about the cruise lines and their new cruise ships and then book a cruise vacation. Here is a cruise review of the new cruise line additions.

Holland America is introducing the Noordam. This new cruise ship was launched on February 22 and has been getting very good cruise reviews. It will be the last cruise ship of Holland America’s Vista-class series.

However, it is the first to be designed for the cruise line’s “Signature of Excellence program.”

The Noordam can accommodate 1,848 passengers. For this new cruise ship, there have been some design changes to enhance the cruise vacation. The new designs were focused mainly on the public areas and staterooms, the meeting point of many cruise travelers.

They have made additions to the very popular Explorations Cafe. As veteran cruise travelers are well aware, it is a coffee bar/Internet cafe, game room, and library.

NCL America’s Pride of Hawaii is the newest cruise ship for 2006 by NCL America. It is the sister vessel of the Norwegian Jewel and offers an excellent cruise vacation.

For the cruise line, Pride of Hawaii marks the first new build from the hull up.

It launched was in June. This cruise ship will accommodate 2,224 passengers. It will be another cruise ship in NCL America’s “Freestyle Cruising” concept being offered for your cruise vacation.

The Pride of Hawaii’s interior decor will be, of course, Hawaiian.

This cruise ship will be departing weekly on Mondays for your cruise vacation and travel the islands, calling Honolulu home.

In December the Norwegian Pearl is set to sail in the Caribbean in the winter months and Alaska in the summer months for your cruise vacations. One of their innovations is the Bar Central concept. It features a martini bar, a champagne bar, wine bar, and a beer and whiskey pub all connected.

The Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas was launched in May in time for summer cruise vacations. Cruise reviews call it the most innovative cruise ship for RCCL so far.

This 158,000-ton cruise ship has a capacity of 3,600 passengers. It will actually be 10,000 tons larger than Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. It will be the largest cruise ship to be built so far.

The Freedom of the Seas has an added feature that other cruise ships do not. It actually has a place to surf on the top cruise deck. This is a new and unique amenity for RCCL’s Freedom of the Seas cruise ship. Other cruise lines have virtual golf or movies under the stars but no one has a surf park. The cruise line has built the largest rock climbing wall ever.

Following its launching, the Freedom of the Seas will sail seven-day cruise vacations to the Caribbean from Miami.

The Crown Princess, Princess Cruises christened in June. The Crown Princess is expected to accommodate 3,110 cruise travel passengers with 1200 crew.

Princess Cruises lines redesigned the Skywalker’s Disco, which gained popularity from cruise passengers on their cruise vacations. They also have the Lotus Spa which has been expanded on the Crown Princess.

New pastries and snacks will adorn the International Cafe. Crown Princess will have the first ever wine and seafood bar of the entire cruise line.

Expansions were made to other popular features like the Wheelhouse Bar, Sabatini’s Trattoria, and the Sterling Steakhouse.

Crown Princess cruise vacations will sail roundtrip from the Red Hook terminal in New York. This cruise vacation will make stops in the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos.

MSC will launched their new cruise ship MSC Musica on July 01. Musica is an Italian ship that will bring MSC into the ranks of big cruise ships. It is expected to accommodate 2,550 passengers.

One of its outstanding features will be that a full 80% of its 1,275 staterooms will be outside rooms. In addition, 65% of these staterooms will have verandas.

It will also feature a large spa area. The Musica’s cruise passengers will also have several dining options. They will enjoy a three deck high waterfall and many different entertainment venues.

Musica will sail the eastern Mediterranean from Venice.

The Costa Cruises’ new ship the Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival Corporation based in Miami, while Costa cruise lines is based in Italy.

This will be the largest cruise ship to join the Costa Cruises’ fleet. It will be launched late this year on July 14. It is expected to accommodate 3,000 passengers.

The Costa Concordia will have an European theme for its interior decor. All the room’s names will be European inspired. They will have the Grand Bar Berlin, Cafeteria Helsinki, and the Milan and Rome dining rooms.

A unique amenity to the Costa Concordia is a Formula 1 driving simulator for cruise passengers to enjoy on their cruise vacation.

This new cruise ship will sail year round in the Western Mediterranean. For those taking their cruise vacation on this ship, they will make ports of call in Spain, France, Italy, Gibraltar, and Malta.

So much to choose from! Check out other cruise reviews of these new cruise ships to find out on which cruise ship you will spend your 2006 cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com
http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
and http://www.CruisingTips.com