Family trips, European ports among trends in cruising
Finding out what's new in the cruise industry is like playing "Can you top this?"
In case you missed it, ice skating rinks, giant trampolines and rock-climbing walls on board ships are old news, along with wine cellars and menus from celebrity chefs.
The latest innovations for having fun in the middle of the ocean include a bowling alley aboard Norwegian Pearl, and a Flowrider, which lets you ride an artificial wave, on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. Norwegian Pearl took its inaugural voyage in December, Freedom of the Seas launched last May, and another Royal Caribbean ship, Liberty of the Seas, which will also feature a Flowrider, debuts this May.
"They're trying to outdo each other in terms of innovation," said Celebrity Cruises president Dan Hanrahan at a January news conference organized by the Cruise Lines International Association. CLIA represents 21 cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, MSC, NCL, Princess, Holland America, Crystal, Cunard and Royal Caribbean.
In addition to an industry-wide emphasis on gee-whiz features, other trends in the cruise industry include the continued popularity of family cruising and European ports of call, along with overall growth, with a record number of guests last year and 30 new cruise ships under construction through 2010.
As for destinations, Mediterranean and European ports comprise 20 percent of the cruise market, second only to Caribbean itineraries, according to CLIA.
To book your European cruise, check out www.CruiseCafe.com or call us at 1-800-788-2545.
Finding out what's new in the cruise industry is like playing "Can you top this?"
In case you missed it, ice skating rinks, giant trampolines and rock-climbing walls on board ships are old news, along with wine cellars and menus from celebrity chefs.
The latest innovations for having fun in the middle of the ocean include a bowling alley aboard Norwegian Pearl, and a Flowrider, which lets you ride an artificial wave, on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. Norwegian Pearl took its inaugural voyage in December, Freedom of the Seas launched last May, and another Royal Caribbean ship, Liberty of the Seas, which will also feature a Flowrider, debuts this May.
"They're trying to outdo each other in terms of innovation," said Celebrity Cruises president Dan Hanrahan at a January news conference organized by the Cruise Lines International Association. CLIA represents 21 cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, MSC, NCL, Princess, Holland America, Crystal, Cunard and Royal Caribbean.
In addition to an industry-wide emphasis on gee-whiz features, other trends in the cruise industry include the continued popularity of family cruising and European ports of call, along with overall growth, with a record number of guests last year and 30 new cruise ships under construction through 2010.
As for destinations, Mediterranean and European ports comprise 20 percent of the cruise market, second only to Caribbean itineraries, according to CLIA.
To book your European cruise, check out www.CruiseCafe.com or call us at 1-800-788-2545.
posted by The Cruise Cafe | 2:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home