FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Today’s Active and Diverse Travelers Inspire Cruise Lines to Rethink Offerings for 2023

by Elyse Glickman

Sep 19, 2022

PHOTO: © OCEANIA CRUISES

September 2022

One could argue the cruising experience and industry have improved by leaps and bounds, thanks in part to the way cruise lines used the pandemic downtime to raise standards in dining, safety and comfort. However, trend reports from trade organizations like Cruise Lines International Association and conversations with representatives from ocean and river cruises reveal old tropes associated with cruising (slow-paced, large group walking tours, buffet dining) began sailing into the sunset long before 2020.

Although the plug-and-play value proposition of cruises at all price points remains appealing, travelers want more control over their vacation destiny. While cruise lines and trade organizations will always debate about how the cruise market will take shape moving into 2023, changing social norms, habits and preferences also redefine life on board and on shore.

“Cruise lines offering passengers ample opportunities to customize what they want to eat and do has been a big part of cruising for quite some time,” observed Bob Levinstein, CEO, cruisecompete.com, whose business model empowers customers to choose the cruise they want and then review competing offers from independent travel agencies to find the best deal on their cruise adventure and make that customized dream trip a reality.

Levinstein points to Seattle-based UnCruise Adventures, whose Alaska cruise captured his imagination through an unusual combination of elements. “It’s a camping trip that happens to be on a ship with 5-star food, service and amenities,” he said. “Passengers went out to kayak, bike, hike or travel by skiff to see the different landscapes. [They] were surrounded by nature, as one could see things on land on either side of the ship as well as all kinds of wildlife from whales, seals and sea lions to two types of porpoises, puffins and otters. The small number of passengers ensured you connected with like-minded people.”

PHOTO:
© AMAWATERWAYS

CLIA’s reports and some cruise line representatives argue younger travelers’ preferences for more interactive, personalized and localized experiences influence how older generations of travelers shift their paradigms. For example, AmaWaterways reports it devised its Wellness Program in part to appeal to younger, more active travelers on select ships through fitness activities (guided hikes, biking excursions, fitness classes); amenities (whirlpools, heated sun deck pools); and a Zen Wellness Studio with fitness rooms, massage services and juice bars. This expands to its food and beverage program, with more plant-based and gluten-free offerings as well as vitamin- rich breakfast smoothies and a detox water station.

Levinstein, in contrast, said even with up-to-the-moment design elements like those found on Virgin Voyages and Celebrity Cruises, the cost of a better cruise may keep the traditional age range of travelers in the 40-and-older bracket. However, both perspectives take into account the most successful cruise lines are open to change to expand their passenger base.

Multigenerational cruises continue to grow in popularity (evidenced by expansive kids’ and teen programs and amenities aboard Carnival, Norwegian, MSC and Disney Cruise Line), but other lifestyle-based accommodations now come into play. With an increasing number of single travelers, for example, several lines including Celebrity, Hurtigruten, Virgin Voyages, Cunard and Royal Caribbean (noted for having the highest number of solo cabins) have been rethinking their single supplements practices. Itineraries and activities bringing together single travelers — particularly women — with common interests complement this trend.

While cruise lines enhance inclusivity through broadening choices open to specialty markets (such as LGBTQ+ options of gay-only, gay-friendly and gay families with kids cruises, or kosher cruises tailored for the Jewish market), amenities also have become more specialized. Carnival, the first cruise operator to be certified “sensory inclusive” by nonprofit KultureCity, now makes sensory bags available for check-out. The bags contain a variety of items such as noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys and VIP lanyards to ensure passengers of all ages with sensory needs and invisible disabilities (autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, PTSD) have the most enjoyable experience. Furthermore, cruise lines train their guest services personnel and youth staff to understand and help passengers who need extra support or comforting.

So what’s on deck for cruising in 2023? Whatever floats your boat.

TAILOR-MADE APPEAL

While cooking classes, food tours and winery tours are now commonplace, companies go further by tapping into other trends, such as cultural identity (AmaWaterways’ just-launched Soulful Epicurean, aimed at Black travelers, and Oceania’s Go Local tours), environmental preservation (UnCruise Adventures and Hurtigruten, plus Oceania Cruises’ new Go Green and Beyond Blueprints shore excursion series), voluntourism and philanthropy (Carnival’s Give Back with Purpose tours), wellness (Celebrity’s Women in Wellness program; Aqua Class suites; and partnerships with GOOP, Peloton and F45) and full-on cultural immersion dedicated to acquiring knowledge rather than souvenirs (such as UnCruise Adventures’ offerings and AmaWaterways’ Colombia itinerary, starting in 2024).

Although many passengers seek a device-free vacation, numerous cruise lines devised ways to make smartphone apps an enhancement rather than a hindrance to achieving a truly customized cruise experience. Lines also address a growing number of digital nomad travelers, not only providing faster and more reliable WiFi technology but also spaces beyond the cabins such as work-friendly cafés and meeting areas where they can be productive when necessary.

Introducing

FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

#globility

Insta Feed
Daily
Jun 2, 2023

Diego Rivera’s America Presents the Most In-Depth Look at Artist’s Work in More than 20 Years

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, located in Bentonville, Arkansas, presents Diego Rivera’s America, the first major exhibition focused solely on the Mexican artist in more than 20 years, on view until July 31. Crystal Bridges is the second and final stop for the exhibition, the only remaining opportunity for visitors to experience Rivera's expansive vision of America.

Portuguese Pleasures

Europe is more fun with a Portugal Stopover.

Daily
Jun 2, 2023

San Antonio, Texas, Preserves Architectural Beauty for Future Generations

In San Antonio, Texas, old buildings are seldom destroyed. When they fall into disrepair, they are instead repurposed and restored to maintain the city’s history and traditions for future generations to appreciate. Whether it’s a former brewery or bank transforming into a chic hotel or a candy factory evolving into stylish lofts, this Texas city embraces both history and sustainability.

Daily
Jun 2, 2023

Here’s How to Arrive in Style to the World’s Most Unforgettable Hotels

Make a grand entrance to these equally grand hotels: 

Business or Leisure? With TAP Air Portugal, You Can Have Both!

Are you looking to enhance your business trip with a little leisure? Look no further than Portugal, a country renowned for its captivating blend of history, culture and natural beauty. And with TAP Air Portugal, you can effortlessly transform your business trip into an unforgettable bleisure adventure. Discover why Portugal and TAP Air Portugal are the perfect combination for an enriching and rejuvenating experience.

Sponsored
Jun 1, 2023

Protected: MORE TO TRAVEL

There’s more to travel than just getting there.

Daily
May 31, 2023

Pick These Resorts and Destinations for a Day of Self Care on Global Wellness Day

Celebrate Global Wellness Day on June 10 with a visit to one of these resorts or destinations.

Why Buy Travel Insurance for U.S. Destinations?

If you’re traveling stateside, travel insurance is a must.

eFlyer Reviews
May 31, 2023

Homer and Janet by Homer Review

The Marais District, covering swaths of Paris’ 3rd and 4th arrondissments, has a distinctively gritty glamour that reveals it to be one of the city’s great incubators for new French food, fashion and lifestyle trends. It is here Moïse Sfez took on the challenge of creating street food establishments Homer in 2017 and Janet by Homer in 2022, doing it in such a way they both transcend the novelty of being regional American comfort food offered at stylized lunch counters matching up with New England lobster shacks and New York delis. Overwhelming local response and Sfez winning the 2018 Lobster Roll World’s Championship title in Portland, Maine, solidified him as a Paris restaurateur and one of France’s hottest culinary stars.