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Lisa Hronek Posts Tagged ‘cruise’
In the mood for a booze cruise?
What makes a cruise ship stand out from the rest?
Is it size that matters most? If so, Royal Caribbean gets that title twice over for having the two largest ships on the water today, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.
Is it the destination? There aren’t too many destinations that are off limits for today’s cruise ships. Every heard of Svalbard? Cruise Norway will take you to this frozen city above the Arctic Circle to meet the polar bears and reindeer.
But for some travelers, it’s all about the alcohol.
Typically, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer packaged deals that include all the food you can eat, but they usually leave out soft drinks and alcohol. This has caused some frustration with passengers who want to drink on their vacation but are turned off by the high costs on board the ship. Passengers are even prohibited from bringing any of their own alcohol on board. In a move to meet market demand, Royal Caribbean recently announced the arrival of new, one-price, all-you-can-drink packages.
Scheduled to rollout this month, Royal Caribbean International is offering tiered drink packages with varying costs and inclusions. The base package with the smallest price tag costs $29 per passenger per day, and will get you all beers and house wines by the glass plus a 25% discount on all other wines and liquors. The high end of the spectrum will run you $49 per day and includes all beers, wines (house and specialty up to $10 a glass), liquor, cocktails and a 25% discount on bottles of wine, glasses of wine over $10 and specialty liquors.
According to a recent article in USA Today, these new packages are only being offered on three Internationally-based Royal Caribbean vessels as a way to serve the many non-American passengers that have a higher demand for these types of all-inclusive deals. I think the idea is one that would appeal to many Americans as well, especially those who select cruise vacations precisely for the reason that it’s a way to get an entire vacation for one set price and not worry about making many transactions along the way.
I do, however, think these drink packages are a little on the pricey side. If you plan to have at least 4-5 drinks a day then maybe it’s worth it, but I also think it will only encourage excessive drinking in order for passengers to feel like they are getting their money’s worth. And what about the $49 plan? I guess if you are partial to the good stuff and want to splurge at every meal it could be a bargain.
Royal Caribbean isn’t the only cruise line acknowledging the demand for alcohol. Crystal Cruises, which caters to more high-end, upscale passengers, recently announced that it will also be all-inclusive by early next year. Unlike Royal Caribbean, Crystal Cruises isn’t charging for specific packages though. Instead, it will be offering complimentary fine wines and premium spirits at no extra charge on its two ships. Crystal Cruises is also promising the option for pre-paid gratuities, saving passengers from nearly all financial transactions during their vacation.
These new cruising amenities sound like great improvements to any cruise experience, but I would definitely need to ask myself if it’s worth the additional cost. Will this give new meaning to the term booze cruise?
Cruise lines create “once in a lifetime” vacation opportunities
Travel and leisure companies have been hit hard since the economy plummeted into recession. As travelers were considering how best to spend limited resources, travel companies were figuring out how to draw customers onto their cruise ships. One way observed periodically over the last year has been the creation of themed cruises, positioned as “once in a lifetime” trips to attract customers who would rather pass on “just any cruise” while finances are tight.
Themed cruising started with Disney and the Disney Cruise Line in 1998, which gave travelers the opportunity to enjoy “the Disney experience” on the open seas, extending the “happiest place on earth” to destinations all around the world. In a recent direct mail offer, Disney encouraged families to “Discover an Ocean of Tropical Wonders and Exotic Escapes.” The campaign featured 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises to the Bahamas, along with a visit the company’s “private island paradise, Castaway Cay.”
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian both took advantage of the family draw that has defined Disney’s success by offering Nickelodeon-themed cruises. Royal Caribbean positioned a summer 2009 Nickelodeon Family Cruise as “the family vacation of a lifetime.” In direct marketing tracked by Mintel Comperemedia, prospects were encouraged to book early to take advantage of low prices and “the ultimate summer vacation your whole family will never forget!”
Starting in April 2010, Norwegian will exclusively feature Nickelodeon at Sea on the Norwegian Jewel. The experience has been positioned as a “whole new level of imaginative activities and family entertainment.” It will be interesting to see if Norwegian can be as successful as Disney in creating a long-running themed vacation option for families.
Cruising isn’t just for families, and companies like Carnival and SilverSea have used themed voyages to attract adult travelers. Carnival Cruise Lines informed email recipients that it was “cruising down memory lane” with its Malt Shop Memories Cruises. Travelers were invited to “join us on a journey back to the birth or Rock ‘n’ Roll as we head down memory lane with sock hops, dance contests and live performances.”
SilverSea Cruises offered a Beatles Tribute Voyage in August 2009. Readers were asked to “celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America” with this 10-day UK cruise that featured a “Beatle Brunch and a disco party.”
Themed destinations have been a huge draw for travelers (think Disney, Las Vegas or Universal Studios) and now cruise ships are trying to create a complete themed experience to provide customers a “once in a lifetime” vacation. Themed cruises have the opportunity to attract curious travelers looking for a new experience and can help create a stronger draw as travelers decide how best to spend their money in a weak economy.