Many former cruisers believe that some of the magic of cruising was lost when ships got beyond a certain size. They miss the intimacy of smaller ships and the port-oriented itineraries that those ships were known for.
In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, cruise ships were more of a place where passengers slept, ate and watched big shows. Ships were more like hotels than destinations in themselves.
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This has changed dramatically over the years as Royal Caribbean, Carnival and MSC Cruises have embarked on an arms race to build bigger ships. These mega ships are not only bigger, but they are destinations in themselves.
You can hop aboard the largest cruise ship on any of those three lines and keep yourself busy for a whole week. There's actually no need to disembark at the port, especially since the larger ships have limited places to dock.
For some passengers, however, bigger is not better. They're not looking for a roller coaster, a climbing wall or dozens of bars and restaurants.
Instead, they want to get back to using smaller ships, but with a modern twist. Royal Caribbean has consistently hinted at plans for what it has called “Discovery-class” ships, but confirmed its plans for those ships in its second-quarter earnings presentation.
These comments were followed by even more details from a Royal Caribbean executive who shared key insights into the creative process.
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Royal Caribbean sees the need for small ships
Royal Caribbean executives have made vague comments about smaller ships on multiple occasions. The cruise company's CEO, Jason Liberty, made very direct comments on the topic during the cruise line's press conference. Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call.
“Of course, another thing that I think is important when you think about ship types, whether they're small or large, is that you also have to take into account that we have ships that are getting to 30 or 35 years old. So part of this is not just about us wanting to build ships of the same size, smaller ships, but also about replacing ships that will eventually reach the end of their useful life,” he said.
The company's two smallest classes, Radiance and Vision, are nearing the end of their service lives. In addition, the small ships are not as efficient as newer, larger vessels in many ways that cannot be corrected simply by drydocking.
Jewel of the Seas, the youngest of these classes, first sailed in 2004, making her a relatively nimble 20-year-old vessel, but Grandeur of the Seas, the oldest ship in the Vision class, has been sailing since 1996, making her a 28-year-old vessel.
“We are looking at building smaller ships that will likely replace some of those older ships,” Liberty added. “It's more about where those ships can go. It's about taking them to some of the more unique and tailored destinations to further diversify our presence around the world.”
Royal Caribbean says size doesn't matter
Some ports, such as Tampa and Baltimore, can only accommodate ships of a certain size due to the bridges that ships must pass through when leaving the port. Additionally, some cruise destinations have limits on the size of ships they can dock on, while others have limits based on the number of passengers on board.
Both factors are factors that the cruise company must take into account when designing the first Discovery class ships. However, size will not be the only factor.
“It's all about the experience, and from the experiences we create, we get to size. What are (guests) looking for that we don't offer today and how can we offer that through our product?” said Royal Caribbean chief marketing officer Kara Wallace. Weekly trips.
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The CMO also made it clear that the tentative name for the smaller ship line offers some clues as to what Royal Caribbean is trying to accomplish.
“Saying something is 'perfect' is a very high standard. Saying something is an 'icon' is a very high standard. It's almost like we put it out into the world and then manifest it and challenge ourselves to make sure it lives up to that as a namesake,” he shared.
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