Fresh 2018 Cruise Trends

CruiseCompete has listed seven trends to consider for the new year. While most are on the money, they only tell part of the story.

New Chic

First on the list might be a bit premature for this year given The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Virgin Voyages won’t launch until 2019 and 2020, respectively. Nonetheless, they are both available to begin booking in 2018, and each represents major existing travel brands entering the market that may foreshadow others following in the months ahead.

Cruising is still a relatively small segment of the travel industry overall, but its potential for continued exponential growth astounds. Such numbers are sure to eventually get the attention of other hoteliers and transportation companies interested in a slice of the pie.

The likelihood that additional established companies try their hand at cruise travel sooner than later is very high.

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CruiseCompete counts a staggering amount of at-sea dining venues offering exceptional culinary experiences akin to shoreside hotels. Of course, the variety of Italian Mediterranean, Pan-Asian, Churrascaria (Portuguese barbecue), traditional steakhouses, authentic New York pizza, ice cream and much more will only continue to expand.

Not mentioned are collaborations with celebrity chefs, which will likely also blossom in 2018 and beyond.

From Guy Fieri and Curtis Stone to Roy Yamaguchi and Thomas Keller, we’ve only seen the beginning of where partnering with the world’s most creative culinary artists can take cruise ships. There are still plenty of high-profile names out there in which the lines can foster new relationships.

Well-Being Experiences

MSC Cruises has teamed up with TechnoGym for its fitness centers, and the line will also embark on the first Weight Watchers cruise in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Seabourn works with Dr. Andrew Weil for its onboard wellness program via meditation and yoga and has its own series of theme cruises scheduled with the health expert.

Just as cruise ships trend simultaneously larger and smaller in size, so too do guests’ onboard behaviors. Buffets and decadent dining may always be a component of many sailings, but inversely, other passengers seek out healthier alternatives and education pertaining to clean living and greater longevity as well.

READ MORE: Will Ritz-Carlton Succeed as a Luxury Hotel at Sea?

Millennials Only

It’s true. 2018 will be the year U by Uniworld will launch wide, and only those aged 21 to 45 will be allowed to sail on the niche river cruise brand.

It’s not exactly only for Generation Y, however. The range closest to 45, in fact, includes a good portion of Generation X as well. The line is thus more younger adult-focused than millennial-exclusive.

More interesting is the growing number of adult-only cruise options. CruiseCompete brings up Virgin Voyages for those only 18 or older once it launches, and Viking Ocean Cruises follows this principle as well. As a formula that is working well for the latter, it may again be repeated by other lines in the near future.

Children and Family Camps at Sea

That’s not stopping other companies from remaining family-friendly, however.

MSC Cruises’ newly introduced MSC Seaside proudly showcases family staterooms and kids clubs as will other mainstream lines like Carnival Cruise Line with this year’s upcoming Carnival Horizon.

Even premium Holland America Line’s latest Koningsdam sports family cabins with split bathrooms like Disney Cruise Line has since day one. Its future Nieuw Statendam sister-ship coming in 2018 will also repeat the feature.

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The Excitement of Exclusivity

With so many new ships coming online in 2018, plenty of passengers will have the privilege of saying they alone were on the inaugural cruise of this or that vessel. What’s more, so many of them are now all-inclusive, making their experiences even more uniquely special.

While its message is inherently contradictory and confusing, perhaps that’s what Crystal Cruises is getting at with its “Where All Inclusive is All Exclusive” tagline.

New Vacation Words

Skip-Gen cruising refers to a multigenerational sailing enjoyed by grandparents and grandchildren without the parents along.

Boomerang cruising is splitting the benefits of roundtrip homeport cruising in half by traveling to a destination and then returning home onboard.

Both are becoming more and more popular as is this last one, which is not really a new one: back-to-back cruising.

While you could always choose to book multiple cruises on the same ship, one way to experience multiple vessels according to CruiseCompete is to end one voyage and hop right on another vessel entirely but from the same port.