MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cruise industry overhauling vessels to appeal to a younger crowd

The Voyager of the Seas is the fourth in a series of 10 ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet being brought up to date as part of a US$1 billion investment

Tucked away in the south-west of Singapore, at Sembcorp Marine’s Tuas shipyard, Royal Caribbean’s 15-deck Voyager of the Seas cruise ship is getting a US$97 million facelift.

The 20-year-old ship is getting a complete 41-day overhaul, with almost 2,000 contractors working on reshaping the ship to include 72 new staterooms, as well as replacing items ranging from carpets and curtains to furniture.

The Voyager of the Seas is the fourth in a series of 10 ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet being brought up to date as part of a US$1 billion investment by the cruise operator.

Following research and guest feedback, the Voyager of the Seas will also see the introduction of a number of new features when it sets sail once again on Oct 21, aimed at appealing to a younger crowd.

These include two new interlocking waterslides - together dubbed the Perfect Storm - as well as Battle for Planet Z, a laser-tag game.

And with multi-generational families typically making up more than half of Royal Caribbean’s passengers, the Voyager of the Sea hopes to appeal to young parents with the introduction of a nursery, where infants and toddlers will be under the supervision of certified child-minders.

This investment comes as the worldwide cruise industry continues to grow.

Asia is the industry’s third largest market after North America and Europe, with 4.24 million cruise passengers last year, up 4.6% from the previous year, according to Cruise Line International Association.

While food and gaming have traditionally attracted older passengers, she said that cruise operators are now expanding their offerings with attractions for a younger crowd such as water slides and rock climbing, as well as unique events like music festivals on board ships.
To enhance the passenger experience, cruise operators are banking on technology.

Royal Caribbean has introduced a mobile app that passengers can use to plan their activities and book dining slots, among others, once onboard. 

Meanwhile, Princess Cruises has introduced the Ocean Medallion, a wearable device which can be used for everything from opening room doors to ordering food, drinks and services on-demand. 

It will also be introducing greener ships to appeal to environmentally conscious customers.

By 2025 Princess Cruises' fleet will also include two liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships – which will be the largest in its fleet - in line with the International Maritime Organization's tighter sulphur emission regulations which will come into effect next year.