Cruise Trends

I saw this article on the front page of MSN this morning and it got me thinking about how much the cruise industry has changed.

Cruises focusing more on food, family groups

I would say cruising has gotten more casual. It’s not only for the “Newly Wed and Nearly Dead” anymore.

There are more activities, dining options & other amenities that not that long ago you would nver think you would find on a cruise ship.

Most would say that service isn’t what it used to be. With all the added amenities and the staff it takes to run them I guess there has to be give and take.

More dining choices come with a price though. Yes some are included in your cruise fair but a lot of them do cost extra. Has the quality of those that are included declined so that you’re more apt to chose something better which most likely will cost extra? Maybe… I think a lot of that depends on the cruise line and the crew on your voyage.

I know that Royal Caribbean’s Allure & Oasis of the Seas aren’t new ships but they are still extremely innovative compared to their competition. I wish they would have been included in the article. They mix elegance with family friendliness. There’s no other ship that I know of that has an Aquatheature, carrousel and zipline along with central park and inward facing balconies. Allure debuted in 2010, over 2 years ago and still no other ship has come close to comparing to it’s size and vast offerings.