Cruise Trends for 2014

The New Year brings some exciting times and some changes to the cruise industry.  The industry is ever evolving and gets better every year.  Whether that is enhanced technology, new entertainment, new EPA regulations, better port destinations, or more dining options there is a cruise to fit every taste and budget. Let’s see what you should be expecting in 2014:


More Short Cruise Options 

Cruise lines are offering more three-, four- and five-night itineraries as they continue adding options for families and first-time cruisers interested in testing the waters and those simply looking for a quick, affordable getaway. Many cruise lines have already added more short cruises to their schedules for 2014 and are actually using bigger, refurbished vessels for the routes.  Celebrity Constellation, which received Solstice-class enhancements in April 2013, will return to Fort Lauderdale in November 2014 to offer four- and five-night itineraries.  Also offering short cruises from Florida will be Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess out of Fort Lauderdale;  Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which will be joining Majesty of the Seas in Miami. The newly refurbished Disney Magic will also be a fantastic option out of Miami.   If the itineraries prove popular, we expect more cruise lines to expand their short cruising options and the sailings to attract a diverse passenger base.


More Outdoor Entertainment and Options 

Cruising offers passengers a myriad of dining and entertainment options, as well as ample opportunity to experience the open sea. As lines experiment with combining these elements, there should be an increase in the presence of alfresco eateries and activity options in 2014.   Breakaway and sister Getaway have multiple decks of outdoor activities that include waterslides, a ropes course, mini-golf and rock climbing, as well as Spice H2O, an outdoor adults-only party space, and The Waterfront, an outdoor promenade lined with bars and restaurants.

Royal Princess' Fountain Pool area boasts a dancing fountain, set to music and colored lights at nighttime; the new ship also features the Lawn Court for bocce and croquet, as well as the line's first SeaWalk, a glass-floored walkway that's cantilevered over the side of the ship.  In 2014, Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas will include an H2O Zone water park, along with a skydiving experience that will be housed on the ship's outdoor sports areas and a transparent pod that offers "flights" above the ship; while not technically outdoors, the ride will offer amazing views of sea and sky.  And Viking River Cruises, which launched 10 ships in 2013 and will turn out am amazing 16 in 2014, offers the popular Aquavit Terrace, an indoor-outdoor space for dining and lounging with retractable floor-to-ceiling glass doors.


Cruise Lines Will Continue to Differentiate Their Brands

Years ago the mainstream lines were very similar to each other.   They all had pools, cabins with balconies and one or two specialty restaurants.  Over the past few years, each line has focused on their core strategies, which is highlighted by new ship attractions and the new ship features that get rolled out to older ships.

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are focusing on entertainment with Broadway and other innovative performances, as well as onboard active experiences like ropes courses, skydiving and rock climbing. Norwegian's Freestyle Cruising concept sets the two apart.

Carnival is concentrating on value oriented mass-appeal dining establishments and lots of name-brand partnerships.  Celebrity is focusing on its foodie atmosphere with more upscale eateries and dynamic bar environments.  Holland America and Princess remain the traditionalists, with Princess expanding on its previous innovations, such as its Piazza, and reaching out to a slightly younger audience than Holland.  Holland has upped its game when it comes to dining, offering Le Cirque at sea, and it has invested in popular jazz and Dancing with the Stars theme cruises.


Cruise Lines Enhance Smoking Policies 

After several cruises line, including Royal Caribbean, Disney and Cunard, tightened onboard smoking restrictions in 2013, Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line became the last two major cruise companies to allow smoking on balconies. We expect that to change in 2014, as pressure from nonsmoking passengers continues to grow. We also predict the last cruise line to allow smoking in cabins, Crystal Cruises, to change that policy.


Numerous Dining Options Will Continue 

In the coming year, expect to see more and more dining venues onboard new and refurbished cruise ships. Gone are the days of just one or two alternative restaurants. It's now firmly established that a plethora of eateries is the way to go. A variety of culinary offerings ensures cruisers' will never be bored.

The notion of what constitutes a specialty restaurant is also expanding. Fine-dining venues like Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's Ocean Blue on Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway and Le Cirque on Holland America ships offer foodies the chance to splurge on gourmet courses. International cuisine continues to have an onboard presence, too, with French and Italian staples being joined by Asian, Mexican, Brazilian and Indian venues. A la carte seems to be a growing trend while fee-free eateries like Carnival's Blue Iguana Cantina and Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ and Royal Caribbean's Boardwalk Dog House, for example, give passengers an alternative to the main dining room or buffet.  We anticipate more partnerships with land-based chefs and restaurants, alfresco venues and fun, creative offerings.


Telecommunications Improve 

Guests love to stay connected to their family and friends.  Many cruise lines have started to update their communication infrastructure, while also testing new hardware to provide faster, more reliable and less expensive onboard Internet and mobile calling capabilities.  In 2014, we expect to see the lines move from testing to actually offering faster service and less expensive Internet packages onboard.


New EPA Fuel Rules Will Prompt New Technology -- or More U.S. Cruise Pullouts 

This is the last year cruise ships sailing along the U.S. and Canadian borders can operate on current fuel standards (1.0 percent sulfur) before the Environmental Protection Agency's new regulations (0.1 percent sulfur) kick in January 2015. In other words, cruise lines need to find ways to comply if they want to continue offering destinations like Alaska, Canada and New England that lie within the North American Emission Control Area. To adhere to the EPA's new regulations, cruise lines will have to endure higher costs for low-sulfur fuel.

Cruise lines are investing time and money in scrubbing technology (engine devices that naturally reduce sulfur emissions), a method that major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, already have been testing on some ships. Scrubbers would allow cruise ships to continue burning high-sulfur, low-cost fuel while producing cleaner exhaust. However, they haven't been proven to operate consistently over a long period of time.  It remains a possibility that we will see cruise lines pulling ships out of ports that are no longer cost efficient.   If scrubbing technology continues to show positive results, cruise lines that pull out of coastal sailings in the short term should return to those destinations.


Choose Your Perks 

Cruise lines that include Celebrity, Holland America and Princess rolled out promotions in 2013 that not only offered multiple bonuses but also gave guests their choice of amenity.  From options like onboard credit, complimentary specialty restaurant dinners, free drink packages and prepaid gratuities, you could choose your preferred reward or, depending on the deal, receive all of the above.

Celebrity Cruises' 123go! started the trend in 2013 and has a new offer for booking through 2/28/14.  The promotion offers a choice of one of three bonuses, with Europe cruisers getting to pick two of the three. This type of promotion was so popular other lines such as Princess and Holland offered their own version.  We expect these sales to be pop up throughout the year.


River Cruising Grows  

River cruising is the fastest growing type of cruise -- lines are continuing to add more ships to meet the increased demand. Across the globe, there are 36 new ships scheduled to debut in 2014, from Asia to Europe and the United States. And what this expansion means for guests is more and better choices, particularly when it comes to how much you want included in the price of your river cruise.

In 2014, cruisers will have more choice for both all-inclusive cruises, as well as more a la carte options. At the top end of the pricing spectrum, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection -- which already includes flights, shore excursions, transfers and free Wi-Fi in its pricing -- will also bundle drinks and gratuities into the overall fare.  The biggest name in the mid-priced tier of river cruises, Viking Cruises, is continuing with its traditional onboard offerings (price includes shore excursions and beer and wine at meal times), but it will be undergoing another huge expansion in 2014, adding 14 new ships and new itineraries in France and Southeast Asia.