Is Cruising Getting Too Hi-Tec?

With the announcement of several new ‘innovative’ ‘groundbreaking’ ‘futuristic’  Mega-ships being built and released in 2018-19, I’m beginning to wonder if the cruise-lines are getting a bit ahead of themselves.  Employing A-list global architects and designers  to create all these new gadgets & gimmicks which promise to  be ‘transformational’,  ‘industry firsts’  which will  ‘erase boundaries’ for the Sophisticated passenger.

All very ‘arty-farty’, but what about the average cruise passenger, who just wants to enjoy great food, great entertainment, comfortable well equipped cabins and most importantly of all – interesting ports of call??  Do we really need all these extra super expensive trimmings? I mean Villas!  Cruise ships are becoming more like floating Cities…..

Do  you think the Cruise Lines are moving away from what the passengers want and more to what they think the passengers want?  Are they going a step too far?  After all, these multi million pound makeovers are going to increase the cost of your cruise!  And, the more popular the attraction, the more queues, and crowds and inevitable disappointments.  I was on the Harmony of the Seas last year, and the queues for the Zip-Line and the very much hyped up Abyss were horrendous!

It seems to me that the competition between some of the cruise lines, seem to be trying to out-do each other with a more than a bit of ‘oneupmanship’ by coming up with more and more outlandish gimmicks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for progress and modernisation,  and love my bit of luxury and comfort and a decent entertainments programme, when cruising, but come on!

The new Celebrity Edge boasts Cashmere Mattresses and the ability to customise your cabin at the touch of a button?  Who’s paying for all this?  You and I, that’s who!   No wonder the gratuities are increasing to an unacceptable level!  Although the Magic Carpet Restaurant looks cool!

‘Our guests don’t want to just skim the world like a magazine- they want to feel a human connection with it’, said President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.  – ‘Every element of Celebrity Edge is meant to make that connection intense and unforgettable. Our new class of ships will allow guests to experience their journeys with the uniqueness and sophistication that marks the rest of their lives’. 

Really?  I’m happy to skim the world like a magazine if it knocks a few hundred quid off the cost!  I can feel a ‘human connection’ with the world by exploring the fantastic and varied ports of call around the world, and not paying through the nose for pretentious gimmicks.  And what exactly does he mean by ‘marking the rest of my life’?  A bit deep isnt it?

Royal Caribbean’s latest 5,475 passenger mega-ship boats ‘Glow In The Dark’ decking!  – Why?  How is that going to enhance my enjoyment on board?  Probably give me a migraine…

We’re all different of course, and all have different expectations when booking a cruise, but do you think the cruise lines are going too Hi-Tec?

Gina