The cruise ships of today would have stunned those sailing aboard the Prinzessin Victoria Luise in 1900. We’ve come so far in the last century. Gone are the days of traditional class systems, skeet shooting, and walking along a teak promenade. Nowadays, we’re kept busy with numerous restaurants, bars, water slides, production shows, zip lines, rock climbing walls, and even sky diving. Now, I’m not saying progress is a bad thing. In fact, I’m happy to see the industry thrive and advance. I guess it would seem that I find myself longing for the days I was amazed by a cruise ship.
Let me explain. In the early 2000’s, before Cruise Currents or Mikey’s Cruise Blog (let’s see who remembers that) even existed, I was fascinated by how rapidly the industry was growing up. At the time, I had only a few cruises under my belt and I was a die hard Carnival fan. One day, while surfing the web (early 2000’s remember?), I came across a video entitled “Genesis.” I hit play and sat in amazement as a camera panned and zoomed through the cruise ship of the future: Royal Caribbean’s Project Genesis. The ship was unlike anything anyone had seen before. I was simply stunned. I remember running downstairs and telling my parents about this ship’s unique design, most notably the split superstructure divided by a huge green space. To my amazement, the ship even had balconies facing inside! I couldn’t believe this ship was being built and even thought the project may end up being cancelled. I couldn’t believe a ship like that could be built.
As the months went by, I continued to follow the progress of Genesis. Eventually, I came across this video. A video I’ll never forget.
“We build incredible.” Those three words have stuck with me ever since. Like I said, this ship amazed me, it captivated me, it made me excited for the future of cruising. It was simply incredible. I followed the construction of Genesis all the way up to her arrival in Fort Lauderdale, where she was finally known as Oasis of the Seas.
Oasis of the Seas embodied the ideas of the future. From modern spaces, new restaurants, the “neighborhood” concept, and thrilling amenities, Oasis of the Seas set the tone for the future. To be honest, I had never been more excited about a ship than Oasis of the Seas.
Now, amazement has become the standard. In 2015, a ship with these features is, in a way, typical. While it’s exciting to see a new or refreshed ship be unveiled to the cruising world, no ship has amazed me quite like Oasis of the Seas did back in 2009. She was the turning point for the industry. She was the ship to beat all ships. She would define where this industry would sail for the next X years. She was amazing. She set the standard. Now, amazing is the standard. That’s good for us. Every cruise ship should be amazing. Yet, I long for a day where I’ll feel as excited about a ship as I did when I watched that original “Genesis” video almost 10 years ago.
What do you think? Has “amazing” become the standard for the cruise industry?
One reply on “Has “Amazing” Become The Standard For The Cruise Industry?”
I think the norm right now is continually outdoing each other. Focus on something that hasn’t existed before on a ship is high (i.e. skydiving, etc.). I would suspect at some point the idea well runs dry, or will plateau and the norm will become refining the current experience. I could see iPad controls in a stateroom, electric shades on the balcony doors, a better internet or wifi onboard. When you can no longer think of new adventure type ideas, you focus on enhancing technology for the consumer. Great blog, Michael!