Cruising is now not just for the amahs and gong gongs looking for a quick weekend getaway to play a round of mah-jong and feast at the buffet. Yes, there are itineraries like that, but for millennials, it’s your time to cruise.
Cruise lines in Asia are now trying to appeal to the younger market with bigger and better facilities, funkier décor as well as music festivals at sea.
The electronic dance music festival, It’s the Ship which caters to some of the best DJs from around the world, has been hosted on Royal Caribbean’s ships for the last few years. By day, the millennials are sipping on cocktails by the pool, nursing their thumping hangovers, and by night, the decks turn into a non-stop thumping dance floor where guests party from dawn to dusk.
Royal Caribbean’s Sean Treacy who is the managing director for Singapore and Southeast Asia said millennials are now making up about 20 per cent of the cruise line’s guests.
“Many young people in Asia have never cruised before or have only done so once or a few times in their childhood, so their idea of cruising can be rather outdated and limited. It’s no surprise that a lot of them do not find cruising appealing,” he told TTG Asia.
Boutique river cruise line Uniworld has launched a new brand for millennials called U by Uniworld. Normally, this upmarket river cruise brand is known for its decadent furnishings and personalized butler service but the line hopes to attract the 18 to 40 bracket with international DJs onboard, cocktail mixologists and new culinary programs.
The U by Uniworld are even sourcing additional requests and suggestion for the new product through social media.
The new Norwegian Joy will have an interactive virtual room where there will be games and rides as well as the world’s very first go-kart track at sea.
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas which is homeported in Singapore for around six weeks of the year has a surf simulator, virtual sky diving as well as DreamWorks characters on board, for the kids at heart.
Princess Cruises offers discounted social media packages so millennials can document every bit of their holiday.
So if you’re looking for new clients to book on a cruise, try the millennials.
