The trend has been going on for some time now. And even if Covid has reshuffled the cards, the trend does not seem to change course. Alongside the large cruise ships of over 100,000 tonnes and over 60 meters wide, a substantial share of the units in operation tomorrow will be represented by the so-called “small ships”: one in five ships (21.6%) will in fact be less than 20,000 tons to better intercept the needs of cruise passengers.
This is supported by Risposte Turismo, which has just closed the Italian Cruise Day 2021 in Savona, a moment of discussion and also of study on cruises. Therefore, according to its founder Francesco Di Cesare, the new ships will not stop being “giants”, so as to favor economies of scale, but they will be joined by smaller units, with a lower capacity of guests, a more favorable relationship between employees / passengers, less traveled routes. More “tailor-made” ships, which are closer to higher-end cruises, less mass in terms of numbers, prices and layout.
Tomorrow’s cruise passengers will also demand more space for outdoor activities and, as regards the interiors, “there will be greater use of multimodal spaces and common areas with multiple functions, able to adapt to different needs depending on the time of day. ”says Di Cesare. The external lines will also change, the ships will be aesthetically less impactful, leaner and with a strong focus on energy saving and respect for the environment, through a more consistent use of solar panels and other devices for the production of renewable energy such as, for example, wind turbines.
The report also speaks of greater use of artificial intelligence, with cabins equipped with intelligent materials capable of changing the environment based on the moods and emotions of the guests, and advanced voice-activated personal cruise assistants capable of providing the cruise passenger personalized information according to his personal needs but also based on his position, time of day and learning from past behaviors. Still on the subject of technology, “the use of wearable technology will also increase, with devices capable not only of monitoring the state of health of the guests on board, but also of automatically communicating tastes and preferences to the crew also from the point of view food, for the preparation of personalized menus “. And then, virtual reality, perhaps to preview cabins, ship interiors and itineraries, as well as for entertainment.
It used to be called sea, sun and food. Obviously, food is at the center of the requests of cruise passengers and will see an increasing attention by companies to the offer, with a wider choice of restaurants and places to eat meals through completely customized menus for each guest based not only on food preferences but also to previous orders. Wide, as is already happening, to starred chefs and menus linked to the territories.
Finally, entertainment, which for Di Cesare will offer “! Increasingly complex and exciting solutions, bringing the ship ever closer to a real amusement park, and on the other devoted to the cultural enrichment of cruise passengers through educational and learning proposals. in which to get involved “.