Resorts of All Sorts/2

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE How is the cruise industry catering to these different markets? Carnival Corporation's Carnival Cruise Lines, the most popular cruise line in the world by number of passengers, banks on both biggest and best bragging rights. For the third consecutive year, Carnival has won the "Cruise Line of the Year" award from the National Association of Cruise Oriented Agencies. Carnival was also the recipient of nine platinum awards in Porthole Cruise Magazineís 1999 Annual Readers' Choice Awards. It would seem that Carnival is all things to all people. And it pretty much is. A true mass-market cruise line, Carnival is tops in many demographic sectors. According to company spokesperson Jennifer de laCruz, Carnival does not target any specific age group, instead focusing on providing a fun, casual atmosphere. Because of this, Carnival pulls in groups of all ages. So when those "family folks," defined as CLIA as married, average age of 40, parents of children under 18, and watching their budgets, start piling aboard cruise ships, it will more than likely be Carnival they turn to. Says de laCruz, "Carnival makes the most sense in those scenarios." And pile aboard they do. Less than a month after entering service, its new 102,000-ton Carnival Triumph carried a record 3,413 passengers on its initial cruise from New York to eastern Canada. The Triumph's passenger choices include, among other things, two full-service main dining rooms, complimentary 24-hour stateroom service, a two-level casual eatery featuring a New York-style deli, an Asian specialty area and a 24-hour pizzeria. The interior decor features a global theme incorporating images from some of the world's most famous cities including Venice, New Orleans, and Rio de Janeiroóand even a Rome Lounge, ìheralding the glory days of the Roman Empire.î According to CLIA only 11% of Americans have cruised, while another 56% of American adults are considering it. So it should come as no surprise that Carnival intends to accommodate those potential passengers. Carnival has five newbuilds, with a total capacity for 12,000 or so passengers, scheduled to come into service between August 2000 and summer of 2003. THE NEXT GENERATION The cruise industry is also beginning to set its sights on the vast urban professional market, the thirty and forty something crowd with disposable incomes, who havení't been a traditional part of the cruising sector. One brand dedicated to capturing that younger market is Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruise Lines. It claims to have the youngest fleet in the industry, with all five of its ships being built in this decade. The crown jewel of the line, scheduled to make its maiden voyage in June 2000, is the Millennium. It is clear that Celebrity intends Millennium to be THE resort at sea, capturing what CLIA describes as the "want-it-alls"--self-described workaholics with very high expectations when they do take a vacation. The Millennium's offerings will include Michael's Club, a "richly appointed cigar lounge with traditional English Georgian decor and natural cherry paneling." The Extreme Sports Bar, on top of the ship overlooking the pool deck, will be Celebrity's first sports bar. Continuing the Celebrity tradition, Millennium will include Celebrity's AquaSpa, claimed to be the largest, most comprehensive spa facilities afloat. For the ship's specialty Olympic Dining Room, Celebrity tracked down the original wood paneling from the a la carte dining room of the R.M.S. Olympic and has had it installed in Millennium. According to Celebrity President Richard Sasso, ìThe Olympic restaurant offers our guests the opportunity to experience the elegance and romance of one of the great, turn-of-the-century transatlantic liners.î While the Olympic is a stroke of marketing genius, Celebrity did have to answer to the regulators. SOLAS and U. S. Coast Guard regulations both prohibit the use of flammable construction material inside passenger ships. So the newbuilding department, prior to installing the restored Olympic panels onboard the Millennium, are installing a special incombustible lining within the space. All of the shipís grandeur is backed up by Celebrityís guest-staff ratio of two to one. Celebrityís senior vice president of marketing James Lomonosoff says this ratio is simply part of Celebrityís attempt to ìsatisfy the physical, emotional and artistic quality of life need of all our guests.î Millennium follows another trend in the cruise industryórooms with a view. It claims the largest percentage of ocean view staterooms (few new ships have mere cabins anymore) of any cruise ship, with 80% of the total 975 staterooms having exterior views. Seventy-four percent will have verandas. Those with a true taste for living large might opt for one of the two Penthouse Suites. At 1,690 ft2, the suites, designed by Birch Coffey Design Associates, are the largest afloat. Everything from an exercise space to a baby grand piano has been included in each suite. The suitesí verandas include an outdoor whirlpool, wet bar and lounge seating. Butler service is included. While not necessarily catering to the next generation of cruisers, Carnival Corp. keeps its upscale options open with wholly owned subsidiary Holland America Lines. Holland America, for example, is a bit more upscale than the Corporationís mass-market Carnival Cruise Lines. Holland America passengers may be termed what CLIA calls ìcomfortable spenders,î well-off 40-somethings who are well-traveled and active, and a fan of resort vacations. Holland America passengers, though, tend to be a little older, usually retired or semi-retired, and seek a five-star experience and a value. These passengers, says Holland America, enjoy ìthe companionship of fellow passengers when travelling, yet also appreciate and cherish opportunities for privacy, serenity and intimacy.î They appreciate ìrefinement and elegance,î but are not ìostentatious or showy.î In other words, theyíre upscale, but not necessarily overly concerned with being trendy. It should be pointed out that one of the problems with following onshore trends is keeping up with them. The internet craze, for example, has proven a boon to marine interior contractors such as James P. Colie and Associates as lines try to keep up with shore-based resorts. In September, the company completed construction of the first of seven internet cafes for Royal Caribbean International (another RCC company) cruise ships, this one on the Sovereign of the Seas.   THE NOT-SO IN CROWD Not all of the cruising action these days is happening on floating resorts or even on the high seas for that matter. And not all of it is geared toward family vacations or image-conscious urban professionals. American Classic Voyages Co., is proving to be a successful brand with an older crowd. AMCVís Delta Queen Steamboat Company recently unveiled plans for a new 161-passenger riverboat which will cruise the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia Queen, to begin service in April of 2000, will feature year-round cruises departing from its homeport of Portland, Ore., and will traverse the Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers. The company, says Scott Young, president and chief operating officer, has built its niche by ìproviding historical vacations aboard intimate U.S.-flag vessels all along the inland rivers.î The companyís other three vessels, Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen, and American Queen, cruise throughout the nationís heartland and the Old South. ìThe Columbia Queen,î says Young, ìwill continue that tradition by sharing with travelers the storied history, geography and attractions of the Pacific Northwest.î According to James M. German, brand manager for The Columbia Queen and Delta Queen Coastal Cruises, the target market consists mostly of travelers fifty years old and up, with previous experience with cruises and upscale tour products. The fifty plus crowd is the fastest growing segment of the American population and is the traditional crowd of Delta Queenís other vessels operating in the south and the midwest. German says that an emphasis on a total vacation package, including land-based destinations specifically designed to highlight a particular regionís history is one of the keys to capturing this market segment. German points out that the fifty plus age group is a good deal more active than it was twenty years ago. Columbia Queen packages will therefore offer a number of optional ìsoftî adventures: a helicopter ride at Mt. St. Helens, deep-sea fishing out of Astoria, Ore., or sturgeon fishing at Lewiston, Id. Starting in the Spring of 2001, Delta will broaden its offering for its target market with an East Coast version Delta Queen Coastal Voyages.   INTREPID ADVENTURERS Delta's "soft adventures" might not be quite enough for one of CLIA's growing breeds of passengers, the "adventurers." CLIA describes them as sophisticated, well-educated travelers who have a penchant for the exotic, a desire for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, Ltd. is convinced that nothing compares with a "real" sea voyage despite the overall trend towards bigger and bigger "floating hotels." "Besides offering the thrill of sailing before the mast on a magnificent, historical tall ship," says Dale Miller, publicity director for Windjammer, "each of our island destinations offers exciting adventures ashore, as well as some of the best diving in the Caribbean." No casinos, coffee bars, or dance clubs here--instead the sound of sails and lines, and beach parties. And, while it is not a requirement, Windjammer also offers passengers a chance to jump in and help out the crew setting sail or manning the helm. The effort seems to be paying off. Despite the small size of its vessels, Windjammer carries between 20,000 and 25,000 passengers (ages "six to sixty-five") a year. And they keep coming back. According to Miller, Windjammer boasts one of the highest repeat passenger rates in the entire industry--40-50%--and was named among the worldís best small cruise lines (under 350 passengers) by both Travel & Leisure magazine and by Conde Naste Traveler. ML