Cruise ships, which almost came to bankruptcy during the pandemic, are experiencing their sweetest moments. The transformation is not just economic: they are also redefining the concept of what holidays were until now centered around cruise travel.

Why is it important?. This resurgence implies social changes in the way we understand leisure, work and life in the post-pandemic era.

Panoramic. The industry has made a 180 degree turn. In the early stages of the pandemic, this was seen as one of the most dangerous scenarios, one that could make a return to full normality more complicated and seriously threaten its financial future.

They have now become laboratories of new ways of living and entertaining. Disney will gradually increase its fleet through 2031, when it plans to double its current fleet. Virgin launches $120,000 annual unlimited pass. And residence tours are coming where you can live for up to four years.

in numbers:

• 31.7 million passengers in 2023, more than 29.7 million before the pandemic.
• Disney will invest $12 billion over ten years to expand this line of business.
• The average occupancy rate for Disney cruises is 92.4%.

between the lines. The transformation goes beyond economic recovery. Cruises are increasingly attracting a younger and more diverse audience, and the onboard experience is evolving from a traditional vacation to something closer to a floating community.

Keys to change:

1. Democratization. millennial generationhave less purchasing power baby boom generation or Generation X now sees cruising as an affordable way to experience luxury.
2. Business-leisure integration. Ships adapted to remote working, collaboration and quality WiFi designed to work from there.
3. floating communities. The concept of “life at sea” is rapidly increasing with long-term residential journeys.
4. Technology. Ships increasingly include technological capabilities that bring communication and entertainment on board. Virgin has even started accepting Bitcoin, which is not as useful as its importance to the development of the industry.

Additionally, cruise operators are redesigning their ships to become destinations in their own right. What matters now is not the cities it reaches, but the experience on board.

Disney Treasure offers Star Wars-themed workshops or Marvel experiences. Royal Caribbean is building floating water parks. It even manages to build private beaches in its destinations to ensure vertical integration of travel.

Star Wars setting on one of the Disney cruises. Image: Disney.

Marvel experience on board. Image: Disney.

in detail. It is a phenomenon that speaks of a new understanding of luxury as part of a larger trend. Unlike past generations, it now focuses on experiences, not goods.

A four-day cruise on Disney may cost twice as much as a similar trip on Royal Caribbean, but their customers are willing to pay more for these unique, memorable and shareable experiences.

• Cruises are no longer a traditional area of ​​tourism.
• They have become laboratories for other ways of life and consumption.

This is not a temporary trend, but a reflection of how post-pandemic society has changed consumption, work, mobility and leisure habits.

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Featured image | Alonso Reyes on Unsplash