The cruise ship industry is hitting all the right notes in hospitality at the moment. Find out more in this article!

AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, April 19, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- As the Covid pandemic recedes into the rear-view mirror, we are getting a clearer picture of which hospitality trends will predominate in 2023.

As it turns out, whether by careful design or lucky coincidence, the cruise ship industry is hitting all the right notes in hospitality at the moment – to the point that property developers, urban designers, venue managers, hoteliers, and restauranteurs would do well to pay close attention to the in-demand amenities and entertainment programs offered on cruise ships.

In this article, we’ll look at seven things that cruise ships can teach the hospitality industry.

1. The Importance Of The 20-Minute Proximity Circle

You can certainly be excused if cruise ships don’t come first of mind when you think of excellence in urban planning – but we’re here to set the record straight.

The newest generation cruise ships, such as the Celebrity Beyond, are essentially small cities on the water, offering unparalleled, best-in-class access to a vast array of hospitality amenities and activity choices – all within a 20-minute walking circle – which has become the holy grail metric for urban planners seeking to create a lively streetscape.

In fact, these large, modern cruise ships serve as an idealized model for building modern “entertainment districts”— by combining central “streetscapes” with social gathering spaces, entertainment venues, pools, gyms, spas, sit-down and casual restaurants, art galleries, gambling halls, retail shops, museum exhibitions, and cultural events – all within easy walking distance to residential living units, e.g. the cabins and staterooms on board the cruise ship.

Land-based property developers are seeking to create a similar high-density hospitality environment that creates the “buzz” that drives traffic and makes living in these areas so attractive.

Residential housing is the key element for creating the “20 Minute Proximity Circle” – in response, many land-based property developers are now seeking to revise local zoning laws to make it easier to convert under-utilized office space into residential units.

Other land-based hospitality sectors are seeking to enhance activity at the street level. For example, many restaurants are petitioning to retain the expanded sidewalk seating areas granted during the social distancing era of the pandemic to create a busy, inviting streetscape.

Hoteliers are also seeing an opportunity to create more informal social spaces to service the needs of the local community.

And the flexible workspace provider Industrious, under the leadership of Jamie Hodari, is seeking to bring branded amenities, such as shared restaurant access, to the office buildings they manage under contract – to build attractive working environments where people will want to come back to the office.

2. The End Of Single-Use Spaces.

The next lesson that the cruise industry can teach the hospitality industry is the importance of flexibility in space planning.

Thanks to clever design and mobile furniture solutions, many facilities on board cruise ships can transform their functions throughout the day or week to accommodate a fast-paced schedule of programs and activities. For example, restaurant areas can change from casual quick-serve breakfast venues into evening-oriented specialty restaurants, perhaps even transforming again to a late-night bar setup with live music and dancing. In a similar vein, large auditorium-style meeting spaces can host lectures, cooking demonstrations, and cultural events and can transform themselves into venues for traveling Broadway show productions, music concerts, or ballroom dancing.

In other words, thanks to their inherent need to do “more with less” space, cruise ships have already achieved what J.F. Finn of Gensler architects calls the end of single-use spaces.

“You’re doomed if you’re doing single-purpose, single-use spaces, and even single-use buildings because you’re not leveraging the accretive value of the real estate. Real estate is so valuable now that you have to maximize the use of that asset, and maximum utilization comes from people and experiences.”

—J.F. Finn, Mixed Use & Retail Centers leader, Gensler

3. Create Memorable Experiences Catering To The Attention Economy

The pre-pandemic trend of the younger generation “Instagram-era” consumers spending money on experiences (and less on outlays for consumer goods) continues apace.

Indeed, this YOLO (you only live once) trend appears to be spreading to a broader demographic, thanks to pent-up demand accrued during the pandemic to fulfill longstanding travel plans and experience new things.

Cruise lines are stoking this demand by creating customized tiers of destination options served up with unique onboard activities and offshore excursions.

Key aspects of this broader hospitality trend include:

· Set Jetting
Traveling to locations inspired by social media influencers or the filming locations of popular movies or television series – such as the highly popular cruise ship excursions to the sets of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies filmed in New Zealand.

· Taking The Road Less Travelled
Travel to “undiscovered” locations or have unique experiences (often for social media bragging rights). These can range from mainstream ships offering “zip lines” over the canopy of rainforests to traveling on more exclusive smaller ships visiting out-of-the-way “undiscovered” locations.

· Wellness
Spa services on ships are not new, but some cruise lines are taking wellness programs to the next level, reflecting strong demand for yoga, spiritual mindfulness, and healthy living.

· Cooking
Cruise lines are also responding to increased demand from customers wanting to experience authentic local food and wine traditions. Many ships have created demonstration kitchens staffed with trained chefs to teach culinary arts as well as offering port excursions to experience local food markets, restaurants, and wineries.

4. Building Loyal Community With Seamless Customer Experiences

Cruise lines have been able to create seamless customer experiences that are the envy of many land-based hospitality operators.

Of course, cruise lines have some advantages to start with. For example, once you board a ship, they have nearly complete control of your onboard activities (the only escape from this “walled garden” is when guests choose to explore the port of calls on their own).

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Julia Solodovnikova
Formaspace
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