Photos: Royal
Caribbean
International
Super Size Me
BETWEEN GOING BIG AND GOING GREEN,
THE CRUISE LINES ARE NOT EXACTLY GOING STEADY
With Oasis of the Seas leading the charge – and Allure of the Seas waiting in the wings
– the super-sized ships are ruling the seven seas. The winds have been favourable for
a long time: according to Cruise Lines International Association, worldwide cruising has
grown annually to the tune of 7 % for the past 20 years. But the global recession has
turned the tides somewhat. Cruise lines have been able to fill their vessels during the
recession, but only by offering steep price discounts. Yields have come down, and cruise
lines have put new acquisitions on ice – or so it seems.
B
ehind the scenes, the industry play-
The cruise industry is dominated by
porary segment and woo the everyman’s
ers are hard at work trying to figure
two players, Carnival and Royal Caribbean,
wallet. The old adage states that cruise
out the roadmap of the future – what will
who control 70 % of the market. Both
goers are either “newlywed, nearly dead
cruise ships be like in 2010’s, and beyond?
companies operate mostly in the contem-
or over fed,” but industry executives feel
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