that there’s room on the boat for others as
well. Only 20 % of Americans have ever
taken a cruise, which has led some experts
to argue that the market is underpenetrated. At present, only 5 % of American vacationers opt for a cruise every year.
In addition to honey-mooners, the
cruise lines are reaching out to the younger
target groups with fervour now. The fight
for the hearts and minds of the youthful
demographic drives the on-going march
of multiple (often extreme sounding) activities, super spas and entertainment. Another change in the cruise profile can be
observed in the duration of the trip: young
professionals, for one, can ill afford the
time to sail down the coast of South America for three weeks. This is one reason why
Oasis is scheduled to make only seven-day
runs around the Caribbean.
THE BIGGER THEY COME
What remains unsolved