Canadian World Traveller Spring 2017 Issue

54
get tired of the same ports. Some are port
collectors and they want to check ports off
of a bucket list, whether they be in far-flung
destinations or just unique ports in more
familiar locales.
On the other end of the spectrum,
you mentioned solo cruisers. How
are cruise lines adapting to this
trend?
Solo cruising has always been popular, but
singles often have to pay for two in order to
book a stateroom. While many cruise lines
offer discounts and sales to make cruising
more affordable for the solo traveler, some
are now offering purposely build staterooms
for one. Holland America,
Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal
Caribbean all now have rooms that accommodate
solo cruisers without any extra singles
supplement.
Norwegian Cruise Line especially does a
great job. Their rooms for one come with a
full-size bed, flat-screen TV and private
bathroom, but then they also have an
exclusive solo lounge where travelers can
mingle, meet people or just grab a drink.
Cruise lines are also paying more attention
to solo cruisers when offering entertainment.
Many now have programs that don’t
require a partner, such as wine tastings and
culinary experiences.
What are some of the biggest
changes you’ve seen in the premium
industry over the years?
Onboard hardware is becoming really
spectacular. We see surf stimulators, sky
diving and ice skating rinks available on
larger ships. Entertainment has also come
a long way. Shows are now Broadway
quality and hands-on experiences, like
cooking demonstrations, are becoming
popular.
And the overall vibe of cruises is becoming
more laid back and casual. Freestyle cruising,
where you can dine where and with
whom you want, is becoming the norm.
You have gone on more than 70
cruises. Do you not get bored?
Cruising is a very addictive pastime! The
beauty of cruising is that there are always
new ships to try and new destinations to
explore.
Many of our well-traveled clients come to
us looking for cruises that have new or
unique ports of call. Long-time cruisers can
Often changing to a smaller ship gives
access to ports that are inaccessible to larger
cruise liners, such as Tahiti, Bora Bora or
places throughout Asia. I’ve been to the
Caribbean more times than I can count,
but I recently went there on a Windstar
ship, which is a smaller yacht ship, and
stopped in ports that larger ships cannot
access, such as St. Barts. It was a completely
different experience for me.
I also have clients who are ship collectors
— they enjoy trying new ships, especially
on inaugural journeys, or want to go on all
the ships from one particular brand. Each
brand offers its own loyalty program so the
more you travel with one company, the
more perks you earn.
Once you see the large amount of choice
— in ship and destination — available for
cruisers, I can’t see why you would want to
travel the world by any other means.
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Canadian World Traveller Spring 2017