The data speak clearly: Although the cruises represent, with their 2-3 % on the total, only a small slice of world tourism, The number of passengers continues to climb exponentially at any latitude. Last year they embarked on a cruise at least once 32 million people, growing by 7% compared to 2019.
2025 is announced equally effervescent: There will be 12 new cruise ships above 40 thousand tons of gross tonnage that will enter service in the coming monthsto which will be added a handful of luxury ships – Business, the latter, also in a moment of grace.
Both in one and the other case, the companies – struggling with an increasing number of guests – are reworking and refining their market strategies. We asked four of them – Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line And Ponant – to frame a Trend for 2025without prejudice to the commitment of shipowners on all chosen fronts: Emotional storytelling, The on -board gastronomic offer, the greatest personalization of services And The greatest attention to the travelers only.
Costa Cruises, emotional storytelling
Since 2000, part of the Carnival world, in 2023 the company founded by Giacomo Costa recorded, at the turnover and useful, one of the Best performancethanks to a choice that focuses on emotion. This is how a series of partnerships were born – including the one with the Sanremo Festival and the one with chef Bruno Barbieri – with a strong media impact.
The latest evolution of this vision focuses on a strategy of “creation of wonder». Costa recently presented a new edition of his “Sea Destinations»: Drawn by the artistic director Luca Tommassinithe “Sea Destinations” are immersive experiences that are staged in particularly evocative places: thus, in the Gulf of the Oman, the ship will turn into a stage on which dances and music will come from a thousand and one night; Thus, in the Caribbean Sea, a exclusive party To celebrate the night enchantment of the tropics. All this, it is good to underline it, will not weaken the classic “land destinations” on which – we had told you about it – Costa had already sought an emotional approach.
“Our challenge for 2025 is to revolutionize the concept of vacation once again, bringing the approximately 35,000 guests who travel with us to live the wonder of rediscovering the beauty of the world,” he said Mario ZanettiCosting Case Costa Crociere. “There is a large potential for the growth of cruises for the next few years, which we want to develop with the collaboration of partner of excellence”.
MSC Cruises, the centrality of food
Second Roberta Garibaldipresident of the Italian Association of Food and Wine Tourism, “for European tourists Food is now permanently among the most desired experiences together with nature and culture. In the period October 2024-Marzo 2025 these proposals will weigh for 15.3%, 16.6% and 14.7% respectively in the intentions of European citizens. Food and wine is now a commodity that enriches all types of travel ».
In short: the number of travelers are growing that plan trips to explore restaurants or make unique culinary experiences, immerse yourself in local food markets, participate in specialized cooking workshops. Could the cruise companies – a format that has always had its pivot in food – Not to enhance this trend even more?
Although the company is technically Switzerland, The Italian spirit of MSC Cruises comes to the surface (also) when it comes to food. MSC Cruises navigates to numerous gastronomic destinations: guests can visit cellars in the Italian countryside to taste local wine, savor Tapas in Alicante (Spain) or try to recreate Greek dishes during a cooking workshop in a family -run oil mill in the heart of the region agricultural of Katakolon (Greece).
«Cruises focus on international kitchens, collaborations with renowned chefs and innovative spaces such as visible kitchens and thematic restaurants. Each meal becomes a journey into the flavors of the world, celebrating the authenticity of the destinations and offering an experience that combines tradition and innovation “he says Leonardo MassaVice President Southern Europe by MSC Cruises.
Aboard MSC World Americawhich will debut in April, the partnership with Eataly represents a fitting example of “gastronomic collaboration”: “guests” concludes Massa, “they will be able to taste the best of Italian cuisine, with dishes prepared with fresh and selected ingredients, inspired by traditions regional “.
Norwegian Cruise Lines, great customization
The greatest personalization is one of the key formulas of the services of the future. It will affect many aspects of our lives, from health treatments to the use of cosmetics for body care. The cruise business will also be involved.
Norwegian Cruise Lines launched the campaign in 2025 “Blackberry», With which the American company – which spreads with Royal Caribbean and Carnival most of the world cruise market – will open the doors to a more marked personalization of the on -board services. This strategy will also find fulfillment In the evolution of the Premium package “Free At Sea”which will become “More at Sea»: Starting from January 2025, the passengers who subscribe to the package will have a larger selection of alcoholic beverages, an enlarged access to specialty restaurants and more minutes of Wi-Fi powered by high-speed Starlink connection.
Kevin BubolzVice President & Managing Director Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa of NCL, said in this regard: “Our program” More At Sea “means giving customers more than everything they love – more options to be indulged, the more variety and more opportunities to create unforgettable memories with us ».
“More” points out the company, it means not only more services on board but also more modern ships. In March 2025 it is coming Norwegian Aquawho together with the Norwegian sisters Prima and Norwegian Viva will allow you to travel to the Caribbean on modern and comfortable ships. Aqua has been entirely built in Italy and presents numerous news: a new category of cabins within The Haven, the “ship in the ship” where guests can benefit from private access to a dedicated solarium; a touch swimming pool and premium concierge services; over 15 gastronomic options, including new specialty restaurants such as Sukhothai, LAt first Thai proposal of the brand.
Ponant – Millennials and only travelers
The annual report on the state of the sector released by Clia – the international association of cruise companies – and presented last April in Miami, highlighted, was said, that 31.7 million people went aboard a cruise ship in 2023. Most of the cruise passengers belong to two categories of guests: couples over 50 and families with children; However, the public is slowly skimming, with a significant increase in two new targets of travelers (who sometimes coincide): The couples under 30 and only travelers.
These people have two solutions available: Great ships and boutique ships. In the first case, especially if you travel without company, the pros is never to feel truly alone but the difficulty in flooding relationships with other passengers is more felt, due to the dispersion of the spaces. In the second case we find ourselves on ships from a few hundred passengers, in a more discreet, intimate and sophisticated environment, these characteristics that affect the considerable way on price of the cruise.
Companies such as Ponant, represented in Italy by Travel gameorganize welcome aperitifs for Traveler only, who thus have the opportunity to get to know each other and share – if and when they want it – some moments of their cruise with other solo travelers. For these guests Ponant provides the absence of the single supplement On more than 200 sections and – but it is now a choice common to many companies – the availability of single tables also in specialty restaurants.
Recently The Paul Gauguin – Ponant’s historical ship – announced a renewal plan that will take place in the early months of 2025. “The main interventions will concern the structure of new communicating cabins, the restyling of the Le Grill restaurant and the reinterpretation of the swimming pool and bar area” he said Stephen WinterInternational Sales Director of Ponant. “Also on the technological front, we will take steps forward with the implementation of advanced systems for the recovery of heat, optimized engines, introduction of a sea water treatment system to produce drinking water and reduction of disposable plastic on board”.
After the works, the ship will return to sail the Pacific Ocean at the end of March with itineraries in Indonesia, Melania and, subsequently, with the classic French Polynesia cruises, in the islands of society, TuoMotu, Cook and Marquis Islands.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
