Recommend March 2018 - 18

Cruise

The brand-new
Sky Pad, a virtual reality,
bungee trampoline
attraction, on board
RCI's Mariner of the Seas.

Welcome Aboard-
It's Family Time!
The Gen Z crowd might try and call the
shots when it comes to family vacation
decisions, but Baby Boomers have their
say as well, with skip-gen cruise vacations
trending upward, although multigen
bookings aren't anywhere near slowing
down. In fact, cruises are abuzz with all sorts
of families-whether it's the traditional kids
and parents, or grandparents traveling solo
with the grandkids (and leaving those pesky
parents behind). And why not-on a cruise
ship, the "are we there yet?" gets tossed out
the porthole, especially when you consider
the inventive attractions cruise lines keep
adding to their fleets.

Waterslide Fun on Steroids
Remember when waterslides were the big
kid-friendly thrill on board a ship? I had a
conversation with a cruise industry expert
CLIA research says: Travel agents are the
most likely influencers of vacation-planning
and decision-making for cruisers, who are
twice as likely (70 percent) to use a travel
agent when booking a vacation than
non-cruisers (37 percent)
18 march 2018

"

Multigenerational travel is
more popular, but I've noticed
more interest in Skip-Gen
with grandparents who want
to enjoy some time with the
grandkids while parents are
working their careers.
-- Maureen Leesman,

"

Paloma Villaverde de Rico

Cruise Planners Franchise Owner

the other day who told me we're bound to
see a rollercoaster on a ship sooner than
later. Ok, we're not quite there yet, but
cruise lines are so innovative, so forwardthinking, it doesn't seem that far-fetched,
and families have come to expect groundbreaking, outside-the-box thinking from
cruise lines. Says Maureen Leesman,
Cruise Planners franchise owner, "I am
very impressed with the creativity of
onboard activities. For my clients, the
onboard offerings play a large part in the
cruise selection. For the many families that
have not cruised before, the destination

is less important than keeping everyone
occupied while on the ship." And cruise
lines are continually upping the ante
with their onboard offerings, because, as
Leesman says, "they are definitely selling
points for cruise lines."
Leesman notes that, "Royal Caribbean
is one of the best cruise lines for families
thanks to the onboard activities."
Speaking to that, Royal Caribbean
just reimagined the Mariner of the Seas
and beginning June 2018, passengers
will be able to experience The Perfect
Storm, a duo of racing waterslides; a
glow-in-the-dark laser tag experience; a
new escape room; and the brand-new Sky
Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline.
For the latter, passengers will strap in
and don their virtual reality headset
to transport them to another time and
planet to bounce over moon craters or
compete in intergalactic games. Royal
Caribbean International's president and
CEO Michael Bayley, says, "With the new
Mariner of the Seas we invite travelers to
weekend like they really mean it and make
the most of a quick getaway than they ➤
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