Cruiselines Want to Appeal to Younger Audiences
In recent years, cruise lines have made a real effort to appeal to a younger passenger demographic!
Cruise ships are getting larger and larger and it’s not unusual to find cruise ships with Go-Kart tracks, Zip lines, Waterslides, amazing Broadway-style theatre shows, clubs, bars – and a huge choice of activities to suit every age group!
Some people still have the idea that cruise holidays are for older people, who want to dress up formally every evening for dinner – this is so outdated!
On modern cruise ships, you eat, drink and watch the entertainment or take part in activities that suit you!
Eat When You Want!
One of the main things that has been holding back younger people from cruising is the traditional dining routine.
Many of the larger cruise lines have dropped this ‘set meal, set table’ idea in favour of being able to eat where and when you want.
On modern cruise ships you will often have 24-hour access to food – which is always good!
Larger ships have a variety of eating options included in the cruise fare, including diners, pizzerias, burgers, and buffets – there is no longer any need to eat at the same time at the same place, being served by the same waiters each night.
If you do wish to stick with the more traditional dining experience, pick a more traditional cruise line, like Fred Olsen or Cunard.
Newer cruise ships such as Norwegian Prima and the ships in the Virgin Voyages fleet have even moved away from the traditional cruise ship buffet experience.
You can order food directly to your table via a tablet or an App, and it will be brought to your table. Perfect for the younger cruise audience!
To get an idea of the type of food available on cruise ships, read the article below:
Everything I Ate on Norwegian Prima (Menus, Speciality and Included Dining)
Virgin Voyages don’t have a “Main Dining Room” like traditional ships, there are many different, smaller more intimate restaurants that you can book via their App before your trip, or once you are onboard.
No Strict Dress Codes On Many Cruise Lines
Similarly, the formal dress codes required on more traditional cruise lines has also been removed on many cruises.
There are still opportunities to get dressed up and have professional photos taken however on cruise lines such as NCL, Royal Caribbean and Carnival there is no forced formal dress code.
There may be some rules, like don’t wear shorts in the dining room in the evening, or you must wear shoes in the buffet – but there is no need to dress up shirts and ties – or dinner jackets like on cruises of the past!
A more casual dress code suits many younger cruisers – who understandably don’t like to be told what to wear when on their holiday or vacation!
Drinks Packages
The popularity of all-inclusive beverage packages is without a doubt increasing.
Most of the mainstream cruise lines offer a variety of drinks packages – ranging from a cheaper “soda package” to a full “premium drinks package.” This includes more expensive beers, cocktails and spirits and can add quite a bit to the overall cost of your cruise holiday
Having a drinks package may be a good way of saving money if you intend to drink a lot. It is worth thinking about how much you need to drink to make it worth your while buying the package.
The cost of a drinks package can add several hundred dollars/pounds to your onboard bill.
There are very few holidays where you can have access to a free bar for the length of your time there – let alone 10+ free bars open up to 24 hours a day!
Cocktails by the pool, a glass of prosecco with lunch and wine with dinner – and whatever spirits or beers you like are also available.
Bars open late into the evenings, and all of this is constantly available to you if you buy a drinks package when you cruise.
It is worth looking into drinks packages before you sail, sometimes it is cheaper to book them in advance.
You may find that when you book your cruise, you may receive “Onboard Credit.” This is a certain amount of money to be added to your room account for you to spend onboard. You might want to spend this on a drinks package – but you will have to wait until you get onboard to buy it.
If you are not a big drinker, it may be better to just buy drinks as you want them. You will be billed to your room account and you pay for it at the end of the cruise.
No point spending hundreds on a drinks package if you are not going to make use of it!
Plenty Of Fun Activities Onboard
There are so many onboard activities now, which would have been unthinkable years ago! Some ships have rock climbing walls, zip lines, water slides and even Go Kart tracks!
With the size of cruise ships increasing this means that there is more room for new activities, many cruise ships I have been on have been 14 or 15 storeys high!
Watch me try out some of the amazing activities onboard Norwegian Prima here:
There will be a theatre with musicals, comedians, jugglers, and magicians. A casino, bowling alleys, arcades, sports courts, spas, and gyms. The list goes on and on…
This is not to mention all of the eating and drinking opportunities – eating is one of my favourite pastimes!
An Easy, Stress-Free Experience!
Being on a cruise, to me, is like being babysat. It allows you to visit destinations which you may not have gone to alone.
Here I am visiting a Husky Farm on a trip I took to Norway “In search of the Northern Lights!” I never would have got to see this amazing country in winter if I hadn’t been cruising there.
It allows you to see a country for a day, if you like it you can return – and if you know not to bother visiting there again!
Cruising provides the opportunity to visit many countries within a relatively short period of time.
I’ve visited a few which I definitely will not be returning to!
Before You Go
I took a cruise with the traditional cruise line Cunard. I sailed on the Queen Mary 2, which is the last Ocean Liner still sailing. She is a wonderful ship – but expect dress codes and fixed dining times!
Look at the article below to find out how it compared to the less formal, more budget-conscious Italian cruise line, MSC.
MSC vs Cunard – How do They Compare? (Dress Codes, Ships and Entertainment)
I took a 1990’s themed party cruise with the cruise line Marella! There were bands, costume parties (fancy dress if you are from the UK!) and plenty of drinking! Find out more about the trip here:
Theme Cruise Review – 90s Theme (Ship, Entertainment, Food & More)
Let Us Help You Book Your Next Cruise
If you are looking at booking your next cruise adventure, my friendly, knowledgeable partner travel agents can help!
If you are not sure which cruise would suit you, they can help you find something that best suits you, your family or your group of friends!
It never costs more than booking directly with the cruise line, you can get free, impartial advice – and often a better price or added extras – like onboard credit – that you wouldn’t get booking direct.
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