New Features & Redesigns of the Cruise Industry

Cruise Lines are Building Ships Differently to Benefit Travelers

You will see less chapels, cigar lounges and discos on board for newer fresh innovations

The cruise industry is growing in many ways. Not only are there new ships coming out with fabulous features, such as the Norwegian Bliss with race cars and laser tag, but old ships are getting facelifts with millions of dollars’ worth of renovations and “retrofitting” when they go into “drydock.”

Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas had a recent $110 million drydock renovation, replacing the Skylight Chapel with Royal's newest escape room game, the Observatorium.

Cruise Planners now has escape room on many ships across their fleet. Above is the escape room Puzzle Break on the Anthem class ships.

According to Travel Weekly, “five years ago, cruise ship escape rooms did not exist. Today, they're one of the hottest fads in the contemporary segment. In addition to Royal, Norwegian Cruise Line has installed escape rooms on its newest ships, and Princess Cruises offers them across its entire 17-vessel fleet.”

“Cruise Lines are continuing to innovate and make the best use of common spaces on the cruise ships. The cruising industry is responding to consumers who want these hot onboard features,” said Vicky Garcia COO and co-owner of Cruise Planners.

"The escape room is phenomenal," said Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley as reported in Travel Weekly. "It is stunning. We're very pleased with that." The chapel, on the other hand, wasn't much used, Bayley said.

Nor are the chapels used much for weddings. Rich Stieff, a Cruise Planners franchisee in Fort Lauderdale, said Norwegian has been phasing out chapels on its ships for years, and "I think it's actually a smart thing they've done. I've done dozens of weddings, and not one of my brides wanted to be married in the chapel on board."

For the latest on cruising and to find the best cruise for you, contact a Cruise Planners travel advisor.