TAILOR-MADE APPEAL

While cooking classes, food tours and winery tours are now commonplace, companies go further by tapping into other trends, such as cultural identity (Amawaterways’ just-launched Soulful Epicurean, aimed at Black travelers, and Oceania’s Go Local tours), environmental preservation (Uncruise Adventures and Hurtigruten, plus Oceania Cruises’ new Go Green and Beyond Blueprints shore excursion series), voluntourism and philanthropy (Carnival’s Give Back with Purpose tours), wellness (Celebrity’s Women in Wellness program; Aqua Class suites; and partnerships with GOOP, Peloton and F45) and full-on cultural immersion dedicated to acquiring knowledge rather than souvenirs (such as Uncruise Adventures’ offerings and Amawaterways’ Colombia itinerary, starting in 2024).

Although many passengers seek a device-free vacation, numerous cruise lines devised ways to make smartphone apps an enhancement rather than a hindrance to achieving a truly customized cruise experience. Lines also address a growing number of digital nomad travelers, not only providing faster and more reliable Wifi technology but also spaces beyond the cabins such as work-friendly cafés and meeting areas where they can be productive when necessary.