20 decks, 16 pools, 7600 passengers: Is the world’s largest cruise ship still up to date?

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She should set sail for Icons of the Seas in 2024. It will be the largest cruise ship in the world. Impressive baseline data: 20 decks, nine whirlpools, seven swimming pools, the world’s largest floating bar and high ropes course. Space for 7600 passengers. Hundreds of workers are still screwing and welding the new ship at a shipyard in Finland.

Just: Is such a sea giant still relevant today? When sustainability is a top priority – which is certainly not the case with marine giants. And is excessive tourism seen as a dirty word? More and more cruise passengers are opting for smaller ships, as a survey by the Travelnews travel portal shows. For example, at Hotelplan Suisse, demand for smaller ships increased by 10 percent compared to 2019.

tickets are cheaper

Icon of the Seas is being built for the US shipping company Royal Caribbean International. The superior cruise ship has already completed its maiden voyages in the Baltic Sea. At the beginning of next year, it will set sail with passengers on board for the first time. Then on the agenda is a one-week round trip from Miami.

Maritime analyst and university lecturer Thomas P. Illes gives a clear answer to the question of whether large ships are still up to date: “Absolutely. Because operating costs can spread to a much larger number of guests within the framework of economic economies of scale,” he tells Travelnews. “Tickets are therefore cheaper than smaller luxury or cruise ships.” This increases the potential in the market.

Higher earnings on board

Also, the infrastructure on larger ships is more. Meaning: More gastronomy, sports, entertainment, wellness or shopping. Families in particular will appreciate it. “The additional in-flight offering also generates higher revenue on board,” Illes says. “Larger vessels are more profitable than smaller vessels and can already deliver profits and substantial sales returns even with lower capacity utilization.”

And yet: the expert does not believe that cruise ships are still growing. Even if this is technically possible. Many ports are very small. And the population would take a critical look at increasingly larger ships. Finally, travelers will also appreciate the smaller ships. They will feel more comfortable on smaller and therefore automatically less anonymous cruise ships. (be)

Source :Blick