Generally speaking, cruise ships have a life of somewhere between 20 and 30 years. Along the way, ships are maintained both esthetically and functionally to keep them running well and looking good. Occasional dry dock times are scheduled to perform maintenance that just can’t be done while ships are running full of passengers. Carpets and bedding are replaced, hulls receive a fresh coat of paint and other routine tasks are performed. Lately though, cruise lines have been taking a different, more intense approach to ships cycling through dry dock that includes far more than replacing old tube television sets with flat screens.
Adding features that might not have existed when the ship was built, older ships are being transformed into vibrant, relevant floating hotels, competitive with the newest at-sea or land vacation options for many. The first major project with much more than a new coat of paint was spearheaded by Carnival Cruise Lines and their Evolutions Of Fun program that brought a new water park and adult serenity area to older ships, among other improvements. Holland America soon followed, spreading the Signature of Excellence around the fleet.
More recently, Royal Caribbean focused on Radiance of the Seas. Applying the updated Royal Advantage programming to the older ship brought about a makeover of ginormous proportions made possible, at least in part, by importing popular features from giant sisters Oasis and Allure of the Seas.
Let’s take a look at what they added, its an impressive list.
- Royal Babies and Tots Nursery designed for children, 6 to 36 months old12 new accommodations, including three single staterooms.
- Technology enhancements include Wi-Fi availability throughout the ship and flat-panel interactive televisions in all staterooms.
- A new Concierge Lounge for suite guests
- A Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members
- The Quill and Compass Pub
- An outdoor LED video wall overlooking the main pool area that will show movies and entertainment programs.
- The Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse ($25 for dinner)
- The Asian Izumi restaurant($3 for lunch and $5 for dinner plus a la carte menu pricing)
- The Mexican-themed Rita’s Cantina ($3 cover for lunch and dinner charge plus a la carte menu pricing)
- The Italian family-style restaurant Giovanni’s Table ($15 for lunch and $20 for dinner)
- The Boardwalk Dog House hotdog stand (complementary)
- Park Café deli-style restaurant (complementary)
- The Chef’s Table dining experience. ($95 per person)
When a dry dock period means routine maintenance we don’t hear much about it but expect new carpets, upgraded stateroom amenities and the like; stuff they can’t do with the ship full of guests. Sometimes these things are part of a grand plan to roll out popular features to older ships in a big way.
The most significant transformation ever of a Princess Cruises ship occurred not long ago aboard Grand Princess. During a 24-day makeover the first of Princess’ workhorse Grand class ships had a remarkable renovation to receive many of Princess’ trademark features introduced since the ship’s 1998 debut including the wildly popular Piazza atrium. Several new features were added too and fans were invited to watch the progress via a series of videos detailing the transformation.
We’ll be on Grand Princess shortly, sailing for a week on March 3rd and one of the very first results of the makeover on this one that we are interested in seeing is not there.
Part of the process called for removal of Skywalkers, the iconic spoiler-looking observation area by day and rocking nightclub when the sun went down. This was a huge move on the part of Princess, abandoning a venue for many years ruled the seas as the best club floating. Trusting Princess and their wise, thoughtful decisions about onboard programming though, I bet it will be a stunning sight to see.
In Skywalkers place, a brand new nightclub called The One5, inspired by its deck location, will be created on the top deck of the ship located on deck 15 (Get it? Deck fifteen = One5) . This change will significantly improve the operational performance of the ship, including greater fuel efficiency.
“This is the largest makeover we’ve ever undertaken for any of our ships,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president about this time last year. “When Grand Princess was launched she was the most innovative ship at sea, and now we’re adding some of the later innovations we introduced on subsequent ships.”
The changes will be made last year during the makeover drydock from April 11 to May 4, and that we will be reporting on while sailing Grand Princes include:
- New Piazza atrium – The atrium space of Grand Princess was completely rebuilt to include this signature Princess feature, a multi-faceted social hub of the ship combining always-changing quick bites and light meals, beverages, entertainment, shopping and guest services.
- Leaves Tea Lounge and Library – A fusion of tea lounge and library, the new Leaves offers a distinctive opportunity for passengers to custom-blend a variety of base teas with herbs, fruits and spices to create a personalized tea blend.
- Alfredo’s Pizzeria – Known for serving the best pizza at sea, Princess introduced Alfredo’s, a new sit-down pizzeria with an enticing menu of freshly prepared individual-size pizzas, named for the line’s master executive chef, Alfredo Marzi.The
- One5 Lounge & Nightclub – The new One5 lounge will replace Skywalkers as the place to be for nighttime dancing and relaxing. The new lounge on deck 15 (hence its name) takes its inspiration from the chicest urban nightclubs, and will offer a cool vibe, contemporary seating and lighting, and a dramatic back-lit bar.
- Crown Grill – A classic steakhouse with rich wood surroundings, this specialty restaurant features an open, theater-style kitchen where chefs custom-prepare premium aged beef and fresh seafood items, including live lobsters.
Also part of the renovation were seven new suites, a remodeled casino, boutiques and art gallery, enhancements to the Horizon Court, Lotus Spa, and wedding chapel and the addition of Crooner’s Martini Lounge.
Stay tuned.
The king daddy of all remodeling programs though has to be Carnival Cruise Line‘s FunShip 2.o initiative, an intense array of onboard programming, brand infusion and signature “Fun” that is consistent with their industry-leading position that has defined cruise vacations for decades and will lead the way to a future generation of cruise passengers.
The $500 million effort is way more than a makeover, way more than a dry-dock remodeling project. The wiz kids at Carnival are bringing in heavy hitters and time-tested concepts to blow away the competition, at no additional charge to their passengers.
“Fun Ship 2.0 is the largest and most ambitious initiative that our company has ever undertaken and it will serve to significantly transform the Carnival vacation experience for our guests” said Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill at the initiative’s unveiling last October in New York.
We were on Carnival Liberty not long ago, the first ship to receive a stroke of the FunShip 2.0 paintbrush.
Carnival had a lot riding on how the new Funship 2.0 plays out in real life. On our first full day at sea, new features were put to test and passed with flying colors. Well integrated into the success formula that has made a Carnival cruise a popular vacation option for decades, the line has been able to roll out the new changes while respecting time-honored traditions.
Take the men’s Hairy Chest Competition for example. To many, this is one of the most disgusting events that happen aboard a cruise ship. It ranks right up there with the Belly Flop Contest. But a jam-packed lido deck full of passengers that represented an ever-widening demographic enjoyed the event. Held mid-ship, right between new Funship 2.0 venues the Red Frog Rum Bar and Blue Iguana Cantina, the event was seamlessly integrated into a full schedule of activities happening in the area all day long.
This is an event where men basically make fools of themselves to the delight (or disgust) of whoever might be watching. Anyone who missed/avoided it can/will have to see the event replayed on stateroom televisions later too.
Here, though, is were the Funship 2.0 elements take on a synergistic quality all of their own. There is a supposed rivalry between the Red Frog Rum Bar fans (called “Reds”) and the Blue Iguana Cantina fans (called “Blues”) before. When it came time to vote for the winner of the Men’s Hairy Chest contest, voting took up sides with “Reds” commonly agreeing on their favorite participants and “Blues” applauding for theirs.
This was spontaneous.
No one from the ship’s entertainment staff asked “So what do the Reds think?” or “Which guy do the Blues like?”
It just happened.
If this was a crafted part of the choreography, a line item on a process list of what makes for a good cruise. It was brilliant. I suspect it’s more the fruit of having all the elements in place, capable of standing alone with a positive impact on the line’s guest experience.
What we witnessed then may very well happen (or not) depending on the mix of guests aboard any given sailing. Its not so much about the Hairy Chest Contest though as it is the interaction of the guests. It’s a small thing and you had to be looking for it, much like the mood at sail away, when the gigantic cruise ship actually starts moving and those on board know its time to begin their vacation.
That’s when the magic starts. That’s the moment that brings a tear to the eye of vacationers who may have been planning their cruise for years. This was right along those lines. It was another little thing that had a huge impact on a whole lot of people.
Forget the shuffleboard and bingo, the remodeled ships of today are relevant, exciting and waiting for us. It’s that “us” part that cruise lines are keenly focused on. Realizing that from week to week, sailing to sailing, the hardware of a cruise vacation remains the same, cruise lines are creating a stage where all the dreams, hopes and relaxing moments any vacationer could ask for happen with greater consistency than ever before.
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