The writing was on the wall already when Genting Cruise Lines decided to create the first-ever Asian luxury cruise line. Dream Cruises was built on the evidence that cruising among Asians was on the rise and the belief that it would continue to do so and become a market too large to ignore.
Genting Cruise Lines’ senior vice president for revenue management Siv Forlie (pictured left), offering a peek at the cruise industry through the looking glass at the recent WiT Singapore 2018, said cruise lines have had to dispel the myths that cruises were only for seniors and would make passengers feel “stuck with nowhere to go”.
But things are a-changing. In the last five years, the number of cruise passengers has gone up 21.8%; this year, it has risen by 5.4%. Asian-sourced cruise passenger numbers hit a record high in 2017 with slightly over 4 million taking cruises, an increase of 20.6% over the previous year. Genting’s top growth markets are China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan; also growing are its currently smaller markets of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The profile of the cruise market is also evolving – millennials and families, the MICE industry, are starting to take to cruises. And the interest continues to grow.
Cruise lines are responding in kind. This year alone, some 27 new ocean, river and speciality cruise ships are scheduled to debut. Cruise lines have also upped the ante on ship sizes as they try to put more on the ship to keep their customers entertained and engaged – cycling and running circuits, entertainment parks are now par for the course, said Forlie.
“We are lucky because our customers are sort of stuck on the ship. We are putting more emphasis on the fact that you know you want to enjoy yourself, and it is our job to entertain you. We focus a lot on how people spend and how they go through the customer journey,” said Forlie.
Technology has also visited the cruise industry in a big way. Facial recognition technology, voice-activated cabins, self-guided mobile assistants, wearable devices, are some ways cruise ships are staying relevant.
The tour programme that cruise passengers are offered while on the journey is also a significant part of a cruise itinerary.
When asked if Genting works with any players in the thriving tours and activities marketplace, Forlie said it currently manages its own tours, however, added that “maybe we need help to distribute”.
