Why the cruise of the future is already here

Cruising has cemented itself as one of the most popular ways to holiday, with travellers regularly jumping at any opportunity to dust off their suitcase for a high seas escape.

Whether sailing from Australia to New Zealand and the South Pacific or venturing further afield to the likes of Alaska and the Caribbean, nothing beats the convenience and relaxation of unpacking once and waking up to find yourself in a new destination each day.

But while itineraries are certainly an essential part of the experience, we can’t overlook the allure of the ships themselves, particularly in recent years, which have seen cruise lines chart a more innovative path with freedom, flexibility and technology at the forefront.

Princess Cruises' Regal Princess

Curious to know what’s changed? Executive Traveller casts the net over some of the most exciting enhancements ensuring your next cruise is the best one yet.

Rollercoasters and go-kart tracks

If you’ve had your eye on the evolution of the more outlandish cruise ships out there, you may be wondering what could possibly be next. How can you top surf simulators, ziplines and 4D theatres? Well, the latest ships to sail for Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line have done just that.

Travellers set their own pace on Bolt to ensure maximum enjoyment.

Carnival’s newest and largest ship, known as Mardi Gras, has introduced ‘Bolt’ – a two-seat motorcycle-esque rollercoaster weaving high above the top deck and around the ship’s funnel. Riders can choose how fast or slow they wish to travel, whether that’s a white-knuckled zip around the track or a more leisurely scenic view of the activity below.

Bolt will also feature on Carnival’s next two ships, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, both due to set sail in the next 18 months.

Bolt rides come at an additional cost to the cruise fare.

If you’d like to get you heart racing but with your feet closer to the ground, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss Speedway is sure to rev your engine. Located at the rear of Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy, cruisers can strap into a helmet and race up to 10 others on a two-deck S-shaped track. 

Up to 10 racers per session can zoom around the track at sea.

When the Norwegian Prima sets sail in August this year, it will take this concept a step further, expanding the track to an incredible three-deck affair.

Ship-wide virtual reality adventure

Disney Cruise Line is a global leader in providing magical adventures on the high seas, mostly in the Caribbean and Europe. Its fifth and newest ship, Disney Wish, will immerse travellers in a brand new technological adventure backed by world-renowned characters from classic Disney films.

Disney Wish sets sail on its maiden voyage in mid-July 2022.

Running at scheduled times and requiring advance reservations, Unchartered Adventure is an augmented reality experience led by Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Using the special Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, travellers explore all around the ship to unlock a series of adventures based on movies such as Moana, Finding Nemo, Peter Pan and more.

Tasked with restoring the magical Wishing Star to the night sky, adventurers use the app to activate games on their device, whereby they must must help Moana navigate his canoes beyond the reef, summon Tinker Bell to sprinkle an extra dash of pixie dust onto the ship, and swim the East Australian Current with Nemo, Dory and their friends.

Travellers must wander the ship to help Mickey and Minnie restore the Wishing Star to the sky.

After finding pieces of the Wishing Star scattered throughout the ship, these mini games culminate in a final battle against an infamous Disney villain in a live interactive experience bound to etch a permanent smile onto travellers of all ages.

Exclusive havens a ‘ship within a ship’

The intimacy of small ship cruising cannot be denied. Reduced passenger numbers and a more social atmosphere are just two of the sought-after perks, yet that same feeling can now be enjoyed on larger ships too, with ‘VIP sanctuaries’ combining the best of both worlds.

Norwegian Cruise Lines’ forthcoming Norwegian Prima, which we mentioned earlier, is home to The Haven – a premium enclave offering the ship’s largest suites, private elevators, personal concierge and 24-hour butler service designed to cater to your every need.

The Haven will feature on both the Norwegian Prima and Viva.

Beyond the cabin, guests can slip into an infinity edge pool, sauna and cold room, or grab a seat at the dedicated bar and lounge – an ideal spot to sip, savour and soak in the ever-changing view.

Of course, they still have entry to the rest of the ship too. 

Other cruise lines to offer this concept of a ‘ship within a ship’ include MSC Cruises, with its members only MSC Yacht Club, and Celebrity, where Suite Class passengers enjoy access to exclusive areas other guests can’t.

Robot entertainment

The introduction of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas ship brought with it two bold new innovations, both utilising robot arms as a core part of their operation.

One of these is the Bionic Bar, where guests can customise a drink order before sitting back and watching as two robotic arms create the mouth-watering concoction. It begins by selecting spirits hung from the ceiling, pouring exact portions, adding ice and soda if requested, mixing it all together and delivering the drink to your hand. 

You'll never be so entertained watching a drink get poured.

On the same ship, and four others like it, cruisers will also find the Two70 theatre and lounge, complete with its choreographed dancing television screens.

The dancing screens at Two70 are quite a spectacle.

Controlled by robot arms, this collection of six LED screens moves to music and lights to create a visually-arresting display, which serves as a highly impressive teaser to the evening’s entertainment.

Wearable RFID technology

Theme parks have been using wearable RFID technology for years now, but it’s only in recent times that cruises have harnessed their power too, unlocking a wealth of possible uses for passengers. 

One of the biggest rollouts in this space is the Ocean Medallion from Carnival Corporation, a tiny device which resembles a wristwatch just a few centimetres in diameter. It’s currently available on 11 of the 15 ships sailed by Princess Cruises, with more to come.

The Ocean Medallion is your key to everything on Princess Cruises.

After receiving, registering and linking the Ocean Medallion to a smartphone app and credit card, the wearer enables every part of the cruise experience. 

It’s a stateroom key, food and beverage ordering system, charge card and ship directory. In addition, wearers can stream shipboard content to a personal device, access the daily schedule and even connect to the onboard casino to play electronic games – such as slot machines – from anywhere on the ship.

The Medallion can be worn as a watch or a necklace - your choice.

Rival cruise lines have countered by releasing their own competing systems, although not all are quite as stylish as the Medallion.

Among them are Royal Caribbean’s WOW band, acting as both room key and onboard charge card, and the ‘MSC For Me’ bracelet and app from MSC Cruises, which also has check-in functionality. Another handy feature from MSC is the ability for parents to locate their children anywhere onboard. 

The Band on Virgin Voyages is one of many systems similar to Ocean Medallion.

Virgin Voyages has also launched ‘The Band’ made from plastic recovered from the ocean. Like the others, it enables room access and the ability to charge onboard purchases.

Magic Carpet moving deck

Introduced as part of Celebrity Cruises’ newest ‘Edge’ model of ship, the Magic Carpet is a tangerine-coloured cantilevered deck extension, which moves up and down the outside of the ship to different levels at various stages throughout the voyage. 

The Magic Carpet can be found on Celebrity Edge, which sails Australia in late 2023.

Serving as a disembarkation lounge, pool lounge extension, levitating stage for live music, or a bar and themed restaurant, the moving deck also assists passengers down to tender vessels whenever the ship is unable to physically pull up beside a wharf.

Interactive cooking demonstrations

The cruise industry is no stranger to taking popular onshore game shows and adapting them to suit ship life. Recently, Holland America Line raised the curtains on long-running cooking show America’s Test Kitchen for its passengers, housed within the onboard culinary demonstration theatres.

The premise of the show involves professional cooks tapping into every bit of their kitchen creativity to apply as many different variations to normal recipes as possible. For example, who knew there were more than 60 ways to prepare a pasta dish?

America's Test Kitchen is the theme on Holland America Line's cooking demonstrations.

Passengers can sit in the audience to watch the ship’s talented chefs pit their imaginations against each other – an Iron Chef-style battle to find out ‘whose cuisine reigns supreme’ – or get amongst the action themselves through hands-on workshops with expert guidance.

Stargazing and astronomy

Every ship has a theatre, but none recline the seats back to the point where you’re looking at the nighty sky. Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 offers the next best thing, with a spellbinding planetarium to complement its astronomy and constellation-viewing lectures.

Selected seats in the Queen Mary 2 theatre double for the ship's Planetarium.

Featuring classical music and 3D cinematography, cruisers can enjoy two different educational films showcasing the dazzling beauty of the night sky above. The ship hosts four screenings each day at sea, with the theatre also playing host to immersive concerts and musical recitals.

Travellers can enjoy educational films about astronomy while deeply reclined.

Coupled with soothing ocean inspired music and comfortable seating, it can also be a handy place for a quick catnap, if you’re so inclined.