Two decades of extraordinary growth in guest numbers demonstrate the expanding appeal, reach and variety of cruise ship vacations. Trond Sigurdsen, Senior Architect, YSA Design considers where Gen Z cruise guests fit in.
If more vacationers than ever before take a cruise each year, pressure remains intense to continuously reinvent the cruising experience – with new vessels, attractions, destinations and adventures enticing guests to join or return to ship.
Today, every proposition is also underpinned the principles of sustainability, as embodied by zero emission battery, sail or shore power, green water treatment and waste disposal, or by using recyclable materials.
Matching guest profiles to the ambience, styling and branding stories which owners aspire to is therefore a constantly refreshed challenge for cruise ship designers.
Exclusive luxury, gourmet dining, private island excursions, concierge or even butler service, immersive adventures, themed cruises, engaging with local cultures and positive guest action on environmental responsibility have all played roles in creating new cruise experiences and differentiating brands. Some cruise lines are even catering specifically to solo travellers.
Generation Z, defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, are increasingly part of the cruise market’s target audience for sustaining growth. While the attractions outlined above will no doubt prove alluring, this is new ground for a cruise industry which has already leant into this source of ideas to extend its growth curve.
Fortunately, Gen Z cruise guests have also been incubating desires of their own for new experiences that are immersive, authentic and - of course - digitally connected.
Satisfying these imperatives will be about more than designing ‘with a twist’ for a new cruise constituency which is coming of age, however.
Bold and vivid experiences
At one level, in a digital age where posting on social media is itself part of the experience, bolder shapes and more vivid colours are a prerequisite. Influencers – or more properly the view of the infinity pool, robot bartender or ship-themed backdrop they will share from - are also already part of the designer’s picture.
But the distinct requirements of Gen Z go beyond personal branding. These guests are also highly sociable in real life and expect to find stylish spaces on board that have been designed for group activities. Celebrity DJ sets, musical festivals at sea, game rooms or exclusive night clubs create the ‘buzz’ that builds communities.
Youth can also limit budget, meaning that while push-button or even app-level control of the cabin environment may be expected – the Gen Z cruise guest may also be prepared to share private spaces too, which has consequences for cabin design. Suites, for example, will need to be flexible enough for to accommodate friends - not just couples and families.
Experiences that last in memory are also generally those outside the comfort zone. For Gen Z thrill seekers, however, the adrenalin rush options include skydiving and surf simulators, as well as climbing walls, rollercoasters, go-kart tracks, zip lines, cantilevered pods and vertical drop tubes. By way of reminder, however, such digital attractions rely in part on physical design to ensure that their VR and AR capabilities deliver the full impact of any 360-degree immersive experience.
Space for good times
Designers for this discerning audience must also be attuned to the new dietary requirements of a generation that is passionate about food and highly sensitive to latest trends, increasingly favours plant-based options, and is vigilant on sourcing and waste disposal. As well as multiplying dining options, designers must also create spaces for the growing popularity of shared eating habits.
Other ideas on what a ‘good time’ consists in are also changing. Gen Z sees well-being and self-development as a vacation goal, rather than its fortunate outcome. Pool decks remain a key area for design innovation, but so do spaces for personal training, yoga classes, spa treatments, mindfulness and meditation.
Gen Z’s consciousness on sustainability goes beyond a preference for environmentally responsible itineraries, low ship emissions and recycled plastic water bottles. The ocean – as well as the ship – is a destination, with Gen Z guests seeking to experience it close up.
Designs that enable access to the sea not only provide opportunities for kiting, scuba diving and sailing; they also create areas for pop up waterside dining or the sea level beach clubs.
At a personal level, this is also a generation that wishes to engage with the local communities it visits in a positive way that benefits the local economy and culture. It is also one that is also happy to spend time in the shipboard lab, make eco-choices during the cruise and, increasingly, seeks out packages with opportunities to volunteer for conservation or clean-up operations.
In some ways, these reflections on the place humans occupy in the world have parallels in the language of design. Many may understand their built surroundings simply through touch and feel, fashion and function. For professionals, however design is also the discipline of expressing the values and motivations that lie behind its creation.
For Gen Z’s self-conscious cruisers, designers must work to make sure that brand identification cuts through. Rather, a ship’s amenities, attractions, itinerary, identity and built environment must be ambassadors for those who made it.
Trond Sigurdsen, YSA Design
