Millennials want shorter, more frequent, but still "Instagrammable" vacations, and Royal Caribbean spent $120 million on one 15-year-old ship to give them that.
Royal Caribbean's upgraded Mariner of the Seas is now taking three- and four-day cruises to the Bahamas with hopes that shorter trips and modern features will attract a younger crowd.
"After looking at the short-break cruise market, which is about 20 percent of the entire cruise industry in the United States, we realized that most of the markets were older ships with the least features," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of the Miami-based cruise line.
Mariner of the Seas will be the largest ship used for short Caribbean trips, according to a spokesperson for the company. It is 1,020 feet long, has 15 decks and can hold 4,000 passengers, according to Royal Caribbean's website.
The cruises leave from Port Miami and will stop in Nassau and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island destination. The first four-night trip departed last week. Prices start around $200 for an interior cabin for fall trips.
The ship isn't new, but Royal Caribbean is treating it like it is. It was built in 2003 _ four years before the iPhone was released _ and sailed mostly in Asia. Now, the ship's new features and modernized technology brings it back up-to-date.
"Using a ship of this size to do shorter excursions filled with the same technology and luxury will hopefully attract more people to take more trips," said spokeswoman Celia de la Llama.
The ship's renovations are part of Royal Caribbean's $900 million commitment to upgrading 10 ships in four years. "We sail with more than 5 million guests worldwide each year, and recognize the need to always innovate and stay ahead of the curve. We have designed this program to wow our loyal guests while also attracting the next generation of adventurers," said Bayley.
How exactly is this newly renovated ship going to target the younger crowd? Here are some of its key features:
