Tom Stieghorst
Royal Caribbean International is planning to go big in the Miami short cruise market, adding two ships that are respectively bigger, and much bigger, than the ones that it sails to the Bahamas now.
The 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas will start 3- and 4-day itineraries from Miami in late June. A year later, the 3,686-passenger Navigator of the Seas will take over the Miami market and the Mariner will move up to Port Canaveral.
It raises the question of how Royal plans to fill the bigger ships (at acceptable prices), especially since the price points on South Florida short cruises at certain times of the year are very low, not attracting much interest from travel agents.
Royal currently lists a $349 per person price for a four-day Miami cruise on the Mariner in December. On its current 3- and 4-day ship, the 2,446-passenger Enchantment of the Seas, 3-day cruises in March and April start at $329.
I imagine Royal is counting on demand rising for these short cruises, once travelers and their agents learn about the upgrade package it is installing both on the Mariner and its private island near Nassau, CocoCay.
Between the two, Royal is investing $290 million. Mariner will become the first ship in the fleet to get a new set of Royal Amplified amenities, such as the Sky Pad, a virtual reality bungee trampoline that so far is exclusive to Royal.
By September, if the schedule holds, CocoCay for the first time will have a pier, making it a more attractive stop for anyone who doesn't like boarding tenders for a port visit. It will also be transformed into a what sounds like an offshore water park, with 13 water slides, a huge swimming lagoon, a wave pool, plus a zipline and a tethered helium balloon to give sightseers a 450-foot viewing platform.
Will that be enough to goose demand? Certainly in the summer months, judging by pricing, there won't be a problem. Both short cruises from Florida and the Bahamas in general get a big influx of Floridians during the summer.
In shoulder seasons, and during the week, Royal will have to appeal to an older demographic. That's where in addition to the "thrill" amenities, the CocoCay "chill" features will help, including the upscale Coco Beach Club, which will have an infinity pool, private overwater cabanas and an exclusive Mediterranean dining venue.
Like any year-round itinerary, there will be sailings that need help. I'm guessing that Royal will rely heavily on OTA's to fill those.
Royal won't be the only game in the neighborhood. Norwegian Cruise Line has spent heavily to make over nearby Great Stirrup Cay, and MSC Cruises has $200 million budgeted for its project near Bimini. Carnival Cruise Line has a big destination in development for Grand Bahama Island.
The competition won't make it any easier to fill those big ships, but it's clear that the mass market cruise lines see the islands, with all their revenue opportunities, as a good bet for bigger, better tonnage.