Imagine how much room could be saved if a couple floors of a cruise ship were set up like a hostel. Picture an open floor plan with bunk beds, locking wardrobes and a big shared bathroom. Instead of cramming thirty rooms on a floor there could be three big rooms, a large bathroom and a lounge. Knocking down a bunch of walls would help get rid of the claustrophobic feeling and encourage roommates to become friends. The space used in hallways can be converted into rooms. Roommates could be grouped together on sleeping schedules and shared interests.
Bathrooms would have several toilets, showers and changing stalls all grouped together at the end of the floor. There could always be an employee on duty to clean the bathroom as it gets dirty. This would discourage the users from making a big mess and eliminate a lot of the staff normally needed to clean each room's individual bathroom. Instead of every room having its own mini bar and small TV, the extra room made by the hostel style design could be used to make lounges for people to hang out together. The lack of in room entertainment would also encourage people to leave their rooms and use more of the ships other features and amenities. (Which can lead to more revenue!)
Another benefit is the flexibility in booking passengers. With a hostel style set up; gone is the need for double occupancy booking. One person, three people or a group of twenty-seven could go on the cruise without worrying about finding an even number of roommates or being separated. The saved space would also lower the cost to the cruiser.
This type of room situation would target the 18 to 24 age crowd who are used to dorm living and using hostels in Europe and the United States. There would also need to safety considerations and separation based on age and sex, but as the hostel concept is well proven and successful. (www.hostels.com) It's time to put this concept to use in the cruise industry.
Photo from maplandia.com.
Ian, I like your creative thinking and your efforts to push the envelope in the cruise industry. I write as a fairly seasoned cruiser (have done 16). I'm wondering what type of price per night you are striving for. What I've found in cruising is that for about $100/night per person, the current model is working well. Actually, if you try last minute cruising or some other special scheduling arrangements, you can get the price down to about $$70/night/person. Comparing this to hotel rates and eating at restaurants, it compares very favorably. What would a target per night rate be for the 18 - 24 crowd? I believe that you have experienced a cruise, so I appreciate your interest in continuing this exciting way of seeing the world and your energy in exploring new models of this growing industry. New Year Blessings to you! Charlie
ReplyDeleteHey thank you I appreciate the comment. I wish I could cruise more but I have been reading up. Cruises especially the last minute and repositioning cruises are great values compared to other forms of travel. One I particular like is www.vacationstogo.com. But 100 dollars a day plus the cost of traveling to the embarkation port is still pretty costly especially for college students. I think the ideal price would be 40-55 dollars a day (probably with a simpler meal plan). The savings for the cruise operator would come not just from having more customers on the ship but also implementing a system that requires less staff.
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