Edit ModuleShow Tags

59 Cruise Ship Features of the Future

The futurist looks to the horizon of luxury travel on the sea


I always think when I’m on a cruise I’ll be able to catch up on all the writing projects I‘m behind on; alas, that somehow never happens.

Every ship is full of distractions and unusual forms of entertainment designed to keep the crowds coming back for more. So far, it has been working very well on me.

With 27.2 million passengers projected for 2018 and only 20 percent of U.S. citizens having ever taken a cruise, there is an enormous untapped market left to conquer. The industry has seen 2,100 percent growth since the 1970s, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.



As networks improve, suddenly the sky is the limit for competing with inland resorts. 



Island-hopping is so yesterday. Next-generation cruisers will be looking for that unique one-of-a-kind experience to tell their friends about. Whether its underwater caving or playing with swarmbots or eating dinner made from glowing energy balls, or sleeping on touchless airbeds.


This is projected to increase in popularity in 2018 and beyond – but with a twist: More grandparents and grandchildren will travel together, without the parents.


Travellers are seeking health and wellness experiences for the mind and body. Today’s cruise travellers can participate in on-board wellness seminars led by popular experts, custom fitness programs, stress management and spa services.


Future cruises will span the spectrum from super connected to the super unconnected, with some going so far as to billing themselves as “interventionist retreats” with 12-step programs to help cure those suffering from severe online addiction.


Destinations like the Baltics, Canada, Alaska and Antarctica are becoming growing in appeal. With unusual excursions ranging from penguin watching to ice fishing, these regions are drawing new and repeat cruise travelers.


Though the average age of today's cruise passenger is more than 50 years old with a median household income of $109,000, a recent survey showed 33 percent of those who took a cruise within the last three years have a household income of under $80,000.


As the industry grows, cruise lines will invest more heavily in ocean-going vessels that attract younger generations. In the next nine years, investment into riverboats is expected to fall to nearly zero. 


The coming year will see a rise in traveler-friendly on-board technologies. Several cruise lines are introducing wearable technology for cruise guests that will provide a personalized and seamless experiences on board.



These will be replaced by Bluetooth bands, smartphone scans and facial recognition

  1. CASH

Already nearly gone




Next-gen shower heads will be far cooler


Enormous waste of time and materials


The robots are coming.


  1. Biometric check-in process
  2. Biometric door locks with facial recognition
  3. Biometric purchases – digital identification
  4. Health scans 
  5. Onboard drone airport – For supply delivery, to passenger delivery, to entertainment
  8. Drone ambulances
  9. Drone taxis with multiple landing pads
  10. Drone firework launches
  11. Laser drone skeet shooting
  12. Video/photo drone rentals to capture excursion experiences
  13. Behind-the-scenes tours of the galley, bridge and engine rooms
  14. Movies
  15. Video games
  16. 3D art training
  17. Education classes
  18. Therapy
  19. Speed dating
  20. Preview of future excursions
  21. Sensor-laced interactive clothing
  22. Smart swimsuits
  23. Smart beds
  24. Immersive sleep capsules
  25. Menu-chef coordination at restaurants
  26. Sleep-optimizers to control environmental factors, such as heat, light, sound, oxygen levels, smells, positioning, vibration levels, etc.
  27. Selection of entertainment based on moods, ratings and personal preferences
  28. Music selection based on moods, ratings and tastes
  29. Pay with cryptocurrencies
  30. ATMs
  31. Loans
  32. Cryptocurrency safes or digital vaults
  33. Prototyping classes
  34. 3D modeling software classes
  35. Make your own jewelry
  36. Make your own pottery
  37. Make your own accessories
  38. Make your own IoT devices
  39. Create your own music/audio studios
  40. Create your own video studios
  41. Full-body scans for 3D printing
  42. 3D printed makeup – insert a person’s face and the machine will be programmed to apply the exact makeup pattern requested by the user
  44. Scan and 3D print your own custom designed clothing
  45. Develop and print your own custom designed shoes
  46. 3D printed sculptures of you and your family
  47. Expectant mothers can 3D printed models of their unborn baby
  48. Trash can be sorted, cleaned and turned into new materials
  49. Cellphone to cellphone communications
  50. Robotic food preparation
  51. Auto-swinging hammocks
  52. Telepresence rooms
  53. Beer yoga
  56. Cannabis cooking classes 
  57. Hatchet throwing competitions
  58. Video game tournaments


Another possible game changer for the cruise industry will be floating islands.

Starting in 2008 as a libertarian approach to opting out of traditional governance, the Seasteading Institute settled on 2020 as the launch date for a floating city off French Polynesia, where it hopes to use a “startup” ethos to eventually create a climate-friendly, small-government alternative to land-based nations.

Working with the French Polynesian government, construction will begin on the first of 15 floating platforms. The domed, greenery-filled platforms will each be roughly the size of a baseball diamond, and can be rearranged to connect to different points on the floating city’s framework.

The first “city” is expected to house approximately 300 people, but the ultimate goal is to bring in people from various countries to launch new, ocean-based nations.



Modern cruising is a relatively new industry with most ship designs developing in the 1970s.

Look for cruise ports to become status symbols as economic development groups offer incentives for cruise lines to offer more routes that include their city.

As the average age of passengers drops and cruise lines attract more working executives, companies will view these ships as fresh channels for introducing new products. Whether its food, household gadgets, IoT devices, software, hardware or anything else, people are continually fascinated by cutting edge products. This will open the doors for sponsorship arrangements with companies who otherwise have little connection to the cruise industry.


Edit Module
Thomas Frey



Edit ModuleShow Tags

Archive »Related Articles

An overabundance of plastic, and irony


Why Valuation Matters for Closely-Held Businesses

We are all working toward an end-of-business ownership event, whether it's an external sale, an internal succession or a transition to your family through an estate plan. Whichever path you hope to take, the change will arrive someday. Knowing this, it's vital to have a strategy in place.

Group14 Engineering: Decreasing greenhouse emissions one building at a time

Group14 Engineering, public-benefit corporation (PBC), is a sustainability and energy efficiency consulting firm headquartered in Denver with a mission to inspire better buildings where people thrive.
Edit ModuleShow Tags
Edit ModuleEdit ModuleShow Tags
Edit ModuleShow Tags Edit ModuleShow Tags
Edit ModuleShow Tags Edit ModuleShow Tags
Edit ModuleShow Tags Edit ModuleShow Tags