Cruise Lines are targeting millennials with DJs, themed cruises, Broadway shows, Cirque Du Soleil and street food

Many of the public at large still have the perception that cruising is for either the elite or the elderly. Moreover, that the only activities on board are Ballroom Dancing, playing Shuffleboard on deck or dressing up with a Tux or Cocktail dress as compulsory attire to attend a formal Gala Dinner. Well, there is still a market for this, however it's no longer the norm, as most Mega ships for are perusing a wider segment of society and cruising is more casual.

In particular, we have seen a trend targeting millennials with trendy gimmicks such as DJ's, themed cruises and street food. Case in point is a new luxury river Cruise Line known as "U" operated by Uniworld, who seek to attract younger passengers with specific amenities orientated towards the desires of millennials.

What's even more interesting about "U Cruise" is the fact they are imposing age restrictions. For example; to sail on a so called "U Cruise", one has to be aged 21 to 45 (that excludes me), an age range notably younger than Uniworld’s traditional Cruise Guest profile, which averages at 50.

In stark contrast to traditional cruises, a "U Cruise" features as much as 5 overnight stays in port compared to just 1 on most traditional Uniworld cruises.

U Cruises offer four 8-day voyages, including...

• A Paris round-trip on the Seine
• An Eastern European trip from Regensburg to Budapest down the Danube, Main and Rhine.
• During the winter holidays, it will add two 5-day festive-themed trips, noting that shorter trips are aimed at attracting working professionals with limited time off.

Once in port, passengers have the option to explore independently, participate in included hands-on excursions, or purchae a different experience called “U Time,”, exampels of which are wine-tasting at a 12th century monastery where the “Game of Thrones” was filmed.

Accommodation on board is also geared towards a younger demographic with 3-person rooms comprising of a bunk bed and single bed, or in one of the more affordable open-plan public spaces with hammocks (like a hostel at sea), beanbags and sunbeds.

Mega ships operating Ocean Cruises are also targeting millennials and the main players here are Costa, MSC and Royal Caribbean. Attractions include themed cruises, Broadway shows, yet more DJ's, fancy clubs and Cirque Du Soleil (featured on board the newly launched Meraviglia).

The reasons for targeting the millennials are simple; take the US for example: Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation's largest living generation, according to population estimates released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau. Interestingly, Millennials (defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as those aged between 18-34 in 2015) number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Baby Boomers (ages 51-69). We should therefore expect more of this trend moving forward, especially so if the Cruise Industry continues to expand exponentially and requires to fill all the new cabins in the pipeline.