The world’s largest cruise ships are now five times the size of the Titanic and carry more than 5,000 guests and 2,300 crew, so space is at a premium – but some things have been removed without passengers’ approval
Cruise ships are continually pushing the boundaries of size and luxury. This also means staying up-to-date with the times and making sure they reflect changes in general society. As such two popular cruise companies – Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line – have decided to ditch what many people already view as a thing of the past – internet lounges.
Today’s largest vessels are double the size of those from the turn of the millennium. The world’s most colossal ship, the Icon of the Seas, dwarfs the Titanic by five times and has the capacity to accommodate over 5,000 guests and a crew of 2,300.
To maintain their top-notch standards, all ships undergo routine maintenance and safety checks every five years, which often coincide with refurbishments of existing features. It’s very much a game of out with the old and in with the new, as even these behemoth ships have space constraints.
Such decisions can be challenging, as many cruise-goers prefer consistency, even if they don’t utilise certain parts of the ship as frequently as before, reports the Express. Take Royal Caribbean, for instance, who decided to ditch libraries on some of their ships. With the rise of digital reading on phones and other devices, the limited selection of books available for passengers to borrow became redundant.
Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have also bid farewell to internet lounges, where computers could be borrowed and internet purchased by the minute or hour. These spaces may have been transformed into business centres or repurposed entirely. Cigar lounges on cruise ships have also sailed into the sunset, while escape rooms, a concept barely known a decade ago, have become a common sight.
The shifts aboard Carnival cruise ships haven’t been universally applauded. John Heald, the brand’s frontman, got an earful from a peeved cruiser saddened by the absence of chapels from most Carnival vessels.
“I am shocked that Carnival Cruise Line has taken away the chapel from their ships,” penned the unnamed voyager, according to The Street. They expressed their disappointment, stating, “You have taken away time spent with God and replaced it with games in the arcade. Every new ship you are building now should have a chapel.”
Heald didn’t provide a personalised reply to the chapel enquiry, opting instead to toss the topic over to his social media audience for their input. This uncovered that many passengers aren’t really looking for a chapel on board. Over on Facebook, Lisa Beary Fuhremann made her views known: “I’ve never used the chapel on a ship but I’d think there would be many places to find peace and pray. I have never used the game room, but my kids love it,”.
But a few did feel the pinch of missing a consecrated corner: “I am not an overly religious person, but I liked the feel of the chapel, and I wished it was available to passengers,” Jodi Tartick revealed, adding poignantly, “A connection with God is, unfortunately, what’s missing in a lot of lives who could benefit greatly from that connection. They were never that large, so they really didn’t take up that much space.”
Carnival Cruise Line maintains a neutral position, stating on their website, “Carnival respects our guests’ religious beliefs and invites them to practice on their own or with other members of their group,” but making clear that “However, we do not place clergy on board our ships.”
However, on occasion, it does permit services to take place if members of the clergy are among its passengers: “Clergy travelling as guests onboard our ships are welcome to volunteer to conduct services while sailing”.