Royal Caribbean makes a $120 million bet on millennials
Royal Caribbean has invested $120 million in a 15-year-old ship as part of a plan to attract younger travelers with shorter cruises.
A company news release says the Mariner of the Seas arrived at its new home last week in PortMiami. The ship will offer 4-night weekday and 3-night weekend trips from Miami to the Bahamas. Its first voyage left Monday.
Besides restaurants and bars, other new attractions include a virtual reality bungee trampoline, a pair of racer waterslides, a glow-in-the-dark laser tag room, a room escape challenge and a surf simulator.
Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley says millennials want more frequent and shorter vacations, and the Mariner of the Seas is expected to meet that demand.
The improvements are part of a $900 million program involving 10 ships in four years.