立即打开
受疫情重击,邮轮的未来在哪里?

受疫情重击,邮轮的未来在哪里?

RACHEL KING 2022-01-26
邮轮运营商或许可以借机开发更具吸引力的项目,让游客重新回到船上。

这两年旅游业的日子很不好过,自新冠疫情开始以来,邮轮业或许是其中受冲击最大的一个领域了。2021年12月,美国疾病控制与预防中心(CDC)甚至警告旅行者在奥密克戎爆发期间不要搭乘邮轮。

哪怕2021年冬天的新冠肺炎疫情已经开始平缓,旅行者仍然可能优先选择飞机和酒店出行,需要过一段时间才愿意重新登上邮轮。不过邮轮运营商或许也可以借机开发更具吸引力的项目,让游客重回船上——即体积更小、载客量更少、更可持续、保护航线周围环境、同时保持一定的奢华、让乘客不致思念大陆(至少不会太过思念)的邮轮。

“过去几年,人们对豪华邮轮的兴趣在增长。部分原因在于,许多邮轮爱好者的可支配收入更高,能够用于旅游的时间更多,亦或单纯因为旅游偏好变了,所以开始不再满足于以往坐大船的体验。”Tripadvisor旗下的公司Cruise Critic的主编科琳·麦克丹尼尔说,“但我们也看到,人们对奢华体验的兴趣在持续增长,很多旅行者在追寻更私密的体验和更多样化的旅行选择——自新冠疫情开始后,我们越来越多地看到这种趋势。”

麦克丹尼尔称,过去,人们对探险航行的关注大多集中在它们令人啧啧称奇的目的地和航线上,而很少关注船只本身——大多数船只都很简陋,仅仅被当成交通工具。现在,由于游览南极洲和加拉帕戈斯群岛等“一辈子一定要去一次的地方”的最佳出行方式往往是邮轮,老牌邮轮公司正在为这些探险之旅添置更多豪华设施。

“这就可以两全其美:在一次千载难逢的冒险中享受到五星级的船上体验。而且大多数新船也会关注最先进的可持续技术和产品应用,这是邮轮公司和旅客都非常重视的一点。”麦克丹尼尔说,“正因如此,我们不仅看到豪华邮轮公司在推出超级炫的新船,大众游船公司也开始涉足豪华游轮市场——一些是在本公司的大型船只上提供更私密的旅行体验,一些推出了专用豪华邮轮。”

海达路德邮轮公司(Hurtigruten Expeditions)与厄瓜多尔的大都会旅游公司(Metropolitan Touring)签订了长期协议,其中包括租用MS Santa Cruz II号承担该司前往加拉帕戈斯群岛的新航线。图片来源:Courtesy of Hurtigruten Group

从本月开始,海达路德邮轮公司(Hurtigruten Expeditions)启动了一个前往加拉帕戈斯群岛的新项目,这是该公司历史上首次。2021年12月,该公司宣布,将推出三个全年新航线,将邮轮数量增加一倍。为了保护当地的濒危特有种和移栖种,加拉帕戈斯群岛附近的海洋保护区刚刚从大约5.3万平方英里扩大到7.6万平方英里,人们对到此旅游的兴趣正在上涨,此时推出航线恰逢其时。

海达路德集团(Hurtigruten Group)的首席执行官丹尼尔·斯科勒丹向《财富》杂志表示,该公司早就想探索加拉帕戈斯群岛了,无论从哪种角度看,这座群岛都是小型船只的完美目的地。该群岛是世界上受保护度最高的岛屿之一,旅行自然会附带一定的要求和条件。例如,船只必须在厄瓜多尔注册,船长和船员也必须是厄瓜多尔人。

“对加拉帕戈斯群岛的航线,我们将主打科学、知识和体验。我们有一支超一流的由探险领队和博物学家组成的团队,可以与乘客分享知识,给他们提供更加沉浸式的体验。”斯科勒丹说,“船上的服务项目十分丰富,能够匹配客人的不同水平的运动需求——在散步、乘坐橡皮艇、浮潜、徒步等标准服务之外,我们还提供桨板滑水、滑独木舟、划玻璃船等项目。”

海达路德所有前往加拉帕戈斯群岛的航行都是碳中和的。它的合作者大都会旅游公司(Metropolitan Touring)是南美最大的旅游运营商之一,MS Santa Cruz II号邮轮刚刚完成装修,船上所有套房、客舱、休息室、餐厅和其他公共区域全面进行了豪华升级。

海达路德集团成立于1893年,总部位于挪威,是海达路德邮轮公司的母公司,该集团在航线规划、邮轮建造和升级中都将可持续性作为优先事项。该公司拥有定制探险邮轮船队(比在加勒比海或地中海航行的船只要小得多),航线遍及全球30多个国家250多个目的地。

“现在的旅行者对地球面临的复杂气候问题有了更强的意识,新冠疫情加速了这种趋势。越来越多的旅行者在选择旅游公司时,会考虑该公司对可持续发展的态度和承诺。”斯科勒丹说,“旅游业的每个人都需要适应这种变化,否则就可能失去业务和市场。越来越多的客人会询问我们对(环境、社会和治理)的承诺,我觉得自疫情以来,这个议题进一步得到了推动和发展。”

斯科勒丹称,海达路德集团利用疫情封锁期对船只进行了改造升级。海达鲁顿挪威公司(Hurtigruten Norwegian)旗下全部7艘用于探索挪威壮丽峡湾的海岸快线(Coastal Express)都在进行大型改造升级,预计将于2023年完工。海岸快线的船只已经安装了岸电连接装置,到港时可接通电源,彻底减排。海达路德表示,升级后的船只将减少25%的二氧化碳排放,减少高达80%的有害气体排放。

海达路德斯瓦尔巴特群岛分公司(Hurtigruten Svalbard)主要负责当地运营,当地因为可以看到极光而出名,(可以说)是热门景点。该公司也与船用动力供应商沃尔沃遍达(Volvo Penta)合作,正在测试新的混合动力船型,新船型能够让游客在体验北极群岛胜景的同时确保不会对周边的栖息地造成干扰。

新冠疫情爆发前的2019年,海达路德将MS Roald Amundsen号引入其船队,这是世界上第一艘电池混合动力邮轮。这艘当时最先进的船采用了环保的新型混合动力技术来减少燃料消耗,当初的建造目的就是为了展示大型船只也可以使用混动驱动。(海达路德十几年前就禁止在船上装载重油,五年前禁用了一次性塑料。)

“可持续发展是海达路德集团所有业务的核心。我们在新冠疫情开始前早就开始这么做了。”斯科勒丹说,“1893年以来,我们一直在为挪威沿海社区创造价值,我们关心曾经到访的每一个地区,无论是在南美还是斯瓦尔巴特群岛,这个原则影响着我们的一举一动,是我们的很大一部分遗产。”

2021年10月,TripIt对客户的一项调查显示,超过一半的人在规划旅行时考虑政治、环境和社会因素。11%的受访者表示,他们计划在来年进行一次邮轮旅行。Tripit发现,在旅行方面,千禧一代尤其具有环保意识,16%的人会考虑与旅行相关的碳排放影响,大约是X世代(7%)和婴儿潮一代(8%)的两倍。

Concur的TripIt产品高级总监珍·莫伊斯说:“许多人正在重新思考自己的旅行方式。”预定旅程时考虑最多的问题包括前往某一目的地是否道德(即过度旅游)以及对当地社区的影响。“这些价值观会影响人们对出行方式的选择。旅行者可能会选择碳足迹较低的邮轮,如果品牌专门设立了用于提振或保护旅行地周边环境的项目,也可能更受旅行者青睐。”(财富中文网)

译者:Agatha

这两年旅游业的日子很不好过,自新冠疫情开始以来,邮轮业或许是其中受冲击最大的一个领域了。2021年12月,美国疾病控制与预防中心(CDC)甚至警告旅行者在奥密克戎爆发期间不要搭乘邮轮。

哪怕2021年冬天的新冠肺炎疫情已经开始平缓,旅行者仍然可能优先选择飞机和酒店出行,需要过一段时间才愿意重新登上邮轮。不过邮轮运营商或许也可以借机开发更具吸引力的项目,让游客重回船上——即体积更小、载客量更少、更可持续、保护航线周围环境、同时保持一定的奢华、让乘客不致思念大陆(至少不会太过思念)的邮轮。

“过去几年,人们对豪华邮轮的兴趣在增长。部分原因在于,许多邮轮爱好者的可支配收入更高,能够用于旅游的时间更多,亦或单纯因为旅游偏好变了,所以开始不再满足于以往坐大船的体验。”Tripadvisor旗下的公司Cruise Critic的主编科琳·麦克丹尼尔说,“但我们也看到,人们对奢华体验的兴趣在持续增长,很多旅行者在追寻更私密的体验和更多样化的旅行选择——自新冠疫情开始后,我们越来越多地看到这种趋势。”

麦克丹尼尔称,过去,人们对探险航行的关注大多集中在它们令人啧啧称奇的目的地和航线上,而很少关注船只本身——大多数船只都很简陋,仅仅被当成交通工具。现在,由于游览南极洲和加拉帕戈斯群岛等“一辈子一定要去一次的地方”的最佳出行方式往往是邮轮,老牌邮轮公司正在为这些探险之旅添置更多豪华设施。

“这就可以两全其美:在一次千载难逢的冒险中享受到五星级的船上体验。而且大多数新船也会关注最先进的可持续技术和产品应用,这是邮轮公司和旅客都非常重视的一点。”麦克丹尼尔说,“正因如此,我们不仅看到豪华邮轮公司在推出超级炫的新船,大众游船公司也开始涉足豪华游轮市场——一些是在本公司的大型船只上提供更私密的旅行体验,一些推出了专用豪华邮轮。”

从本月开始,海达路德邮轮公司(Hurtigruten Expeditions)启动了一个前往加拉帕戈斯群岛的新项目,这是该公司历史上首次。2021年12月,该公司宣布,将推出三个全年新航线,将邮轮数量增加一倍。为了保护当地的濒危特有种和移栖种,加拉帕戈斯群岛附近的海洋保护区刚刚从大约5.3万平方英里扩大到7.6万平方英里,人们对到此旅游的兴趣正在上涨,此时推出航线恰逢其时。

海达路德集团(Hurtigruten Group)的首席执行官丹尼尔·斯科勒丹向《财富》杂志表示,该公司早就想探索加拉帕戈斯群岛了,无论从哪种角度看,这座群岛都是小型船只的完美目的地。该群岛是世界上受保护度最高的岛屿之一,旅行自然会附带一定的要求和条件。例如,船只必须在厄瓜多尔注册,船长和船员也必须是厄瓜多尔人。

“对加拉帕戈斯群岛的航线,我们将主打科学、知识和体验。我们有一支超一流的由探险领队和博物学家组成的团队,可以与乘客分享知识,给他们提供更加沉浸式的体验。”斯科勒丹说,“船上的服务项目十分丰富,能够匹配客人的不同水平的运动需求——在散步、乘坐橡皮艇、浮潜、徒步等标准服务之外,我们还提供桨板滑水、滑独木舟、划玻璃船等项目。”

海达路德所有前往加拉帕戈斯群岛的航行都是碳中和的。它的合作者大都会旅游公司(Metropolitan Touring)是南美最大的旅游运营商之一,MS Santa Cruz II号邮轮刚刚完成装修,船上所有套房、客舱、休息室、餐厅和其他公共区域全面进行了豪华升级。

海达路德集团成立于1893年,总部位于挪威,是海达路德邮轮公司的母公司,该集团在航线规划、邮轮建造和升级中都将可持续性作为优先事项。该公司拥有定制探险邮轮船队(比在加勒比海或地中海航行的船只要小得多),航线遍及全球30多个国家250多个目的地。

“现在的旅行者对地球面临的复杂气候问题有了更强的意识,新冠疫情加速了这种趋势。越来越多的旅行者在选择旅游公司时,会考虑该公司对可持续发展的态度和承诺。”斯科勒丹说,“旅游业的每个人都需要适应这种变化,否则就可能失去业务和市场。越来越多的客人会询问我们对(环境、社会和治理)的承诺,我觉得自疫情以来,这个议题进一步得到了推动和发展。”

斯科勒丹称,海达路德集团利用疫情封锁期对船只进行了改造升级。海达鲁顿挪威公司(Hurtigruten Norwegian)旗下全部7艘用于探索挪威壮丽峡湾的海岸快线(Coastal Express)都在进行大型改造升级,预计将于2023年完工。海岸快线的船只已经安装了岸电连接装置,到港时可接通电源,彻底减排。海达路德表示,升级后的船只将减少25%的二氧化碳排放,减少高达80%的有害气体排放。

海达路德斯瓦尔巴特群岛分公司(Hurtigruten Svalbard)主要负责当地运营,当地因为可以看到极光而出名,(可以说)是热门景点。该公司也与船用动力供应商沃尔沃遍达(Volvo Penta)合作,正在测试新的混合动力船型,新船型能够让游客在体验北极群岛胜景的同时确保不会对周边的栖息地造成干扰。

新冠疫情爆发前的2019年,海达路德将MS Roald Amundsen号引入其船队,这是世界上第一艘电池混合动力邮轮。这艘当时最先进的船采用了环保的新型混合动力技术来减少燃料消耗,当初的建造目的就是为了展示大型船只也可以使用混动驱动。(海达路德十几年前就禁止在船上装载重油,五年前禁用了一次性塑料。)

“可持续发展是海达路德集团所有业务的核心。我们在新冠疫情开始前早就开始这么做了。”斯科勒丹说,“1893年以来,我们一直在为挪威沿海社区创造价值,我们关心曾经到访的每一个地区,无论是在南美还是斯瓦尔巴特群岛,这个原则影响着我们的一举一动,是我们的很大一部分遗产。”

2021年10月,TripIt对客户的一项调查显示,超过一半的人在规划旅行时考虑政治、环境和社会因素。11%的受访者表示,他们计划在来年进行一次邮轮旅行。Tripit发现,在旅行方面,千禧一代尤其具有环保意识,16%的人会考虑与旅行相关的碳排放影响,大约是X世代(7%)和婴儿潮一代(8%)的两倍。

Concur的TripIt产品高级总监珍·莫伊斯说:“许多人正在重新思考自己的旅行方式。”预定旅程时考虑最多的问题包括前往某一目的地是否道德(即过度旅游)以及对当地社区的影响。“这些价值观会影响人们对出行方式的选择。旅行者可能会选择碳足迹较低的邮轮,如果品牌专门设立了用于提振或保护旅行地周边环境的项目,也可能更受旅行者青睐。”(财富中文网)

译者:Agatha

Times have been tough for the travel industry, and perhaps no sector has felt it worse since the beginning of the pandemic than the cruise industry. The CDC, in December, even went so far as to warn would-be travelers not to go on any cruise at all during the Omicron surge.

Even when the winter COVID surge plateaus, it could take some time for travelers to return to cruise ships in the way they would to airplanes and hotels. But there are draws that cruise operators could develop better to bring these passengers back to their ships—namely smaller cruises with fewer passengers, sailing more sustainable ships that are respectful of their destinations and environments, and maintaining a level of luxury so that the passengers don't miss the mainland (at least not too much).

“Over the past couple of years, we’ve really seen interest in the luxury cruise sector grow. Some of that has to do with a number of cruisers beginning to mature out of their usual big-ship cruise experience now that they have more disposable income, greater time to spend traveling and, simply, different travel preferences," says Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, a Tripadvisor company. "But we’re also seeing luxury interest continuing to grow because many travelers are looking for a more intimate experience and more diverse itinerary options—something that we started to see more of following the start of the pandemic."

Expedition cruises, McDaniel says, used to mostly be known for their incredible destination and excursion offerings, and less for the ships on which they sailed—most were bare bones, and seen simply as a vessel to a destination. Now, because cruises are often one of the best ways to visit bucket list destinations like Antarctica and the Galápagos Islands, established liners are adding more luxury amenities to those more adventurous tours.

"So you get the best of both worlds: a once-in-a-lifetime adventure paired with a five-star onboard experience. And most new ships also have a focus on the latest sustainability technologies and efforts, which is top of mind both for the cruise lines and their guests," McDaniel says. "Because of that, we’ve seen fantastic new ships launched by luxury lines, as well as mainstream lines also dipping their toes into the luxury waters—whether introducing a more private experience on their larger ships, or launching their own dedicated luxury vessels."

Starting this month, Hurtigruten Expeditions launched a new program around the Galápagos Islands, the first in the company’s history. In December, the cruise liner announced that it will double the offering with three new, year-round itineraries. The launch couldn't be timed better as tourism interest picks up again in the archipelago as the marine reserve around the Galápagos was just expanded to help protect endangered endemic and migratory species, swelling from approximately 53,000 square miles to 76,000 square miles.

Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten Group, tells Fortune that the operator has been wanting to explore the Galápagos for a long time, describing it as the perfect destination for smaller ships for a variety of reasons. The islands are some of the most protected in the world, so that naturally comes with certain requirements and conditions. For instance, the ship has to be Ecuadorian-registered, and the captain and crew have to be Ecuadorian, as well.

"A major part of our focus on the Galápagos Islands will always be the science, knowledge, and experience. And we have an unrivaled team of expedition leaders and naturalists that can share their knowledge with our guests and give them a more immersive experience," Skjeldam says. "We offer a wide range of activities to match guests' many different levels of fitness—ranging from paddle boards to kayaks to glass bottom boats—on top of our standard excursions, which include walks, zodiac rides, snorkeling, and hikes."

All Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises to Galápagos will be carbon-neutral. In partnership with Metropolitan Touring, one of the largest tour operators in South America, guests will set sail on the newly renovated MS Santa Cruz II, which recently received a full luxury upgrade for all of its suites, cabins, lounges, dining rooms, and other public areas.

Founded in 1893, Norway-based Hurtigruten Group, the parent company of Hurtigruten Expeditions, is putting sustainability at the forefront of what influences how itineraries are planned and how its cruise ships are constructed and upgraded. With its fleet of custom-built expedition cruise ships (much smaller than what you'd find sailing the Caribbean or Mediterranean), Hurtigruten Expeditions takes passengers to more than 250 destinations in over 30 countries worldwide.

"Travelers these days have a greater sense of awareness about the complex climate problems our planet is facing, so the pandemic has accelerated the trend of the conscious traveler. Many more travelers are choosing their travel company or cruise liners based on their attitude and commitments towards sustainability," Skjeldam says. "Everyone in the travel industry needs to adapt to reflect this change or risk losing business and relevancy. We have seen more and more inquiries coming in from guests about our [environmental, social, and governance] commitments, and I feel that is a progressive and positive development since the pandemic on this topic."

Hurtigruten Group used the lockdown periods as an opportunity to upgrade its ships, Skjeldam notes. All seven of Hurtigruten Norwegian's Coastal Express ships, which explore Norway’s majestic fjords, are undergoing significant upgrades, expected to be completed by 2023. The Coastal Express ships have already been fitted with shore-power connectivity to fully eliminate emissions when connected in port. Across the seven ships, Hurtigruten says the upgrades will reduce CO2 emissions by 25%, and cut noxious emissions by up to 80%.

Hurtigruten Svalbard, the company unit dedicated to the eponymous region famed for being a hotspot (so to speak) for seeing the Northern Lights, also teamed up with marine power supplier Volvo Penta to test a new hybrid vessel, which will allow guests to experience the wonders of the Arctic archipelago without disturbing the habitat around them.

And pre-pandemic, in 2019, Hurtigruten added the MS Roald Amundsen to its fleet, the world’s first battery-hybrid powered cruise ship. Constructed with the intent to demonstrate hybrid propulsion on large ships is possible, the state-of-the-art vessel features new and environmentally sustainable hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption. (Hurtigruten banned heavy fuel oil on its ships more than a decade ago, and over the last five years, it banned single-use plastic.)

"Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Hurtigruten Group. It has been long before the pandemic started," Skjeldam says. "We have been creating value for Norwegian coastal communities since 1893 and care for all the communities we visit, whether it be in South America or Svalbard, so it influences everything we do and is very much part of our heritage."

According to an October 2021 survey of TripIt customers, more than half consider political, environmental, and social issues when they travel. And 11% of respondents said they have a cruise planned in the year ahead. Tripit found millennials are especially more environmentally-conscious when it comes to travel, being twice as likely (16%) to consider the impact of their travel-related carbon emissions than Gen Xers (7%) or baby boomers and older (8%).

"Many people are rethinking how they travel," says Jen Moyse, senior director of product at TripIt from Concur. Top issues when booking travel include the ethics of traveling to a destination, (i.e. over-tourism) and the impact to the local community. "These values could impact how people travel moving forward as they consider their options. Travelers may choose cruises that have a lower carbon footprint or brands that have programs to revitalize or maintain the ecosystems in which they operate."

热读文章
热门视频
扫描二维码下载财富APP