Innovatia

sible from Australia are the Conflict Islands. Located 152 kilometres from the tip of Papua New Guinea, these 21 uninhabited islands are an atoll surrounding a lagoon. They are owned by Australian entrepreneur Ian Gowrie-Smith and managed by the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative trust (CICI) which began in 2017 to pro- tect and conserve the natural environment, with a particular focus on sea turtles, rays, and sharks. Several cruise lines visit the Conflict Islands, P&O being the first to have done so. Their 11-day cruise departs from Cairns on the Pacific Explorer and travels via the Solomon Islands, Rabaul, and Kiriwina Island in Milne Bay, PNG, before arriv- ing at the Conflict Islands. Here, the Turtle Nurs- ery offers passengers the opportunity to interact with and feed turtle hatchlings, sponsor individu- al turtles, and release them into the sea. They can also enjoy snorkelling, kayaking or stand-up pad- dleboarding, before relaxing in their own beach bungalow with a fully-stocked bar fridge, fruit platter and sparkling wine, and lunch provided. For those with a particular passion, the choice of themed cruises seems only limited by imagi- nation. There are music cruises, Star Trek Cruis- es, cruises for Goths, bridge players, and craft and sport enthusiasts, cruises for religious denomina- tions, LGBTIQ+ cruises, and cruises for swingers and nudists. P&O’s 5-day “Tribute to the King” cruise for die-hard Elvis fans travels from Bris- bane to Airlie Beach and back on the Pacific En- counter, carrying 2,600 passengers. Australia’s Celebrity X Cruises travel to the Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Their Celebrity Edge and Apex ships have one of the most astonishing innovations – the Magic Carpet, a cantilevered deck that can move up and down between 13 storeys. It can

carry up to 100 guests and transform from a dis- embarkation lounge to a restaurant—Dinner on the Edge—at the very top, an extension of the pool area on Deck 14, or an open-air dining area on Deck 5. There’s no question that the cruise industry has gone from strength to strength in recent years, despite COVID-related setbacks. In fact, according to CNN Travel, “the cruise industry transported nearly 30 million passengers and contributed over $154 billion to the global econ- omy pre-pandemic in 2019…and it’s on track to surpass those numbers by years’ end [2023].” Now, as travellers become more conscious of the environmental impacts of cruising, and tight- er regulations are introduced, innovation in the cruise industry will likely focus on “greenifica- tion”. While many ships have converted to LNG, experts say ships will only become truly non-pol- luting with the introduction of green hydrogen and electric batteries. In a blog post in May 2022 for the International Council on Clean Transporta- tion, Bryan Comer, Ph.D claimed “even the most efficient cruise ships emit more carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre than a passenger jet.” Perhaps it is in environmental sustainability that we will see the next greatest innovations in the cruise industry.

SETTING SAIL: THE REMARKABLE EVOLUTION OF LUXURY OCEAN TRAVEL

After a long and winding history, the latest iteration of the ocean cruise delivers a full-bodied adventure accompanied by intellectual and gastronomic pleasures. By Jessica Martyn

W ith a history stretching back millennia, sea travel represents well-charted ter- ritory in the tourism space. Leisure cruising, on the other hand, is still rela- tively new, first introduced in 1822 when eager ad- venturers from London would buy tickets to ride around the Mediterranean on mail delivery ships. Once travellers had dipped their toes in the water, a rapid growth trajectory began with the introduction of new fleets throughout the 1830s, many of which were built to cater to Europe’s wealthy upper class. These leisure vehicles were ample evidence of innovation within themselves, but the ad- vent of air travel left the cruising industry scrambling for new points of attraction to keep the guests coming.

Then, as cutting-edge technology gradually entered the mainstream, cruise liners followed suit, implementing an array of systems and de- vices designed to streamline guests’ experience in their lounges, restaurants, shopping centres and beyond. From cutting-edge hospitality software, ro- bot-powered bars and gaming rooms to virtu- al balconies, high-tech viewing pods and even skydiving simulators, it seems that the scope for technological advancement stretches as far as the horizon, and then some. Cruise operators at the head of the pack have gone so far as to invest in in-room AI and wear- able technology for guests (waterproofed, of course), all with the aim of further enhancing and personalising the experience.

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INNOVATIA

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INNOVATIA

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