At Simplexity, our Leisure Travel Managers are passionate about ensuring you get the best possible experience from your trip. This means finding you the hottest tickets in town, the most exclusive restaurants, the most innovative new hotel concepts and the smoothest way to get from A to B.
To be able to provide the ultimate travel management experience, we have to know not just what the best is now, but what the best will be in the future. So for those who love to spend their holidays on the waves, Leisure Travel Manager, our travel managers have been finding out about the future of leisure vessels, from mighty cruise ships to nimble yachts.
1. Solar Sails
Boats which run on solar power have been around for a couple of years, but only now are they moving from garish prototypes into the kind of sleek lifestyle accessories you would love to own.
Solar powered boats are coming into service as ferries and local tour vessels. They meet the demands of governments looking to reduce carbon emissions and improve the cleanliness of rivers and lakes.
Another huge benefit of solar powered vessels is that their motors are silent. This has some obvious benefits in the leisure industry – tranquil lakes and seas can now be enjoyed sans the roar of a diesel engine – as well as some less obvious ones.
For example, OCIUS is now developing a solar powered whale watching vessel. Silent engines will significantly reduce impact on marine life and minimise effect on animal behaviour, allowing more accurate zoological data to be collected, and improving the experience of wildlife tourists. If you love wildlife, why not explore the 5 best family friendly safaris?
2. Floating Architecture
As property becomes increasingly scarce in the world’s great cities, it makes more and more sense to turn rivers, lakes and lagoons into residential space. Living on the water is an ancient way of life, but the new floating architecture concept aims to bring all the luxuries of premium quayside property onto the water itself.
The key to the concept is in the word ‘architecture’. These are spaces to enjoy living in: not just large toys, and certainly not a means of transport! Having said that, the concept also requires that the buildings are mobile, even if they will never sail the high seas.
Recently, the floating Thames house which caught the media’s attention, has given us a glimpse into the future, as these waterborne buildings could quickly become hot tourist destinations. Already there are floating hotels – or ‘botels’ in Thailand, Peru and Australia. Simply contact Simplexity to experience this exciting, emerging hotel trend.
3. High Tech vs. Boutique
As cruise ships constantly jostle for the premier positon, big, attention grabbing attractions look set to grow more and more ostentatious. The Quantum of the Seas is a window into the future of high-tech cruises, offering a range of previously unthinkable activities, like a sky-diving simulator, a Flowrider surfing simulator and even a dodgem car arena.
In reaction to these shiny, showy passenger spectacles, a new breed of cruisers is emerging. The behemoth scale of the Royal Caribbean is being scaled down, and the ostentatious cruise-ship-as-funfair activities are being marooned in favour of a boutique cruise experience that is all about atmosphere, ambiance and class.
As always, Richard Branson is leading the way with this concept. Aiming to build the first of three new cruisers by 2020, Branson has vowed to “redefine cruising for good” by offering the more intimate environment that passengers crave. The new Virgin vessels will accommodate 2, 800 guests: half the size of the Royal Caribbean flagship.
Of course, much smaller, luxury cruisers already operate. It is this desire to be the best, not the biggest, that makes the boutique cruise concept so alluring. Seabourn is a leading luxury cruise company whose casual-yet-elegant luxury suites can make the splendour of huge ocean liners seem overly brash. Beautifully furnished, with VIP hospitality services and extensive menu of pampering delights, boutique cruises like these are becoming an increasingly popular option.
The way we use our lakes and seas for leisure is changing. However you enjoy the water, Simplexity can help. From chartering the next generation of yachts, to booking the exciting cruise concepts of the future, speak to our Leisure Travel Managers for an exceptional service. Email us on info@Simplexitytravel.com, or call 0203 535 9290.