The Future of Cruising

This is a subject that really does concern us all, but it’s been on my mind more and more with the approaching launch of Allure of the Seas.
Where’s it going to end?
 Are cruise ships going to keep getting bigger and bigger with even more people/mod cons/gadgets crammed into them? Or are people going to turn away from then and hark back to a more traditional age of cruising?

Below are two pictures that show the possible future of cruising. One is a Star Clipper, in service at the moment with more than a nod to the traditional age of sailing when tall ships were the norm.

The other picture has been dreamed up by Italian architect Gianluca Santosuosso to show one possible direction for the future of cruising, a futuristic city at sea, slowly circumnavigating the globe with people booking onboard the different legs they’d be interested in.

It’s not hard to tell them apart is it?

Now don’t get me wrong, whilst I’d be much more likely to book aboard the Star Clipper tall ship I also love the new breed of giant cruise lines like Oasis and Independence of the Seas, but should we be asking, 'is there a limit'?
Will people keep booking onboard bigger and bigger cruise ships?
Once they get bored of them what more will they expect?
I’ve found a few more artist’s impressions of future cruise ships which I’ve added below and I have to admit some of them do look fun. But would you book aboard them?

This one looks like it should be called the Race Car of the Seas.

And I love the look of these, both offering something very different, both looking very fun. You can just imagine a waterfall running down the mountain on the ship on the left can't you?

So what do you see as the future of cruising?
What direction would you like to see cruise ship design take and what ‘funky gadgets’ would you like to see added?
A forest?
A fishing lake?
An amusement park?
As they get bigger and bigger we're only going to be limited by our imaginations.

Happy Cruising