SeaDream Makes Cruising Cool Again

Generally when people think of cruising they imagine one of three things: old people, families with young children, or drunk college students. One company has recently started breaking those stereotypical barriers by increasing the flexibility of their departure times, port selections and activities. SeaDream has been so successful at marketing themselves to adult couples, that they've reduced their average travel age by more than a decade.

SeaDream Yacht Club has managed to tap into the market of younger, affluent vacationers that make its average passenger age 47 and falling. That is about a decade younger than the average age on its competitors' ships: Most luxury cruise passengers average in the late 50s to early 60s...

SeaDream's formula -- 100-passenger ships visiting smaller ports where larger cruise ships can't go, spending nights in some ports and leaving others late -- seems to work with younger cruisers, including many who have never cruised before. And unlike the first-time cruisers on Carnival Cruise Lines or Norwegian Cruise Line, SeaDream seems to attract vacationers who otherwise might not have ever cruised.

Beyond the more flexible times, SeaDream is generally more flexible than most cruise lines about activities and the use of company equipment (i.e. more fun with tiny boats that don't belong to you). They're also the only cruise line that, weather permitting, gives guests the option to spend the night outside on daybeds with down comforters. With an average age of 47, SeaDream still may be a slightly older crowd than the vacation you had in mind. But don't be shy, the next time you're planning a trip remember that cruising has a new, slightly younger face in the crowd.