The Cruise Log, USA Today’s “port of call for cruising news and trends,” recently discussed the cruising industry’s startling lack of imagination when it comes time to christen a new ship:
- Crown (Princess) and Crown (Norwegian)
- Dawn (Princess) and Dawn (Norwegian)
- Dream (Norwegian) and Dream (Carnival)
- Freedom of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) and Freedom (Carnival)
- Jewel of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) and Jewel (Norwegian)
- Legend (Carnival) and Legend of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
- Magic (Disney) and Magic (Carnival)
- Pride (Carnival) and Pride (Norwegian)
- Sinfonia (MSC Cruises) and Symphony (Crystal Cruises)
- Splendour of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) and Splendor (Carnival)
- Star (Princess) and Star (Norwegian)
What’s going on here? Three things, I think. First, there’s the weight of nautical tradition. Second, this appears to be a clear-cut case of naming by focus group, an approach which inevitably yields a name that “sounds like a cruise ship” — like every other cruise ship, that is. Third, I suspect the cruise ship industry, like the theme park industry, suffers from the understandable but dangerous desire to be all things to all people.
It’s particularly surprising that Caribbean has fallen prey to these temptations, since they position themselves as the “fun ship” line. Kudos to Holland America for hewing to an even older tradition, naming its ships after the Dutch cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Oosterdam.
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