Is it possible that Carnival Cruise Lines has become so family oriented and mainstream that it is forgoing the party-hard singles who were once their target market? It certainly looks that way.
An article in the Miami Herald reports that the much-publicized “Cougar Cruise” aboard Carnival Elation last month won’t be repeated, even though Carnival spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz admits “there were not any particular issues on board,”. When the travel agency that booked the “Cougar” cruise group recently tried to reserve space for another group of singles, the cruise line turned them away.
(By the way, if you don’t watch TV or surf the internet much and don’t realize that we’re “cougar” doesn’t refer to the four-legged animal with whiskers, here’s the lowdown: it refers to the older woman/younger man hook-up. Surprisingly, more younger men than older women showed up on the cruise).
De La Cruz says Carnival “simply made the business decision not to have future groups book on this theme.”
The travel agency, Single Travel Company, says it has no problem booking space for future cruises aboard Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean ships for Cougar Event’s future cruises.
I suspect that Carnival is trying to distance itself of its past hard-partying reputation, when singles were in the majority, traveling in small groups for the chance to connect with other singles. Since a recent U.S. Census report revealed that 51% of Americans don’t live in a traditional family (husband, wife, kids), I’m a bit surprised that “The Fun Ships” would turn the business away.