Carnival looks to launch a ‘Love Boat’ of its own

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Love, exciting and new – that’s what Carnival Cruise Lines is going for as its launches its new line of original television programming. Or at least fresh interest in vacations at sea.

Carnival Cruise Line is looking to recreate some of the TV magic that helped boost the vacation cruise industry in the 1980s, when the popular hour-long sitcom, “The Love Boat,” was in its heyday and people were flocking to ports like never before in search of a dream getaway.

Carnival’s three original travel programs are to set sail this weekend on NBC, ABC and the CW network, debuting as the cruise giant looks to expand its audience – and in particular to reach a key demographic: younger, millennial consumers.

Those consumers, now roughly 18 to 35 years old, are generally too young to recall “Love Boat” crew members Gopher, Isaac and Captain Stubing, and they might not go for the schmaltzy storylines that gave the series its fame anyway. But Carnival expects to hook them with travel-based shows that focus on adventure, exploration and cultural experiences.

It’s a strategy that’s well-aimed at a generation that prizes “conspicuous experiences ” in much the same way that previous generations valued conspicuous consumption, said Hank Boyd, marketing professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. This is a generation that is driven to have adventures, ones they can shared with photos on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms, he said.

“Adventure,” however, might not be the first thing that pops to mind when you think of cruise vacations, said Jeff Miller, a Smith senior lecturer who has studied the cruise industry, and the industry is fighting hard to gain steam with millennial travelers. “The old motto was ‘newlywed or nearly dead’ – those are the people who took cruises,” he said.

“The Love Boat” premiered in 1977, when about 500,000 people went on cruises a year. By 2013, that figure had swelled to 20 million, but with far more cruise companies jockeying for passengers.

Finding growth in the fiercely competitive cruise market means reaching out beyond those demographics. The big companies are looking to offer new destinations, such as the Arctic, or are focusing on niche travelers. The Hong Kong-based luxury Dream Cruises line, for example, is betting big on foodies – recently hiring internationally acclaimed Australian chef Mark Best to create a cuisine-focused cruise.

Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises are both ramping up their presence in China, looking to snap up a share of the rapidly expanding demand. The industry is also fighting to beat back worries about ship-bound noroviruses and, more recently, Zika. 

Carnival has much to gain, as it looks to brandish an image battered in recent years by a series of ship fires and the fatal Costa Concordia disaster in 2012. The company this week raised its earnings guidance and posted a quarterly profit, helped by lower fuel costs.

“Carnival certainly needs to make itself seen as more fancy,” Miller said. The new shows could do that, Boyd said, with slick travel programming that doesn’t feel like advertising. 

“It’s ‘Love Boat 2.0.’ But it can’t be campy and cheesy,” said Boyd.

About 80 of Carnival’s TV episodes are planned during the first 12 months, scheduled to run during family-friendly Saturday mornings on ABC, NBC and the CW network. They’re expected to spotlight the company’s brands:  Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, and P&O Cruises in Australia and the U.K. 

“Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin” on ABC will follow Corwin as he travels around the world, rappelling down cliffs, mountain climbing and ziplining.  “The Voyager with Josh Garcia” on NBC will meet people and explore cultures, history, and local cuisine at some of the world’s seaside ports. And on the CW, “Vacation Creation,” hosted by “In Living Color” comedian Tommy Davidson and YouTube star Andrea Feczko, will fashion life-changing trips for individuals, couples and families who are facing hardship or other personal drama.

Of course, not all programming results in the intended effect. For every “Love Boat” there’s a belly flop. Miller points to the Adam Sandler movie, “Jack and Jill,” largely set on a Royal Caribbean liner. “Really, don’t watch this movie,” Miller groans.