Escaping the Chapel

Once upon a time the chapel was a standard fixture on cruise ships. A place for reflection, worship, celebration and even, yes… weddings. But those days are gone. Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival, Norwegian and many more have been systematically removing the chapel for years. With each passing year the industry has modified the space above deck 15 to match the hottest fads. Once a ship returns for its 5 year face lift the space gets reimagined.

“The swap is emblematic of how, over time, some spaces on cruise ships outlive their usefulness or appeal, and other ideas fill them as cruise strategists seek to squeeze the most from their vessels… Outdated venues die a slow death at sea.” Tom Stieghorst of Travel Weekly

But misery loves company, and the chapel is not the only space being orphaned by the industry. Joining the sacred outcast are: the cigar lounge, the library, the cinema, and even the disco. Their replacements have become sushi lounges and escape rooms.

While the sushi lounge fits the cruise line motif, I find it poetically ironic that the chapel has morphed into a room for escaping pseudo problems with pseudo solutions. Don’t get me wrong, I think escape rooms are super cool, and I would defiantly venture above deck 15 for a chance to Escape the Rubicon spacecraft before it self-destructs. But the switch is ironic.

Does the trend have merit? You be the judge. I’m just the messenger.