easyCruise takes on Carnival for the Caribbean

posted: 06.12.05

A new cruise line for the younger crowd has arrived in the Caribbean. easyCruise is unique in that the ship stays in port every night, giving passengers the choice of whether to go ashore or to stay on board. With this unprecedented freedom and independence the ship, easyCruiseOne, is attracting passengers whose average age is in their 30's, far below the average age of a conventional cruise passenger.

To celebrate its arrival in the Caribbean, easyCruise is advertising in the US media with copy that will re-ignite this summer's spat between Stelios and Mickey Arison, CEO and owner of Carnival cruises and one of America's richest men according to Forbes magazine. The advertising points out that easyCruise is a pleasant alternative to dancing in tacky ballrooms at night in the company of old age pensioners, although the ads are careful to point out that any similarity with Carnival ships is purely coincidental!

This summer Mickey Arison was lucky enough to see an episode of the reality TV 'docusoap' on Sky Television called 'Cruise with Stelios'. In the episode Stelios was on board a Carnival ship and the camera caught him remarking to himself that the ship was "tacky". Mickey saw this on television and fired off an email to Stelios telling him that if anyone, it was he that had a tacky cruise ship. The full story was covered by the Sunday Times but eventually Stelios offered to let a court decide who had the tackier ship, although at this point Mickey went back to Miami.

For anyone who missed the TV series first time around, it will be repeated on The Discovery Travel Channel this winter.

To view or download the full advertisement please... click HERE

easyCruise, founded by Stelios, serial entrepreneur and easyGroup chairman, is currently sailing the Caribbean on weekly itineraries that visit Barbados, St Vincent, Martinique, The Grenadines, Grenada and St Lucia. Twin cabin prices start as low as £13.33 ($24) per person per night, based on two people sharing.

"Move over Mickey!" said Stelios, serial entrepreneur and founder of easyCruise. "He's made a mint on taking the older generation cruising so now its the turn of easyCruise to introduce the Caribbean to a young crowd of cruise passengers."