ABSTRACT
Taking a socio-cultural perspective, this chapter deconstructs the nature of experience for cruise tourists in relation to the materiality of space and the unique characteristics of vacationing at sea. Defining ‘the cruise experience’ is challenging since there is no single experience but rather a myriad of experiences depending upon the individual and the type of cruise selected. Moreover, the word experience can be conceptualized and understood in different ways depending upon the approach adopted and the disciplinary focus. Given these complexities, a holistic approach to the nature of experience is adopted focusing on three overarching themes: 1) architecture and the materiality of cruise ship space (including the architecture of technology), 2) embodiment, architecture and experience and 3) the floating community as heterotopia. Although the cruise experience reaches beyond the physical boundaries of the ship, the discussion necessarily focuses on the onboard experience within the segment of the market serviced by mega vessels where innovations in shipbuilding have radically altered the nature of the cruise experience. The chapter reveals how the controlling hand of architecture and the enchantment of technology construct an embodied experience based on being part of an interdependent floating community. This experience is shaped by a different understanding of and relationship with time and where the sense of freedom associated with being on a cruise is to an extent a mirage. Overall, the chapter provides a more nuanced understanding of experience as it relates to cruise tourists by highlighting the fluid and relational nature of experience.
