A YOUNG Southside boy has been chosen by Royal Caribbean to have a say in the creation of the cruise ships of the future.
Luke O’Kelly (10) a local school boy from Rathfarnham, will act as a consultant on its children’s panel, the Little Extraordinaires; they are responsible for liaising with Royal Caribbean International’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley.
The creation of the panel comes after new research from Royal Caribbean International and generational guru, Dr Paul Redmond, revealed the powerful influence children now have on the shape of family holidays, with nearly 70 per cent of parents consulting their children before booking a holiday.
The research shows that almost every parent believes their children’s holiday happiness is more of a priority than their partner’s (95 per cent of parents). And while over 60 per cent of parents admitted relaxing on the beach was one of the main things they enjoyed about being on holiday, over half conceded that waterslides and action-packed activities were top of their children’s wish list.
Dr Redmond explained: “For the travel industry, Generation Z is an incredibly important cohort. Not only do they exert a powerful influence on their Generation X parents – who are extremely tuned into their well-being and personal development – but they are a generation that care more for experiences than possessions.
“Moreover, as a generation which has grown up with more digital technology at their fingertips than NASA used to launch the Space Shuttle, they expect to see innovation embedded in the experiences around them."
Royal Caribbean’s Little Extraordinaires will be sharing their feedback directly with the company’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley, to create the most extraordinary ships of the future and allow parents to get their holiday right every time.
Their first mission on the panel will be to road test Independence of the Seas following the ship’s multi-million-pound makeover in May.
Luke is the son of Irish travel blogger, and expert, Sarah Slattery. He’s described as a soft-spoken Irish boy who could probably name every creature in the animal kingdom if given the chance.
Little Extraordinaires (final 1080) from Mat O'Brien on Vimeo.