Royal Caribbean is known for coming up with some wild ideas, so is a treehouse next?
Over the years, Royal Caribbean has pushed the envelope not just in big ship designs, but also cabins.
When Icon of the Seas launched in 2024, it has a three-deck-high Ultimate Family Townhouse. That's a generation ahead of the Ultimate Family Suite that first debuted on the Oasis Class ships.
Now we might be on the precipice of the next idea, the Ultimate Family Treehouse.
Royal Caribbean filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a few ideas, including the treehouse.
- Ultimate Family Treehouse
- Ultimate Family Cabana
- Ultimate Family Townhouse
- Ultimate Family Suite
- Ultimate Celebration Cabana
The trademarks for the Townhouse and Suite are well established, but the others are new.
Trademark applications are notoriously vague, and they rarely offer much insight into what the cruise line may offer.
In addition, Royal Caribbean often trademarks names and ends up not using them at all. It's simply a mechanism for reserving the idea, just in case they decide to act on it later.
For the Ultimate Family Treehouse, it was trademarked on November 19, 2024 and is under the category of "Cruise ship services".
Until Royal Caribbean announces something, we can only dream as to what it could refer to.
The most likely ideas are either a new type of cruise ship cabin on a ship, or a type of accommodation at one of the line's private beaches.
Royal Caribbean recently revealed it's designing a new private destination in Mexico, as well as a beach club concept in Cozumel, Mexico and the South Pacific.
It's possible this treehouse could fit right into the motif of a tropical getaway, where passengers could book an opulent and exotic place to hang out.
Or it could be a new stateroom that includes more of an open-air concept to it.
The Product Development team is usually involved a number of projects at once, and not all of them see the light of day.
Royal Caribbean never comments on trademark applications, so there's no announcement yet.
Ultimately, the treehouse will be something to keep an eye out for to see if it ends up being a project.
Previewing the Ultimate Family Cabana
One of these trademarks is probably going to happen, because it was leaked already.
Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider shared a glimpse of the project when he spoke with travel agents during a webinar in July 2024.
The project was in reference to the beach club Royal Caribbean is building in Nassau, Bahamas that will open next year.
"We're dreaming of possibly an ultimate family cabana," he said. The concept was to follow in the footsteps of having the Ultimate Family Suite and Ultimate Family Townhouse, which are over-the-top suites that pack in just about everything a family might want in a cruise ship cabin.
That's all he said about it, but in my experience, if Mr. Schneider bothers to talk about something in a remotely public setting, it's usually an indication of an idea that has merit.
Of course, plans change and it may not end up being a thing.
Topping the Ultimate Family Townhouse
Until something gets announced, the most over-the-top cruise ship cabin to date is one giant suite on Icon of the Seas.
The Ultimate Family Townhouse measures 1,772-square-feet and features an in-suite slide, movie-viewing room, a karaoke machine and spacious indoor living spaces.
There's also 751 square feet of outdoor space, divided among two balconies and a "backyard" with a ping pong table, outdoor seating and a white picket fence leading directly to all the Surfside neighborhood attractions.
When Star of the Seas launches in 2025, the Townhouse will get an "uplift" and "will get really a new look to it."
Feedback from passengers on Icon compelled Royal Caribbean to make changes to the cabin on Star.
