旅遊業打造以身價為基礎的「種姓」制度
今天的旅遊行業變得更加擅長分辨自己的頭等客戶，也知道該怎樣投合他們的心理，為這些被選定的少數人創造高級的氣氛。研究表明，少量的嫉妒之情有助於盈利。
邁阿密――在挪威郵輪公司(Norwegian Cruise Line)最新的輪船上，有一扇鎖起來的門，裡面是一個船上4200名乘客中大多數人都無法進入的世界。它的重點也就在於此。
這艘船中之船的名字叫做「避風港」(Haven)，在裡面，大約275名精英乘客可以享受的，不僅是一名門衛及24小時的管家服務，還有私人泳池、陽光甲板和餐廳，在這艘名為「挪威遁逸號」(Norwegian Escape)的郵輪上創造出一個遠離人群喧囂的海洋。
如果「避風港」上的乘客們想要看錶演，只要出示金色的鑰匙卡就可以得到最好的位子。船隻停靠在碼頭時，他們可以比別的乘客先下船。
「我們一直都刻意讓『避風港』保持神秘，不必面對大眾乘客，」挪威郵輪公司的前首席執行官凱文·希恩(Kevin Sheenhan)說道，他曾經協助設計「遁逸號」，希望它吸引更富有的客戶。「這部分人群希望身邊都是擁有類似特質的人。」
如今的財富差距是自鍍金時代以來最為懸殊的，經濟絲絨圍欄內側的高度富裕者與普通人之間的鴻溝變得愈來愈寬。
這表明，如今的經濟與社會滿意度又回到了泰迪·羅斯福(Teddy Roosevelt)、J·P·摩根(J. P. Morgan)與一個世紀之前的「泰坦尼克」號上嚴格區分不同等級艙位的時代。
不過，如今的不同之處在於，公司更加擅長分辨自己的頭等客戶，也知道該怎樣投合他們的心理。目標就是為這些被選定的少數人創造奢華與高級的氣氛，儘管這會引起其他人的不滿。事實上，研究表明，少量的嫉妒之情有助於盈利。
當最富有的旅行者們在亞特蘭大、紐約與其他城市轉機時，達美航空(Delta)會用保時捷轎車接送他們在航站樓之間往來，航空公司說這是一種「驚喜服務」。上個月，沃爾特·迪士尼世界(Walt Disney World)開始給想避開人群的遊客提供下班時間的遊覽服務。換言之，你幾乎可以獨自遊覽這個魔法王國。
皇家加勒比(Royal Caribbean)的郵輪停泊在這家公司在海地擁有的私人碼頭拉巴迪(Labadee)時，精英旅客可以進入遠離其他同船旅客的特殊海灘俱樂部——真是飛地中的飛地。
「在階級層面，我們過着比以往更為隔絕的生活，」托馬斯·桑德(Thomas Sander)說，他在哈佛大學肯尼迪學院指導一個公民參與計劃。「關於平等的夢想曾經是我們的標識，然而在這方面我們卻愈來愈糟糕。」
加州大學伯克利分校的經濟學教授伊曼紐爾·薩伊茲(Emmanuel Saez)估計，如今最富有的1%的美國家庭擁有全國42%的財富，20年前，他們佔有的財富不到30%。最頂尖的0.1%家庭如今佔有22%的財富，這個數字比1995年增加了將近一倍。
但是，甚至收入不平等與財富差距引發的不滿在今年總統選舉中成為一股強大的實力，對於美國商界來說，這種現象卻有着完全不同的意義。從郵輪公司、賭場，到遊樂和航空公司，1%富人的崛起對他們來說意味着許多的商機和利潤。
如今，更多資源被用於在這個金字塔的頂端贏得更多市場份額，有時要以減少對其餘公眾的服務為代價。一方面中產階級的收入停滯不前，一方面，自從大衰退之後，這個時期也是富有者極度繁榮的時代，商界都在迎合他們。
根據波士頓諮詢集團(Boston Consulting Group)統計，從2010年到2014年，美國至少擁有100萬美元資產的家庭增加了將近1/3，不到700萬家庭。對於這個百萬美元及以上集團來說，從2010年到2014年，他們的財富大約平均年增長7.2%，是擁有100萬美元以下財產家庭的8倍。
「人們總是追逐金錢，」聖路易斯華盛頓大學經濟學教授史蒂芬·法扎裡(Steven Fazzari)說。「公司的創新和人們的需求都圍繞着金錢。」
在很多方面，財富差異的絲絨繩索顛覆了旅遊業與娛樂業內的大民主，乃至「二戰」後美國生活的方方面面。隨着廉價航空取代乘私人噴氣機到處旅遊的富豪，在機場和主題公園這樣的地方，也經常看到最富有的人與平民百姓擦肩而過。
如今，不管服務提供者是私人公司還是公立機構，對富有者的特殊服務都不是針對個別，而是一門生意。去年年底，洛杉磯政府官員同意把洛杉磯國際機場一處獨立設施租借給一家私人公司，專門為名人或任何付得起1800美元的人服務，幫他們避開擁堵的交通，通過專門路線直接到達主航站樓。
當然，還有更極端的，而且過去就是如此。
20世紀初的「泰坦尼克號」用金屬門把不同等級艙位的乘客隔開。在19世紀，法國鐵路公司不給三等車廂安裝車頂，所以能負擔起二等車廂票價的乘客絕不介意多花幾個法郎。
如今的新情況是，為了嬌寵最富有的客戶，美國大公司們到底願意走多遠。
比如最近，攜帶行李的旅客在紐約登上挪威的這艘Breakaway號郵輪時，大家只能擠在幾部電梯裡，但有幾部電梯沒什麼人坐，但它只對要到頂層艙位的「避風港」乘客開放。不遠處是船上的劇場，紅色絲絨繩索為「避風港」的乘客預留了一片區域。
在海洋世界(SeaWorld)，320美元的基本票價之外，一個四口之家多花80美元就可以插到隊伍最前面，得到乘船和演出的最好位置。對於想要得到更特別待遇的人，還可以去探索灣(Discovery Cove)，它就在奧蘭多海洋世界傳統公園的隔壁。
這裡早已經不是只有和海豚一起游泳了。如今，父母們可以在自己專屬的涼台小屋和海灘上放鬆，他們的小小海洋生物學家們則可以花整天時間，跟着培訓師喂公園裡的鳥、水獺、護士鯊和其他動物，當然，也可以和海豚一起玩耍。
這裡不用怕人插隊：每日的入園人數最高不超過1300人。對於一個四口之家，探索灣的一日游輕易就能達到1000美元。
明年，水晶郵輪公司(Crystal Cruises)將為它最豪華的郵輪線路開設一條航空版：遊客可以乘坐公司定製的波音777飛機，在14天或28天內環遊世界。
伯克利哈斯商業學院的經濟學教授史蒂夫·塔德利斯(Steve Tadelis)說，理論上，「當一個行業能夠為想花錢的人創造更富有的產品線時，這會讓所有都更高興。但是在現實生活中把這件事做好卻是很難很難的。」
當公司區分自己的客戶時，爭議便開始產生：區別究竟應該有多明顯？有些專家，如曾在普華永道與許多娛樂業巨頭合作、擔任他們的被委託人的大衛·克拉克(David Clarke)說，在這種金錢等級制度中，最好是公開不同等級的金額。
「這關乎透明度，」他說。「客戶最討厭遮遮掩掩，對他們不講實話。」
然而，很多公司發現，即便向普通消費者透露一點點特權的信息，都能增加收入，儘管這可能會招致一些嫉妒和不滿。
比如，當普通艙的乘客們湧入巨大的747或A380飛機時，「瞥見淋浴艙或私人艙，會在人們的心目中創造一個市場，」麥肯錫與大航空公司合作的主管阿歷克斯·迪希特(Alex Dichter)說。「很多品牌利用這樣的產品作為工具，激發人們的渴望，階層區分可以創造某些能讓人們覬覦的東西。」
哈佛大學(Harvard)經濟學碩士研究生哈維爾·傑拉維爾(Xavier Jaravel)的新研究發現，雖然富人的選擇增多了，但較為貧窮的美國人從產品創新的獲益更少。不管是銷售高檔灶具、天然奶酪還是單一麥芽蘇格蘭威士忌，面向富人的商品供應者競爭更激烈，不斷推出新產品。但肉罐頭或煙草等低檔商品市場所吸引的新競爭者就沒這麼多。
最富有的購物者的需求也在不斷增加。聖路易斯聯邦儲備銀行(Federal Reserve Bank)的法扎裡和巴裡·Z.塞納蒙(Barry Z. Cynamon)進行的一項研究表明，從2003年到2012年，5%收入最高者的消費額增長了近35%（根據通貨膨脹率重新計算後）。但其他人的消費額增長不到10%。
隨着互聯網和大數據的發展，公司能夠準確找到並迎合這些最富有的顧客，這在十年前是不可想像的事情。「我們能夠了解高端消費者的真實消費心理，知道誰在酒店服務台呆的時間更長，誰在2月份去滑雪，」比約恩·漢森(Bjorn Hanson)說。她在紐約大學(New York University)教授旅遊和酒店管理課程。
對那些努力引誘富有顧客的公司來說，那就意味着要弄清和預測他們想要什麼。「高級客戶不想回答問題，」普華永道的克拉克說，「他們不喜歡摩擦。他們喜歡潤物細無聲的做法。」
但是低端和中端市場仍存在很多摩擦。摩擦程度完全取決於你願意支付多少錢。
「在低端市場，人們的期望發生了根本的改變，」克拉克說，「因為只是一小點花費，所以人們會說，『因為我沒花什麼錢，所以我願意忍受一些不舒適。』」
高管們對精英細分市場優點的表述非常直接，很可能會成為「佔領華爾街運動」(Occupy Wall Street)的支持者或參議員伯尼·桑德斯(Bernie Sanders)抨擊的素材。希恩回憶說，2006年，「避風港」首次推出時，被普通客艙的遊客擠滿，他們支付200美元升級到高級客艙——後者共有40間左右。
所以，他下令立刻停止升艙。他認為，升艙會降低利潤率，損害「避風港」的主要賣點——排外性。
「我們需要把合適的人請上船，讓他們填滿『避風港』，」希恩說。去年他辭去該公司的首席執行官職位。「如果『避風港』被普通人主導，他們就得不到想要的體驗。」
希恩重點關注富有旅行者的做法被證明具有先見之明。挪威郵輪公司的股價暴漲。近些年，在公司設計的新郵輪上，對「避風港」的定位更加明確，它有自己的泳池、休息室、酒吧和餐廳，與船上的其他部分更加隔離。
挪威郵輪公司總裁安迪·斯圖爾特(Andy Stuart)說，2010年，可載4100名乘客的史詩號(Epic)啟航，「[『避風港』的]賓客可憑鑰匙卡進入，可以一直呆在那裡」。
去年，最新的「遁逸號」首航，「避風港」的95間高級客艙安置在郵輪前部位置較高的地方，甚至連相對昂貴的客艙裡的賓客可能也意識不到它的存在。根據季節不同，兩人住在「避風港」的一間客艙裡航游一週可能需要花費1萬美元，而船上普通客艙的費用只要3000美元。
挪威郵輪上的「避風港」是藏起來或至少是偽裝起來的，而它的主要對手皇家加勒比郵輪公司毫不掩飾付錢最多的乘客所享受的待遇。它的皇家套房(Royal Suite)不是船中船，但它的功能與「避風港」相同，只有一項重大差別：普通乘客真的可以把鼻子頂到玻璃上窺探。
在皇家加勒比的新郵輪「讚美詩」(Anthem)號上，用餐者必須先經過專供套房乘客使用的海岸廚房(Coastal Kitchen)的毛玻璃窗，才能走到對所有人開放的帆船咖啡館(Windjammer Café)，圍坐在自助餐桌邊進餐。
海岸廚房裡沒有保暖鍋，它提供白色桌布和上菜服務。那裡悠閑平靜，而帆船咖啡館則是忙碌喧鬧——雖然套房賓客也可以隨意在這裡進餐。
皇家加勒比的商業模式與挪威郵輪公司形成鮮明對比。
挪威郵輪公司的管理者們決定把「避風港」藏起來，而皇家加勒比則採取透明方式。「這是美國人的方式，」皇家加勒比的總裁邁克爾·貝利(Michael Bayley)說，「我覺得這個社會已經準備好接受這種方式——如果你多花錢購買某些服務，你就該得到它們。」
貝利和皇家加勒比的主席理乍得·費恩(Richard Fain)稱，他們在研究「避風港」之後，最終決定不採用船中船的概念。
「那不是皇家加勒比的特色或文化，」貝利說，「把人按照等級隔離開不是美國作風。但是如果你住在中央公園，你就要多花錢。體制就是這樣的。」
皇家加勒比更加適應突顯普通乘客和高級乘客待遇差別的做法，因為近些年這在旅遊行業十分常見。皇家加勒比海的首席運營官亞當·戈爾茨坦(Adam Goldstein)說，該公司在設計新郵輪或推出新設施時，總是考慮賓客的心理感受，但是近些年乘客們的期望發生了變化。
「有很長一段時間，人們接受的觀念是這樣的：出了你的房門，你就和其他人是平等的，」他說，「過去，我們不想在提供服務方面有任何差異。」
戈爾茨坦說，但是，從20世紀90年代末起，「人們的觀念出現重大發展，或者說革命」。而今，出手闊綽的人除了想要更大的房間、更柔軟的床單，還想要得到精心照顧。「他們想處處證明自己是更有價值的消費者，」他說。比如說，皇家套房的乘客與普通乘客在要求送餐服務時會自動得到不同的安排，後者的服務更慢，更不人性化。
在頂級皇家套房住一週的費用超過3萬美元，而普通艙的費用是4000美元。貝利說，我們重點關注「非常富有的旅行者，填滿這些客房毫無困難」。
今年5月，該公司將推出自己的皇家魔仆項目(Royal Genie)——船上消費最高的那些人將擁有自己的私人服務員。皇家魔仆們在賓客上船前就研究他們的偏好，準備一些驚喜，比如提供他們最喜歡的伏特加或蘇格蘭威士忌等房內飲品。
耶魯大學(Yale)管理學教授巴裡·J·納爾巴夫(Barry J. Nalebuff)說，儘管這種無微不至的款待可能有益於生意，可能會讓圍在絲絨繩索裡的人感到高興，但是特權人士和普通人的差距可能最終會讓所有人感到不自在。
「如果我坐在飛機尾部，我想對頭等艙的人們發出噓聲，」納爾巴夫說。他曾為很多財富100強公司提供顧問服務。「如果我坐在前面，人們經過時，我會感到難為情。」
翻譯：董楠、王相如
http://cn.nytstyle.com/travel/20160426/t26velvetrope/zh-hant/
In an Age of Privilege, Not Everyone Is in the Same Boat
In an Age of Privilege, Not Everyone Is in the Same Boat
Companies are becoming adept at identifying wealthy customers and marketing to them, creating a money-based caste system.
MIAMI — Behind a locked door aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship is a world most of the vessel's 4,200 passengers will never see. And that is exactly the point.
In the Haven, as this ship within a ship is called, about 275 elite guests enjoy not only a concierge and 24-hour butler service, but also a private pool, sun deck and restaurant, creating an oasis free from the crowds elsewhere on the Norwegian Escape.
If Haven passengers venture out of their aerie to see a show, a flash of their gold key card gets them the best seats in the house. When the ship returns to port, they disembark before everyone else.
"It was always the intention to make the Haven somewhat obscure so it wasn't in the face of the masses," said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian's former chief executive, who helped design the Escape with the hope of attracting a richer clientele. "That segment of the population wants to be surrounded by people with similar characteristics."
With disparities in wealth greater than at any time since the Gilded Age, the gap is widening between the highly affluent — who find themselves behind the velvet ropes of today's economy — and everyone else.
It represents a degree of economic and social stratification unseen in America since the days of Teddy Roosevelt, J. P. Morgan and the rigidly separated classes on the Titanic a century ago.
What is different today, though, is that companies have become much more adept at identifying their top customers and knowing which psychological buttons to push. The goal is to create extravagance and exclusivity for the select few, even if it stirs up resentment elsewhere. In fact, research has shown, a little envy can be good for the bottom line.
When top-dollar travelers switch planes in Atlanta, New York and other cities, Delta ferries them between terminals in a Porsche, what the airline calls a "surprise-and-delight service." Last month, Walt Disney World began offering after-hours access to visitors who want to avoid the crowds. In other words, you basically get the Magic Kingdom to yourself.
When Royal Caribbean ships call at Labadee, the cruise line's private resort in Haiti, elite guests get their own special beach club away from fellow travelers — an enclave within an enclave.
"We are living much more cloistered lives in terms of class," said Thomas Sander, who directs a project on civic engagement at the Kennedy School at Harvard. "We are doing a much worse job of living out the egalitarian dream that has been our hallmark."
Emmanuel Saez, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, estimates that the top 1 percent of American households now controls 42 percent of the nation's wealth, up from less than 30 percent two decades ago. The top 0.1 percent accounts for 22 percent, nearly double the 1995 proportion.
But even as income inequality and the wealth gap stoke the discontent that has emerged as a powerful force in this year's presidential election, for American business it represents something else entirely. From cruise ship operators and casinos to amusement parks and airlines, the rise of the 1 percent spells opportunity and profit.
Today, ever greater resources are being invested in winning market share at the very top of the pyramid, sometimes at the cost of diminished service for the rest of the public. While middle-class incomes are stagnating, the period since the end of the Great Recession has been a boom time for the very rich and the businesses that cater to them.
From 2010 to 2014, the number of American households with at least $1 million in financial assets jumped by nearly one-third, to just under seven million, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group. For the $1 million-plus cohort, estimated wealth grew by 7.2 percent annually from 2010 to 2014, eight times the pace of gains for families with less than $1 million.
"You go where the money is," said Steven Fazzari, a professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis. "This is where companies are innovating and where there is demand."
In many ways, the rise of the velvet rope reverses the great democratization of travel and leisure, and other elements of American life, in the post-World War II era. As the Jet Set gave way to budget airlines, in places like airports and theme parks even the wealthiest often rubbed shoulders with hoi polloi.
These days, whether the provider is a private company or a public agency, special treatment for the very rich isn't personal, it's business. Late last year, public officials in Los Angeles agreed to lease a separate facility at LAX to a private firm that would serve celebrities or anyone else willing to pay $1,800 to skip the traffic jams and lines at the main terminals.
Of course, it could be more extreme, and in the past it was.
The Titanic, in the early 20th century, separated the different classes of travelers with metal gates. In the 19th century, French railways refrained from putting roofs on third-class wagons so that passengers who could afford more expensive second-class seats would not hesitate to spend a few extra francs.
What is new is just how far big American companies are now willing to go to pamper the biggest spenders.
For example, as luggage-toting guests boarded Norwegian's Breakaway ship in New York recently, cramming into a handful of elevators, there was ample room in one bank. But it was off-limits to anyone but Haven guests going to the top decks. Not far away, in the ship's theater, red velvet ropes cordoned off a section up front for Haven passengers.
At SeaWorld, a family of four can jump to the front of the line and score the best seats for rides and shows for an extra $80, in addition to the basic $320 admission. For people in the market for something more exclusive, there is Discovery Cove, next door to SeaWorld's traditional park in Orlando.
Forget merely swimming with the dolphins. Today, parents can relax at a cabana and beach of their own, while their budding marine biologists spend the day with a trainer, feed the park's birds, otters, nurse sharks and other creatures and, of course, frolic with the dolphins as well.
There are no lines to cut here: Daily attendance is capped at 1,300. A day at Discovery Cove can easily cost $1,000 for a family of four.
Next year, Crystal Cruises will begin an airborne version of one of its luxury ships: a customized Boeing 777 that ferries passengers on 14- or 28-day trips around the world.
In theory, according to Steve Tadelis, a professor of economics at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley, "when an industry is able to create a richer line of products for people looking to spend their money, that makes everybody happier. But getting it right in reality is very, very hard."
As companies separate their clientele, a debate has developed over just how obvious the distinctions should be. Some experts, like David Clarke, who works with leisure industry giants as a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers, say that it is best to be open about what amounts to a money-based caste system.
"It's about transparency," he said. "What customers hate is when you're trying to hide stuff and are not being honest with them."
Many companies, though, have discovered that offering ordinary customers just a whiff of the rarefied air can actually enhance the bottom line, even if it stirs a certain amount of envy and resentment.
As coach passengers pile into giant 747s and A380s, for example, "a glimpse of a shower or private suite creates a marker in people's minds," said Alex Dichter, a director at McKinsey who works with major airlines. "A lot of brands use products like these as an aspirational tool, and class segregation can create something to which people can aspire."
While choices for the rich are expanding, poorer Americans are benefiting less from product innovation, according to new research by Xavier Jaravel, a graduate student in economics at Harvard. Whether they are selling fancy cookware, natural cheeses or single malt Scotch, purveyors of goods aimed at the wealthy are competing more and offering new products. Downscale items like canned meat or tobacco aren't drawing as many new entrants into the market.
There is also increasing demand from the most affluent shoppers. Spending by the top 5 percent of earners rose nearly 35 percent from 2003 to 2012 after adjusting for inflation, according to a study by Mr. Fazzari and Barry Z. Cynamon of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. For everyone else, spending grew less than 10 percent.
And with the rise of the Internet and big data, companies can pinpoint and favor these wealthiest customers in ways unimaginable even a decade ago. "At the high end, we can get into real psychographics and know who spends more time at the concierge or goes skiing in February," said Bjorn Hanson, who teaches courses on tourism and hospitality management at New York University.
For companies trying to entice moneyed customers, that means identifying and anticipating what they want. "The premium customer doesn't want to be asked questions," said Mr. Clarke of PricewaterhouseCoopers. "They don't want friction. They want things to happen through osmosis."
But for people at the lower end of the market, as well as in the middle, plenty of friction remains. The trade-off is that the amount of hassle is precisely calibrated to just how much you are willing to pay.
"At the low end, people's expectations have fundamentally changed," Mr. Clarke said. "Because it's a fraction of the cost, people say, 'I'm willing to take some discomfort because my wallet is staying full.'"
Executives describe the virtues of elite segmentation with a directness that might well serve as fodder for supporters of Occupy Wall Street or Senator Bernie Sanders. At its debut in 2006, the Haven was swamped by tourists from regular quarters who paid $200 to upgrade to one of its 40 or so rooms, Mr. Sheehan recalled.
So he ordered an immediate halt to the upgrades, which undercut profit margins and undermined the Haven's main selling point, exclusivity.
"We needed to fill the Haven by getting the right people on the ship," said Mr. Sheehan, who stepped down as chief executive last year. "When the masses overwhelmed the group in the Haven, they didn't have the experience they were looking for."
Mr. Sheehan's focus on wealthier travelers proved prescient. Norwegian's stock has surged. And as the company designed new vessels in recent years, the Haven became more defined — with its own pool, lounge, bar and restaurant — and more isolated from the rest of the ship.
With the launch of the 4,100-passenger Epic in 2010, "a guest could enter the key card for access, and never leave," said Andy Stuart, Norwegian's president.
And by last year, when the even newer Escape sailed on its maiden voyage, the Haven's 95 staterooms were located so high up in the forward part of the ship that even guests in comparatively expensive staterooms might remain unaware of its existence. Depending on the season, a room in the Haven might cost a couple $10,000 for a weeklong cruise vs. $3,000 for an ordinary stateroom elsewhere on the ship.
While the Haven is hidden, or at least camouflaged, on Norwegian's cruise ships, its archrival Royal Caribbean, by contrast, makes no secret of what is available to passengers who pay the most. Its Royal Suite class isn't a ship within a ship, but it serves much the same function with one significant difference: Regular passengers can push their noses up against the glass, literally.
On Royal Caribbean's new ship Anthem, diners must first walk past the frosted glass windows of Coastal Kitchen, reserved for suite occupants, before they can crowd around the buffet tables of the open-to-everyone Windjammer Café.
There are no chafing dishes in sight at the Coastal Kitchen, where the order of the day is white table cloths and sit-down service. The atmosphere is as calm and leisurely as Windjammer is hectic, although suite guests are free to dine at the latter if they like.
Royal Caribbean's business approach contrasts strikingly with Norwegian's.
While Norwegian executives decided to mostly hide the Haven from view, Royal Caribbean went with transparency. "It's the American way," said Michael Bayley, president of Royal Caribbean. "I think society is prepared to accept that if you pay more for certain elements, then you deserve them."
Mr. Bayley and Royal Caribbean's chairman, Richard Fain, say they ultimately decided against the ship-within-a-ship concept after studying the Haven.
"That's not the mojo or the culture of Royal Caribbean," Mr. Bayley said. "The idea of segregating people into a class system is un-American. But if you live on Central Park, you are going to pay more. That's how the system works."
As has been the case elsewhere in the leisure industry in recent years, Royal Caribbean has become more comfortable with heightening the contrast between the treatment meted out to ordinary passengers and the level of service reserved for the top tier. Royal Caribbean has always considered the psychology of its guests when it designs new ships or introduces new amenities, said Adam Goldstein, the company's chief operating officer, but there has been a shift in passenger expectations in recent years.
"For a long time there was an acceptance that outside the door of your room, you were on an equal footing," he said. "We didn't attempt to have any differentiation in how services were delivered."
Since the late 1990s, however, "there has been a huge evolution, maybe a revolution in attitudes," Mr. Goldstein said. In addition to larger rooms or softer sheets, big spenders want to be coddled nowadays. "They are looking for constant validation that they are a higher-value customer," he said. For example, room service requests from Royal Suite occupants are automatically routed to a number different from the one used by regular passengers, who get slower, less personalized service.
With a week in a top Royal Suite costing upward of $30,000, compared with $4,000 for an ordinary cabin, the focus is on "very affluent travelers, and we have no trouble filling these rooms," Mr. Bayley said.
In May, the company will roll out its Royal Genie program — essentially a personal servant for the highest spenders on board. Royal Genies will research their guests' preferences even before they come aboard and come up with surprises like in-room drinks with their favorite vodka or Scotch.
Even though this kind of pampering might be good for business, and delight those on the right side of the velvet rope, the gap between the privileged and the rest may ultimately leave everyone feeling uneasy, said Barry J. Nalebuff, a professor of management at Yale.
"If I'm in the back of the plane, I want to hiss at the people in first class," said Mr. Nalebuff, who has advised many Fortune 100 companies. "If I'm up front, I cringe as people walk by."
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