Cruising is still a preferred vacation idea for many travelers. And, those who love cruise, will always like to find a way to sail. Therefore in these times of COVID-19, cruising, though risky, is still dreamt of. Most cruise lines are yet to sail again, but travelers already have their plans in mind. At least, that is what surveys show.
A recent survey by CruiseCompete.com has uncovered some interesting insights about new attitudes among cruise travelers. Well-travelled consumers are ready to start cruising and that is a satisfying sign for the industry to hope for a revival in coming months.
When asked if COVID-19 has changed how they will choose their next cruise, 58.7% report that they will compare the onboard policies of cruise lines before deciding which line they will book.
However, the vast majority of survey respondents plan to cruise again before the end of 2021, (86.6% at least somewhat likely, with 62.3% definitely or very likely).
Top destinations (respondents were encouraged to select all that apply) are Caribbean/Mexico (57.2%), Europe (43.5%) and Alaska (13.7%). Other destinations of interest include Hawaiian Islands and South Pacific, Canada/New England, World, Transatlantic, Antarctica, Galapagos Islands, Panama Canal and Asia. Some respondents also expressed an interest in river and small ships.
“CruiseCompete members as a whole have been on far more sailings than the average cruise consumer,” says CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein. “They know the onboard experience that they’re looking for, and they will definitely consider how COVID-19 mitigation will affect that when choosing their next cruise vacation.”
Other attitude changes in this new era include more interest in cruises requiring fewer flights (20.8%) and smaller ocean ships (17.7%).
Only 12.8% expect to have less money to spend, and just 10.3% have an increased interest in river cruising.
“CruiseCompete’s model of empowering consumers to research and select a sailing, and then compare multiple, competing custom offers from the top agencies in the business attracts the most-sophisticated cruisers out there,” says Levinstein. “They need the least hand-holding and have talked to enough people on previous cruises to know just how much you can save by shopping around. That educated consumers are so ready to start cruising again speaks volumes for the health of the industry.”
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