2007 Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey: Most Revealing Look Yet at Cruise Trends Including Popular Destinations...
2007 Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey: Most Revealing Look Yet at Cruise Trends Including Popular Destinations, Ports of Call, and Itineraries
3rd Annual Survey also Identifies Top Emerging Destinations and Reasons for Booking Cruise
Cruise Holidays -- the oldest and largest cruise specialty retailer in North America -- released findings from its authoritative 2007 Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey, in which the Caribbean ranks as the top cruise destination for the third year in a row (with Alaska coming in second) and Ft. Lauderdale ranks as the top embarkation point. Yet the Mediterranean is magical, especially on 12-day cruises which offer the most favored itineraries for longer cruises, while 7-day Alaskan cruises and 5-day Western Caribbean cruises are the top itineraries for mid- and shorter-length cruises, respectively. This information comes from precise booking data based on actual bookings of the Cruise Holidays network from January 1 through March 31, 2007.
"Our research shows that nearly 82% of all cruises booked in the first quarter of this year are six days or longer," said Peter D. Thomson, vice president and COO of Cruise Holidays. "While the Caribbean is still the most popular destination overall, the Mediterranean is becoming 'must-see' territory for repeat and first-time cruisers alike. We are also seeing continued interest among our customers in spending a significant amount of time exploring the Alaskan wilderness. In addition to 7-day Alaskan cruises being our top mid-length cruise booked, four of the top ten 'long' itineraries were also Alaskan cruises."
The following information is based on actual bookings made between January 1 and March 31, 2007, by Cruise Holidays stores in the U.S. and Canada:
2007 Top Cruise Destinations % of Bookings 1. Caribbean 46.7% 2. Alaska 19.4% 3. Mexican Riviera 6.4% 4. Europe - Mediterranean 6.2% 5. Hawaii 5.0% 6. Bermuda 4.2% 7. Panama Canal 2.5% 8. New England/Maritime Canada 1.9% 9. Europe - Baltic 1.4% 10. Trans-Atlantic 0.9% 2007 Top Caribbean Itineraries % of Bookings 1. 7-day Western Caribbean 29.4% 2. 7-day Eastern Caribbean 19.1% 3. 5-day Western Caribbean 11.5% 4. 7-day Southern Caribbean 9.2% 5. 4-day Western Caribbean 5.2%
Western Caribbean itineraries could include ports of call such as: Key West, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Belize. Eastern Caribbean itineraries could include: The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Turk & Caicos and U.S. V.I. Southern Caribbean itineraries could include: Antigua, Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, and St. Lucia.
2007 Top European Itineraries % of Bookings 1. 12-day Mediterranean 27.9% 2. 7-day Mediterranean 12.5% 3. 14-day Mediterranean 9.9% 4. 10-day Mediterranean 7.5% 5. 12-day Baltic 4.7% Average Length of Cruise Length of Cruise % of Bookings 1. 6-7 days 51.2% 2. 4-5 days 13.7% 3. 8-10 days 13.6% 4. 11-14 days 13.4% 5. Less than 4 days 4.4% 6. Longer than 14 days 3.7% Top "Long" Itinerary - 9 days or more Destinations % of Bookings 1. 12-day Mediterranean 9.35% 2. 9-day Eastern Caribbean 5.58% 3. 12-day Alaska 5.05% 4. 10-day Southern Caribbean 4.78% 5. 11-day Alaska 4.48% Top "Mid-Length" Itinerary - 6-8 day Destinations % of Bookings 1. 7-day Alaska 25.98% 2. 7-day Western Caribbean 22.86% 3. 7-day Eastern Caribbean 14.68% 4. 7-day Southern Caribbean 7.07% 5. 7-day Hawaii 5.80% Top "Short" Itinerary - 1-5 days Destinations % of Bookings 1. 5-day Western Caribbean 26.43% 2. 4-day Bahamas 14.45% 3. 3-day Bahamas 12.79% 4. 4-day Western Caribbean 11.99% 5. (tie) 3-day Mexican Riviera 6.17% 5. (tie) 5-day Bermuda 6.17% 2007 Top Embarkation Points for Cruises % of Bookings 1. Fort Lauderdale, FL 12.8% 2. Miami, FL 11.1% 3. Vancouver, BC 10.0% 4. Port Canaveral, FL 8.3% 5. Seattle, WA 6.7% 6. Los Angeles, CA 5.7% 7. New York, NY 5.2% 8. San Juan, PR 4.6% 9. Houston/Galveston, TX 4.2% 10. Honolulu, HI 3.7% 11. Seward, AK 3.4% 12. Tampa, FL 2.7% 13. San Diego, CA 2.4% 14. Bayonne/Cape Liberty, NJ 2.2% 15. Rome, Italy 2.1%
The following data is based on a supplemental part of the 2007 Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey where questions were directly asked of all Cruise Holidays franchise owners. This information represents 70% of the Cruise Holidays network.
Emerging Destinations 1. South America 2. (tie) Europe - Baltic 2. (tie) Australia/New Zealand 4. (tie) Croatia 4. (tie) Greek Isles Most Popular Caribbean Island/Port of Call Caribbean Port Percentage 1. St. Thomas 48.6% 2. Grand Cayman 15.3% 3. Cozumel 9.7% 4. (tie) Aruba 5.6% 4. (tie) St. Maarten/St. Martin 5.6% Most Popular European Port of Call European Port Percentage 1. Rome 45.3% 2. Venice 36.0% 3. Barcelona 8.0% 4. St. Petersburg 4.0% 5. (tie) Dover 1.3% 5. (tie) Greek Isles 1.3% 5. (tie) Kusidasi/Ephesus 1.3%
Which of the following do you hear most often from your customers regarding their reasons for taking a particular cruise vacation?
2007
1. Particular itinerary 92.4%
2. Particular cruise line 77.2%
3. Price 67.2%
4. Particular embarkation point 40.5%
5. Particular cruise ship 24.2%
5. Accommodations - i.e. type of stateroom 24.2%
7. Group space 19.0%
8. Amenities - i.e. spa, gym or fitness classes,
dining, onboard activities 13.9%
9. Excursions 7.6%
10. Other - "time of year" 1.4%
Regarding 2007 bookings to date, what trends have you noticed?
1. Europe bookings are up over last year 64.6%
2. Clients are feeling more confident about
traveling farther from home 59.5%
3. Mexico bookings are even with last year 51.9%
4. A majority of my bookings include airfare 50.6%
5. Clients are spending more per vacation 49.4%
6. A majority of my bookings include arranged transfers 48.1%
7. Caribbean bookings are even with last year 43.0%
8. (tie) Alaska bookings are up over last year 34.2%
8. (tie) Alaska bookings are even with last year 34.2%
8. (tie) Caribbean bookings are up over last year 34.2%
For more information about Cruise Holidays or to learn about joining the Cruise Holidays network, call 800-496-2255 or visit http://www.cruiseholidays.com/ .
Cruise Holidays is the oldest and largest cruise-specialty retail franchise in North America, with stores in both the United States and Canada. Cruise Holidays is also a distinguished provider of land tour vacation packages. Founded in 1984, Cruise Holidays was acquired in 2001 by Carlson Travel Network Associates, Inc., one of the world's largest and most respected travel franchisers and a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Carlson. Carlson brands include: T.G.I. Fridays, Radisson Hotels, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Country Inn and Suites, and Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, among others.
Source: Cruise Holidays
Web site: http://www.cruiseholidays.com/
