Current travel trends indicate cruise customers intend to book sooner rather than later, but as demand ramps back up, inventory is also quickly depleting. So, don’t wait too long to snag cabins for clients.
According to CruiseCompete’s August 2022 CruiseTrends Report, the most popular sailing month requested right now is August for seagoing premium/contemporary sailings, September for river cruises and October for ocean luxury voyages.
Overall, average booking windows are mostly tightening, with luxury travelers reserving 264 days in advance and contemporary/premium cruisers 171 days out. Only river cruisers are spreading the time out further than before, at 310 days in advance, which may reflect some hesitancy for this season based on reports of low river water levels and the possibility of resulting interruptions.
Another survey by Cruiseline.com and Shipmate tells a similar story of cruisers seeking to sail within the next 365 days. An overwhelming 91.4% of those surveyed said they plan to cruise within the next year, with only 2.5% saying they would not and 6.1% indicating indecision either way.
Despite many obstacles, the cruise industry has come a long way in the last year, and this data provided by our community shows that the consumer demand for cruising is strong.
“The numbers from our survey clearly show that travelers are feeling comfortable in cruising once again and are taking the next steps of researching and booking upcoming voyages,” said Jamie Cash, general manager of Cruiseline.com. “Despite many obstacles, the cruise industry has come a long way in the last year, and this data provided by our community shows that the consumer demand for cruising is strong.”
More good news for advisors is that within the group planning to cruise within the next year, 46% have between two and four sailings reserved, indicating high potential for repeat business.
What Is Driving Current Cruise Demand?
CruiseCompete cites seven reasons the marketplace is now seeing an uptick in bookings for 2022 and 2023:
- The newfound casual nature of cruising versus its formal past is appealing to many, as are ever-accumulating creature comforts from the likes of ultra-luxe and even expedition ships.
- As adventure travel picks up steam, expedition cruises to off-the-beaten-path destinations not frequented by most tourists pique current interests. But classic itineraries to Alaska or the Caribbean remain perennial favorites, too.
- Within the expedition cruise market, the poles are of particular interest, with new ships heading to both Antarctica and the larger Arctic region of Greenland and Iceland, extending into northern Canada, Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
- It’s not just expedition ships that are grabbing headlines. Across the board, new ocean ships are coming into service, and there is one to match every traveler personality.
- A greater push toward all-inclusive amenities and value-adds are drawing in clients. These include complimentary beverages and included internet access, butler service, shore excursions, airfare and more.
- Of the new ocean ships coming online, there are those that continue to go bigger, but there are also an increasing number of smaller options with fewer fellow passengers. These vessels can navigate into coveted smaller ports the biggest ships cannot. The smallest such vessels to consider are expedition ships and riverboats.
- Finally, CruiseCompete considers price competition as a cruise catalyst. In order to capture returning demand, lines are clamoring to attract travelers with recent deals.
