Record numbers of passengers are boarding cruise ships, surpassing 2019 levels and shattering sales records.Revenge travel is a contributing reason in the resurgence, but smaller ship sizes and accessibility to new, remote locations are also significant drivers of passenger interest.
Cruising is once again on the travel agenda. According to Michael Holmes, vice president of marketing for Global Rescue, the top provider of medical, security, evacuation, and travel risk management services, 40% of respondents have already taken a cruise since the pandemic began or, if they haven’t, they expect to in 2023.
The popularity of smaller cruise ships is growing. According to studies, industry insiders predict that by 2030, the number of smaller cruise ships would have doubled. Smaller ships are preferred by cruise passengers, according to the Global Rescue Spring 2023 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.
Small ship cruisers with a capacity of fewer than 800 passengers will be used to set sail for half of respondents who cruise (50%) of the respondents. Only 11% of respondents who said they would go on a cruise this year chose a megaship that could hold more than 3,500 people.One-fifth of cruise lovers (20%) choose mid sized ships (1,500–2,500 passengers), while the same percentage like large ships (2,500–3,500 passengers). Seventeen percent of respondents who enjoy cruising prefer small–mid sized ships (800–1,499 passengers).
“Compared to mega-cruise ships, smaller cruise ships are easier to maneuver and have more port access. Inaccessible to larger ships, secluded harbors, far-flung locations, gorgeous beaches, and ports are now accessible to river cruisers thanks to the lower capacity ships, according to Holmes.
According to the Global Rescue survey, the most seasoned travelers in the globe favor tropical cruises (21%), glacier excursions (14%), and fjord excursions (12%). The top seven cruise itineraries that travelers have scheduled for 2023 include river, transocean, fall foliage, and Panama Canal excursions.
The effects of inflation and forecasts of a potential recession are being dismissed by survey respondents. Nearly half of the respondents (45%), as per the Global Rescue poll, intend to cover the higher travel expenses without cutting corners.
Source: traveldailymedia