Cruising has become something of a phenomenon over the last 10 years. It can no longer be thought of as an over 60s activity that only the super-rich can afford and were everybody learns how to waltz somewhere in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Cruise companies have diversified and now offer not only a much larger range of destinations but also theme, length, price, quality and demographic. This has made cruising a great deal more popular with previously-uninterested groups, and has also meant that more people are choosing to book one than ever before.
The UK are those at the forefront of this move off of terra firma. Britain has also been a sea-loving nation and it seems they have been proving it by racking up a huge 1.5 million cruises last year between them. This is unbelievably 33% of the number of cruises taken by all Europeans. Only Germany has a vague chance of challenging this title with a total of 21% market share according to results from a study conducted by Silversea Cruises at the Seatrade cruise convention in Miami.
Those destinations most popular with Europeans were the Atlantic Islands and the Med. Which just goes to show that nobody can resist a bit of sunbathing and pure waters. These days you dont even have to get off the ship to enjoy the holiday lifestyle either. Most modern luxury cruises are equipped with multiple swimming pools, dining halls, theatres and even golf courses.
“A rise of just under 70% has been seen over the last 5 years, in the European cruise markets alone…a trend that is set to continue says chairman of the ECC and CEO of Peter Deilmann Cruises, David Dingle.
According to Dingle, there are currently 17 new cruise ships being constructed for European companies and will all enter the market by 2012.