Cruise.co.uk study revealed that younger passengers are attracted by new onboard activities
By
Rebecca Gibson |
The average age of the British cruiser has decreased from 60 in 2004 to 55 in 2014, according to a new survey from Cruise.co.uk.
The company’s first Quarterly Cruise Comparison revealed that onboard activities such as rock climbing, yoga classes and fitness spas, have led to an increase in the number of younger passengers choosing cruise holidays.
Around 85% of the respondents indicated that they cruise once a year, while 26% revealed that they have been on six to ten cruises in their lifetime. A fifth claimed to have sailed on more than 20 different cruises.
“As the cruise industry continues to innovate and expand to a wider audience, it’s interesting to see that the average age of the British cruiser is decreasing year-on-year, as the industry continues to cater more and more to a progressively younger audience,” said Seamus Conlon, managing director of Cruise.co.uk.
In addition, the survey showed that while 53% of cruisers indicated that they like to travel to new destinations, almost a third revealed that they would only travel to destinations offered by their preferred operator.
The destination people want to visit most in 2015-2016 is the Far East. Chosen by 27% of the respondents, the Far East was closely followed by Alaska (25%), Australasia (24%), the Fjords (20%) and the Indian Ocean (19%). In addition, 13% of respondents indicated that they were most looking forward to the prospect of cruising in Cuba.
Meanwhile, Europe is set to be the most popular destination for river cruises in 2015-2016. Around 46% of respondents want to cruise on the Danube, while 36% are planning to sail on the Rhine, 23% on the Mississippi in the US, 17% on the Mekong in Southeast Asia and 14% on the Douro in Spain.
“Each cruise experience is unique and specific to particular types of travellers, which is why we thoroughly recommend people take their time to consider which cruise is for them. This perhaps explains why many tend to travel on cruise liners they trust and have enjoyed in the past, but clearly there is a significant rise in the number of people interested in travelling to new destinations as more and more become available.”