Cruise Review 2017

cruiseexperts.org
CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
CRUISE REVIEW
2017
Published June 2018

CONTENTS
PAGE - 04
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2018
PAGE - 05
CRUISE MARKET CLOSES IN
ON TWO MILLION MARK
PAGE - 06
WHO IS CRUISING?
PAGES - 08
CHOOSING A CRUISE
PAGE - 09
WHERE ARE THEY GOING?
PAGE - 11
DESTINATIONS
PAGE - 12
AGE GROUP
PAGE - 13
CRUISE LENGTH
PAGE - 14
AGE & CRUISE LENGTH
PAGE - 15
CRUISE BOOKING BEHAVIOUR
PAGE - 16
CONTACT
02

INTRODUCTION
The British cruise market saw another year of growth in 2017 with a record high
of 1,971,000 cruise passengers setting sail on an ocean cruise, representing an
increase of 4.3 per cent, against 2016.
Cruise held its share of the overall holiday market in 2017 at just over four per cent,
and just under 11 per cent of overseas package holidays, in line with figures seen
in 2016.
Andy Harmer, senior vice-president membership and CLIA UK and Ireland director,
said: “We are thrilled to see the continued growth of the British cruise industry.
This is a strong performance from the UK and Ireland market and indicates that it’s
highly likely the total for 2018 will surpass two million for the first time.
“With an unprecedented number of ships on the global order book, there has never
been a better time to take a cruise, with a wider choice of ships, itinerary and style
of cruise than ever before.”
The overall value of a cruise holiday became a more important factor to consumers
in 2017, with price, value for money, and special offers cited as a key driver of
choice. Specifically, the inclusive drinks package has become a significantly more
important factor driving choice over the past two years, perhaps due to holiday
habits from land-based resorts as more first-time cruisers set sail.
Between 2007 and 2013, lead times were generally declining but since 2013 lead
times have steadily grown, with an average now of seven months, the longest seen
since 2009.
Harmer, added: “We are delighted with this trend, which indicates a solidifying of
consumer confidence, as people are prepared to commit to a cruise in advance.“
03

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2018
• A record number of British holidaymakers took a cruise in 2017, with 1,971,000
setting sail on an ocean cruise, a rise of 4.3 per cent compared to 2016
• The UK and Ireland cruise market is dominated by The Big Three: the
Mediterranean, Caribbean and Northern Europe
• The Mediterranean remains the most popular cruise destination, accounting
for 37% of the market, and growth of more than 12 per cent against 2016
• The over-50s are leading the way in the adventurous exploration cruises to
largely unexplored parts of the world including the Galapagos, and the Polar
regions
• For younger age groups, both Northern Europe and the Caribbean saw double
digit growth from cruisers in their 40’s last year
• Since 2013 lead times have steadily grown, with an average now of seven
months, the longest seen since 2009, indicating a return to confidence
• Nine in ten cruisers plan to take another cruise within a year, and 64 per cent
of these within six months
04

CRUISE MARKET CLOSES IN
ON TWO MILLION MARK
Almost two million cruises were taken by British holidaymakers in 2017, with
a record high of 1,971,000 cruise passengers setting sail on an ocean cruise,
representing an increase of 4.3 per cent, against 2016.
This is a new total for passenger numbers in 2017, and has been revised upwards,
as all 2017 data from cruise lines has been received and corroborated by CLIA
and its research partners.
This is a strong performance from the UK and Ireland market and indicates that
it’s highly likely the total for 2018 will surpass two million for the first time.
Cruise held its share of the overall holiday market in 2017 at just over four per
cent, and just under 11 per cent of overseas package holidays, in line with figures
seen in 2016.
Since 1997 cruise passenger numbers have
grown by 636,000 passengers, an increase
of over 47 per cent in the last ten years
1 UK Cruise Market 2006-17
Year
Passengers
(000s)
2006 1,204 12.4
2007 1,335 10.9
2008 1,477 10.5
2009 1,533 3.8
2010 1,622 5.8
2011 1,700 4.8
2012 1,701 0.1
2013 1,726 1.5
2014 1,644 (4.8)
2015 1,789 8.8
2016 1,889 5.6
2017 1,971 4.3
Source: IRN Research for CLIA UK & Ireland 2017
% growth
05

WHO IS CRUISING?
In 2017, the UK and Ireland cruise market saw growth across all age profiles, clearly
cruise is now resonating with all generations
Bookings from those in their 20s increased by 4.4 percent, by 5.4 per cent for customers in their
30s and by just over 10 per cent for those between 40 and 49.
The biggest growth was seen from the over-50s customers who have the time and money and
are becoming increasingly healthy and adventurous. And within this demographic the growth was
driven by 60 to 69 year old age group, which saw an increase of more than 27 per cent last year.
Born in the mid-1950s, they grew up with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, are healthier and
more active than any other generation before them at this age, and they want to travel widely,
comfortably and with purpose.
2 Destination By Age Group
2 Trade Group & Age Group
Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean,
Western Mediterranean
=70 % growth
5% 4% 4% 5% 11% 21% 26% 24% 12.4
Northern Europe 4% 4% 6% 8% 14% 23% 23% 19% 10.9
Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda 5% 4% 6% 7% 12% 25% 26% 15% 10.5
Canary Islands 3% 2% 2% 3% 6% 16% 30% 39% 3.8
Other 1% 1% 3% 3% 7% 20% 40% 25% 5.8
TransAtlantic 1% 1% 2% 3% 5% 16% 35% 38% 4.8
Baltic 3% 3% 3% 4% 8% 19% 33% 27% 0.1
Asia & China 1% 1% 2% 3% 6% 23% 40% 25% 1.5
Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East 2% 2% 3% 4% 9% 24% 32% 23% (4.8)
Alaska 1% 2% 2% 3% 6% 21% 43% 21% 8.8
Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/
Greenland/Iceland/North Cape)
1% 1% 2% 2% 5% 17% 36% 35% 5.6
World Cruise 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 9% 46% 43% 0.5
Source: IRN Research for CLIA UK & Ireland 2017
Often they are grandparents and will take their grandchildren away with them on a cruise, a trend
known as ‘skip-gen travel’ as the children’s parents stay at home due to work commitments.
The younger age groups, of 50 or less, preferred summer cruises to ones in the winter, sailing to sunny
destinations. The cruise market is dominated by bookings from the south of England, accounting for
40% of bookings in 2017.
06

2 Destination By Age Group
Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean,…
Western Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda
Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda
Canary Islands
Canary Islands
Other
Other
TransAtlantic
TransAtlantic
Baltic
Baltic
Asia & China
Asia & China
Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East
Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East
Alaska
Alaska
Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/Greenland/Iceland/North Cape)
Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/…
World Cruise
World Cruise
=70
07

CHOOSING A CRUISE
The overall value of a cruise holiday became a more important factor to consumers in 2017,
with price, value for money, and special offers cited as a key driver of choice. Specifically, the
inclusive drinks package has become a significantly more important factor driving choice over
the past two years, perhaps due to holiday habits from land-based resorts.
The average cruiser takes around two cruises per year and prefers to cruise in the summer, than winter.
08

FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS
In terms of destination, the UK and Ireland cruise market is dominated by
The Big Three: the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Northern Europe.
The Mediterranean remains the most popular cruise destination for the UK &
Ireland, accounting for 37 per cent of the market. It cemented its number one spot
further in 2017 with growth of more than 12 per cent against 2016.
The second and third most popular destinations, Northern Europe and the Caribbean
respectively, both saw increases of more than 10 per cent year-on-year. And, Alaska,
the fourth most popular destination for British cruisers, saw growth of just under
nine per cent in 2017.
The growth in the Mediterranean came thanks largely to increases in bookings from
customers aged 50 or more. Mediterranean cruise bookings increased by 21 per
cent on 2016 figures for the 50 to 59 age group. Even greater growth was seen
from customers in their 60s, which were up 26 per cent, and sales from passengers
in their 70s were up 24 per cent.
DESTINATION WINNERS
IN 2017:
Mediterranean +12.4%
Northern Europe +10.9%
Caribbean +10.5%
The Mediterranean remains the most popular
cruise destination for the UK & Ireland,
accounting for 37 per cent of the market
09

FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS
Enticing people to cruise for the first time is crucial to safeguard the future of
the industry. Seeing this level of growth for the Mediterranean, the most popular
destination, from the 50-plus demographic is incredibly encouraging. These age
groups make up the foundation of the British cruise market, as they have the
time, money and inclination to cruise.
The 50-plus cruise customers are not only cruising more than last year, they’re also
setting sail in increasingly adventurous destinations. They are cruising increasing
numbers in long-haul destinations, such as Asia and China which saw a 40 percent
increase in bookings from those in their 60s for example.
The over-50s are leading the way when it comes to going on exploration cruises
to largely unexplored parts of the world including the Galapagos, and the Polar
regions, with bookings up more than one-third for cruisers in their 60s and 70s.
However, it’s interesting to note where the growth is coming from for the younger
cruise passengers.
Both Northern Europe and the Caribbean saw double digit growth from cruisers
in their 40s last year, indicating that this age group prefers to use a cruise to
explore places they might not have been to before, rather than the more familiar
Mediterranean region. This trend is also reflected by patterns seen for younger
cruisers in their 20s and 30s with the Caribbean and Northern Europe growth,
slightly beating that seen for the Mediterranean.
10

3 Destination & Quarter
Destinations Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Mediterranean 4% 32% 47% 16%
Northern Europe 5% 37% 35% 23%
Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda 40% 13% 10% 37%
Canary Islands 23% 19% 19% 39%
Other 37% 16% 18% 29%
TransAtlantic 29% 12% 18% 42%
Baltic 50% 50% 1%
Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East 70% 7% 0% 22%
Asia & China 48% 15% 10% 28%
Alaska 42% 58%
Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/
Greenland/Iceland/North Cape)
25% 31% 37% 7%
World Cruise 99% 1% 0% 0%
DESTINATIONS
Unsurprisingly the choice of destination and time of year is split between the
Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises in the summer, and the Caribbean
for the winter months.
Other popular cruise choices for the winter included the Canary Islands, and
TransAtlantic sailings.
Exploration cruise bookings were spread pretty evenly throughout 2017, and
world cruise departures dominated the first three months of the year.
3 Destination & Quarter
Mediterranean,
Mediterranean
Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda
Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda
Canary Islands
Canary Islands
Other
Other
TransAtlantic
TransAtlantic
Baltic
Baltic
Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East
Asia & China
Asia & China
Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East
Alaska
Alaska
Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/Greenland/Iceland/North Cape)
Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/…
World Cruise
World Cruise
11
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

AGE GROUP
Thanks to the necessity for young families to travel during the school holidays, cruise
passengers in their 20s, 30s and 40s dominated bookings for the third quarter of the
year, June, July and August.
This is illustrated by the huge concentration of teenagers and those in their 40s
sailing in Q3. More than two-thirds of all bookings for those aged between 13 and
19, coupled with just under 40 per cent of cruisers in their 40s, fell between June and
August in 2017.
Cruises in the Spring and Autumn proved pretty evenly popular across most age
groups, whilst those between January and March were dominated by those over 50.
4 Quarter & Age Group
Age Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
=70 17% 29% 28% 26%
4 Quarter & Age Group
=70
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
12

CRUISE LENGTH
Once again the school holidays in August means that the biggest
concentration of bookings come in the third quarter of the year,
with the traditional seven-day itinerary accounting for just under
40 per cent of all bookings between June and August.
Two-week cruises are more evenly distributed throughout the
year, with more taken in Spring and Autumn, although a third
were still taken in the summer months.
Short cruises, of three days or less, proved most popular in the
Spring, with one-third of bookings coming between March and
June.
5 Quarter and Cruise length
Cruise Length Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Up to 3 Days 13% 33% 25% 29%
4-6 Days 11% 32% 23% 34%
7 Days 14% 30% 39% 18%
8-13 Days 13% 26% 33% 28%
14 Days 22% 22% 34% 22%
15-20 Days 17% 30% 20% 33%
21 Days Plus 48% 12% 12% 28%
>=70 17% 29% 28% 26%
5 Quarter and Cruise length
Up Up to to 33 Days
4-6 4-6 Days Days
7 Days 7 days
8-13 Days
14 Days 14 days
15-20 Days days
21 21 Days Plus
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
13

AGE AND CRUISE LENGTH
The lowest age of cruise passengers is naturally seen in the Summer months, thanks to the
number of families travelling. The average age of customers between June and August in 2017
was 52.8 years’ old, and the average duration was just over nine days, reflecting the mix of
young families taking seven and 14-night sailings.
The winter months of January, February and March unsurprisingly see the oldest average age
and the longest duration, just over 60 years’ old and an average of almost 12 days. The average
age in this part of the year increased from 58 to 60 between 2016 and 2017, indicating a link
to repeat cruisers booking a trip for this time of year.
Spring (March to June) and Autumn (September to December) departures saw a similar average
age of around 57. However cruises taken in the Autumn tended to be slightly longer, perhaps
due to time off around Christmas with family and friends.
6 Age and Cruise Length
Cruise Length 2016 2017
Age
Cruise
Length
Age Cruise Length
Q1 58.59 11.98 60.13 11.89
Q2 57.51 9.32 57.14 9.44
Q3 52.24 9.61 52.83 9.46
Q4 57.30 10.57 57.51 10.30
Average 55.87 10.17 56.30 10.09
6 Age and Cruise Length
=70
Up to 3 Days 4-6 Days 7 Days 8-13 Days 14 days 15-20 days 21 Days Plus
14

CRUISE BOOKING
BEHAVIOUR
Around half of cruise holidaymakers who took a cruise in 2017 booked their last cruise within
six months of departure, with just over one-third doing so within four months of departure.
Between 2007 and 2013, lead times were generally declining but since 2013 lead times have
steadily grown, with an average now of seven months, the longest seen since 2009. This indicates
an increase in confidence as people are prepared to commit to a cruise in advance.
7 Age Profile of UK & Ireland Cruise Cruise Passengers 2016-17
Passenger
2016 2017 2016 2017
Grand Total 1,960 1,971
=70 333 347 22.5% 24.4%
No Age
Provided
Total with
data
482 552 NA NA
1,478 1,419 100.00%
The average lead booking time
for a cruise holiday in 2017 was
seven months, the longest seen
since 2009, indicating a return in
consumer confidence
15

THE HIGHEST RATED RIVER CRUISE SHIPS
CLIA UK & IRELAND IS DELIGHTED TO BE
SUPPORTED BY OVER 50 OF THE WORLD’S
LEADING CRUISE LINES
cruiseexperts.org
cruiseexperts.org @CLIAUK CLIAEurope @CLIAEuro
Contact Us
Web & Email :
ukinfo@cruising.org
cruiseexperts.org
Phone :
+44 (0)203 903 5450
Address :
Suite 405 | 54 Fenchurch
Street | London | EC3M 3JY