Over the past 10 years, the average age of cruise passengers has fallen from 60 to 55, according to recent research from cruise.co.uk. With extra attention paid to family-oriented cruising, an increased number of younger holidaymakers are taking to the seas. Ever-improving facilities for younger audiences and an increased selection of itineraries and port destinations have enticed more varied demographics than ever before.
The results also demonstrated a healthy loyalty to cruise holidays with roughly 85% of respondents indicating that they enjoy cruise holidays ever year. Furthermore, more than a quarter revealed they have taken between six and 10 cruise holidays in their life.
Seamus Conlon, managing director of Cruise.co.uk, explained: “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.”
The research has revealed that reasons for cruise selection remains quite varied with more than half of those involved in the survey suggesting they are tempted by new destinations whilst over a third demonstrated loyalty to their preferred cruise line.
The most desire destination for 2015-16 according the research is the Far East with more than a quarter stating this as their perfect cruise, closely followed by Alaska (25%), Australasia (24%), the Fjords (20%) and the Indian Ocean (19%). Additionally 19% of the respondents revealed they were excited about the prospect of cruise holidays to Cuba following the opening of the route.
Conlon continued: “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.”
Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: Ed Coyle
