Remember Y2K? Simultaneously it seems like yesterday AND a million years ago.
In 2000, the largest cruise ship was the Explorer of the Seas (137,000 tons). Now we have ships well over 200k tons, as well as a long list of small ships created to accommodate those people who don’t subscribe to “bigger is better”. The river cruise industry was in its infancy, and expedition cruising was a restricted to the hard-core explorer type traveller.
The cruise industry also doubled in size between 2000 and 2010, and then doubled again between 2010 and 2020.
And then, the whole industry got a year or more time off (the pandemic “break”), when questions about the industry weren’t just about WHAT the future might look like, but IF the cruise industry could survive.
Apparently, those who love to cruise have clearly signalled they want to continue to travel in this way, because 2022, 2023, and 2024 bookings far exceed any previous years to date. Undoubtedly, part of this is a reaction to being unable to travel for many months, but it seems the industry will continue to thrive.
The time off has also enabled a bit of a re-think about how to proceed, and here are some of the early trends we are seeing:
- Smaller is bigger. We knew that luxury-leisure would be the first segment of cruising to recover, but the trend towards smaller ships with higher levels of quality and service will continue to grow faster than the industry as a whole. Don’t worry… the massive floating amusement parks will still have a place in the market – those ships will just be slower to return to service and bookings will grow at a more moderate rate.
- More Inclusions. Higher-end consumers have signalled they would rather pay up-front, rather than be ‘nickel and dimed’ when on vacation, so look to see more inclusions in the fare. For a listing of inclusions by cruise line, see this article we posted a few weeks ago: https://pamperedcruiser.com/how-to-get-the-best-value-for-a-cruise/
- Rivers. This segment continues to grow quicker than others – perhaps because it attracts both ocean cruisers as well as those who hate the megaships.
- Expedition is the “new river”. River cruising was a novelty 20 years ago and grew quickly. We are seeing signals that Expedition Cruising is at the front end of that trend now. Most obviously, people want to go to Antarctica so they can say they’ve been to all seven continents, but demand for the Galapagos Islands, the Arctic, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, the Amazon, and other more remote places continues to intrigue people.
- Less Frequented Ports. We are seeing cruises start and finish in larger ports (primarily for easy access to larger airports) but have the ports of call be small, out of the way places, so people can return to regions they’ve been to before and still see something new.
- Overnight Stays. Places look and feel different at night (particularly cities), and cruise ships are spending more time docked at night, so guests can experience these places after dark.
- Wellness. Cruise ships used to be the place you would go to sit on a deck chair for a week between trips to the buffet, where you’d gain 2 pounds for every day aboard. Spas, fitness and wellness classes, as well as guest lecturers are now quite common.
- Sustainability. There is no doubt a 5000-passenger megaship represents gluttony and excess to many people. The cruise industry faces significant challenges to overcome these perceptions. Some cruise lines have taken this seriously by re-engineering their ships to consume far less energy and making decisions around things like reusable plastics to cut down on waste. There is still much work to be done here, but the fact the discussion is occurring is encouraging.
- Longer Voyages. This trend may be directly related to the pandemic, but people want to be away longer. Many cruise lines have designed their schedules so you can do back-to-back cruises without repeating any ports, giving guests the option of how long they want to stay aboard.
- Ship Innovations. The most imminent engineering improvement is better internet at sea, and the integration of APPs and other technologies that increase connectivity on board. There are more innovations coming with all the ships currently under construction (and there a lot of them).
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Close to Home with American Queen Voyages
You may have caught the news last month that American Queen Steamboat Company is consolidating its river brand with its Victory brand. The impact for guests is that you can now get all the things you love about river cruising on the ocean and Great Lakes. Here’s some examples:
- Yucatan Peninsula: 10 days, departing January 4th, starting at $1799 per person. Start in Cozumel, then visit Campeche, Progreso, and Valladolid, and fly home from Cancun. A great way to see the part of Yucatan that hasn’t been completely overrun by tourism.
- Costa Rica to San Diego: 20 days, departing April 18th, starting at $4099 per person. This is the inaugural voyage of the Ocean Victory – a brand new Expedition ship with only 186 guests.
- Portland, Maine to Toronto: 12 days, departing April 28th for $4049 per person.
- Chicago to Toronto – 11 days. Multiple departures May through September – $4699 per person.
The Victory ships only hold just 200 guests (186 on Ocean Victory), and have all the inclusions the river ships have: pre-cruise hotel night, unlimited shore excursions, all beverages, Wi-Fi on the ship, etc.
Viking Ocean Cruises
We are seeing some incentives from Viking Ocean for warm-weather cruises, a bit closer to home. All these cruises include free air and a stateroom upgrade if booked by October 31st:
- Eastern Caribbean: Round trip from Ft. Lauderdale for 2 weeks, departing Nov 3rd, for $3299 pp.
- Panama Canal (Full transit): From Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles (or reverse) – 18 days, 6 countries. Departures:
- Nov 17th ($3999 pp)
- Feb 6th ($4599 pp)
- March 23rd ($4599 pp)
- Panama Canal (Partial Transit): Round trip Fort Lauderdale for 2-weeks – 7 countries at $3999 pp. Departures on Nov 26th, Dec 10th, Feb 23rd, March 9th
- Hawaii: 17 days round trip from LA, for $3999 pp. Departures Dec 4th and Dec 20th
The prices listed above are for the best-priced Veranda Room and include all taxes and fees. These cruises are all protected by Viking’s Risk-Free Guarantee, and Viking’s price always includes airport transfers, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and Wi-Fi on the ship.
Uniworld Boutique River Collection
We are seeing some VERY interesting offers from Uniworld, and we recently released a video about this on our YouTube channel. In the video, you’ll discover:
- 5 ways Uniworld is different. (One way: they offer Rail add-ons in Europe, so you can take a luxury train journey before or after your river cruise).
- How to COMBINE river cruise discounts for best value and lowest prices. We give you multiple examples with exact prices, including some for less than $1999 per person.
- How to get 50% off a Christmas Markets River Cruise.
- Are you a good fit with Uniworld? Answer 4 simple questions and you’ll know for sure.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/5inci9xXT0M
Book by Oct. 31st, 2021 to get the prices mentioned here and in the video.
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
