Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Frequent cruisers dominate the market; brands struggle to recruit new cruisers
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- Figure 1: Past three-year cruise incidence and mean number of cruises, 2008-15
- Safety concerns linger among younger cruisers
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- Figure 2: Attitudes toward cruising – Safety, by age, June 2015
- The tyranny of increasing expectations
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- Figure 3: The cruising experience – Onboard activities, by contemporary/premium lines and brands, June 2015
- Despite added capacity, ships go out full
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- Figure 4: New North American cruise ship capacity, new berths by year, 2011-18
- The opportunities
- New travel patterns offer access to new cruisers
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- Figure 5: Primary reason for most recent cruise, by contemporary/premium lines, June 2015
- Getting non-cruisers to see the value proposition
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- Figure 6: Attitudes toward cruising – Value, by cruisers/non-cruisers, June 2015
- Better use of technology key to long-term growth
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- Figure 7: The cruising experience – Mobile and social, by contemporary/premium lines and brands, June 2015
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Cruise market booming
- Caribbean still king but rivers see fastest growth
- Despite added capacity, ships go out full
Market Size and Forecast
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- North American cruisers’ expenditures to double from 2010-20
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- Figure 8: Total sales and fan chart forecast of cruise expenditures by passengers originating in North America, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 9: Total sales and forecast of cruise expenditures by passengers originating in North America, at current prices, 2010-20
Market Breakdown
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- Bahamas number one destination, and growing
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- Figure 10: Areas cruised in the last three years, 2015 vs 2008
- River and specialty cruises growing fast, gaining market share
- Longer cruises mean higher fares
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- Figure 11: Breakdown of average cruise spending, 2010-15
Market Perspective
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- Cruise spending outpaces total leisure spending
- Frequent cruisers boost US market
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- Figure 12: Past three-year cruise incidence and mean number of cruises, 2008-15
- Ships go out full . . .
- . . . and keep getting bigger
- Per-cruise spending by US cruisers trending stabilizing
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- Figure 13: Amount spent per person on most recent cruise, 2008-15
Market Factors
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- Cruise lines shift resources to Asia
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- Figure 14: International tourism expenditures by five highest-spending countries, 2013-14
- Continued strong growth in 55+ population
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- Figure 15: US population by age, 2010-20
- Growth of high-income population
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- Figure 16: Share of US households with income $150K+, 2008-14
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Carnival still dominant, but Norwegian growing share
- Industry struggles to attract new cruisers
- Future of cruises includes better technology and dynamic pricing
Profile of Leading Cruise Brands
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- Leading contemporary brands
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Leading premium brands
- Princess Cruises
- Holland America Line
- Celebrity Cruises
- Leading specialty cruise line
- Disney Cruise Line
- Norwegian sees growing penetration
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- Figure 17: Cruise lines used in the last three years, 2015 vs 2008
What’s Working?
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- Ships continue to add novel features
- Themed cruises help brands to attract new cruisers
- River cruises continue to grow in popularity
- Cruises to festivals and events
- Brand partnerships thrive
What’s Struggling?
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- Brands work to acquire new cruisers
- Health and safety concerns linger
What’s Next?
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- More attention to large and small travel parties
- Themed cruises aimed at Boomers and Millennials
- More tinkering with pricing
- More brands fully embrace technology
- Small ships stage a comeback
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Contemporary lines dominant
- Despite skewing older, cruisers are active vacationers
- Safety concerns linger, but value a bigger concern
- New travel patterns and increasing expectations challenge cruise lines
Past Cruising Experience
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- Carnival and Royal Caribbean dominant brands
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- Figure 18: Past cruising experience, by cruise line, June 2015
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- Figure 19: Past cruising experience, June 2015
- Carnival leads in diversity
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- Figure 20: Past five-year cruising experience, by cruise line, race, and Hispanic origin, June 2015
Profile of Cruisers
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- Seniors, high-income groups, Blacks, and Asians most likely to cruise
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- Figure 21: Profile of cruisers, by age, household income, race, and Hispanic origin, February 2014-March 2015
- Life changes and cruising go together
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- Figure 22: Profile of cruisers, by recent life events, February 2014-March 2015
Cruise Line Most Recently Used
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- Contemporary lines capture 62% of most recent cruises
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- Figure 23: Cruise line most recently used, June 2015
- Royal Caribbean customers more likely to cruise again
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- Figure 24: Plans to cruise in the next 12 months, by sole cruise line used in the last three years, February 2014-March 2015
- Carnival and Disney lead with young adults
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- Figure 25: Cruise line most recently used, by age and household income, June 2015
- Married couples without kids favor premium lines
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- Figure 26: Cruise line most recently used, by marital status and presence of children in household, June 2015
- Black consumers flock to Carnival
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- Figure 27: Cruise line most recently used, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2015
Most Recent Cruise Destination and Destinations of Interest
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- Cruisers dream of Hawaii but visit the Bahamas
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- Figure 28: Most recent cruise destination, by cruise destinations of interest, June 2015
- Cruisers favor destinations they have visited recently
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- Figure 29: Cruise destinations of interest, by most recent cruise destination, June 2015
- Young adults favor nearby destinations
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- Figure 30: Most recent cruise destination, by age, June 2015
- Interest in cruising peaks among 35-54s
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- Figure 31: Cruise destinations of interest, by age, June 2015
- Bahamas hold appeal for all income groups
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- Figure 32: Most recent cruise destination, by household income, June 2015
Brand Attributes
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- Royal Caribbean and Disney most admired brands
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- Figure 33: Cruise lines – Positive brand attributes, June 2015
- Disney’s prices discourage some
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- Figure 34: Cruise lines – Negative brand attributes, June 2015
- Seniors value brands for quality and reliability
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- Figure 35: Cruise lines positive brand association, by age, June 2015
- English-dominant Hispanics enthusiastic about cruise brands
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- Figure 36: Cruise lines positive brand associations, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2015
Primary Reason for Most Recent Cruise
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- Group and solo travel increasingly important
- Multigenerational travel a growing segment
- Solo travel gaining acceptance
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- Figure 37: Primary reason for most recent cruise, by contemporary/premium lines, June 2015
- Group and solo travel offers brands exposure to younger cruisers
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- Figure 38: Primary reason for most recent cruise, by age, June 2015
- More Hispanic cruisers travel solo or with corporate groups
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- Figure 39: Primary reason for most recent cruise, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
- Both single and married cruisers travel without family
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- Figure 40: Primary reason for most recent cruise, by marital status and presence of children in household, June 2015
The Cruising Experience – Onboard Amenities
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- Premium line cruisers more satisfied
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- Figure 41: The cruising experience – Onboard amenities, by contemporary/premium lines and brands, June 2015
- Recent cruisers want more activities from Disney and Carnival
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- Figure 42: The cruising experience – Onboard activities, by contemporary/premium lines and brands, June 2015
- Seniors happy with dining and entertainment
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- Figure 43: The cruising experience – Onboard activities, by age, June 2015
- Hispanics not content to relax in a deck chair
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- Figure 44: The cruising experience – Onboard activities, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
- Couples without children most satisfied with cruises
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- Figure 45: The cruising experience – Onboard activities, by marital status and presence of children, June 2015
The Cruising Experience – Planning and Booking
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- Travel agents still important to cruise industry
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- Figure 46: The cruising experience – Planning and booking, by contemporary/premium lines and brands, June 2015
- Travel agents have influence with 55+ cruisers
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- Figure 47: The cruising experience – Planning and booking, by age, June 2015
- More Hispanics book at the last minute
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- Figure 48: The cruising experience – Planning and booking, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
The Cruising Experience – Mobile and Social
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- Disney leading in social media engagement
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- Figure 49: The cruising experience – Mobile and social, by contemporary/premium lines and brands, June 2015
- Men most interested in cruise line apps
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- Figure 50: The cruising experience – Mobile and social, by gender and age, June 2015
- Hispanics engage via social media
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- Figure 51: The cruising experience – Mobile and social, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
Attitudes toward Cruising – Value
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- Cruises provide better value
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- Figure 52: Attitudes toward cruising – Value, by cruisers/non-cruisers, June 2015
- Younger cruisers see value but hate hidden costs
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- Figure 53: Attitudes toward cruising – Value, by age, June 2015
- Dads find good deals on cruises
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- Figure 54: Attitudes toward cruising – Value, by parental status by gender, June 2015
- Hispanics likely to share good deals
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- Figure 55: Attitudes toward cruising – Value, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
Attitudes toward Cruising – Safety
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- Safety and hygiene concerns linger
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- Figure 56: Attitudes toward cruising – Safety, by cruisers/non-cruisers, June 2015
- Safety fears plague younger cruisers
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- Figure 57: Attitudes toward cruising – Safety, by age, June 2015
- Cruise lines can reassure parents that safety is a priority
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- Figure 58: Attitudes toward cruising – Safety, by gender and parental status, June 2015
- Hispanics worry about safety
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- Figure 59: Attitudes toward cruising – Value, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
Attitudes toward Cruising – Personality
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- Cruisers see themselves as active and outgoing
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- Figure 60: Attitudes toward cruising – Personality, by cruisers/non-cruisers, June 2015
- Some older cruisers not looking for novelty
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- Figure 61: Attitudes toward cruising – Personality, by age, June 2015
- Cruising parents especially active and extroverted
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- Figure 62: Attitudes toward cruising – Personality, by gender and parental status, June 2015
- Hispanics seek new adventures
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- Figure 63: Attitudes toward cruising – Personality, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
Attitudes toward Cruising – Travel Preferences
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- Cruisers look for novelty, activity and itineraries
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- Figure 64: Attitudes toward cruising – Travel preferences, by cruisers/non-cruisers, June 2015
- Under-35s seek novelty and action
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- Figure 65: Attitudes toward cruising – Travel preferences, by age, June 2015
- Dads want to see new places on a schedule
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- Figure 66: Attitudes toward cruising – Travel preferences, by gender and parental status, June 2015
- Scheduling tools an opportunity with Hispanics
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- Figure 67: Attitudes toward cruising – Travel preferences, by Hispanic origin, June 2015
Consumer Segmentation
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- Figure 68: Cruise segments, June 2015
- Avid Cruisers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
- Aspirational Cruisers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
- Selective Cruisers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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Appendix: Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix: Market
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- Market size and forecast
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- Figure 69: Total sales and forecast of cruise expenditures by passengers originating in North America, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2010-20
- Market breakdown
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- Figure 70: Areas cruised in the last three years, 2008-15
- Market perspective
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- Figure 71: Value sales for vacations and tourism, at current and inflation-adjusted prices, 2009-19
- Figure 72: Value sales for leisure and entertainment, at current and inflation-adjusted prices, 2009-19
- Figure 73: Past three year cruise incidence and mean number of cruises, 2008-15
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- Figure 74: Amount spent per person on most recent cruise, 2008-15
- Market factors
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- Figure 75: US population by age, 2010-20
Appendix: Key Players
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- Profile of leading cruise brands
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- Figure 76: Cruise lines used in the last three years, 2008-15
Appendix: Consumer
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- Trends 2005-15
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- Figure 77: Cruise ship vacation in the last three years, 2008-15
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- Figure 78: Areas cruised in the last three years, 2008-15
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- Figure 79: Cruise lines used in the last three years, 2008-15
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- Figure 80: Plans to take a cruise ship vacation in the next 12 months, by all and past cruisers, 2008-15
- Brand attributes
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- Figure 81: Cruise lines brand attributes, June 2015
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