Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Scope of the Report
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- A relatively positive outlook towards 2021
-
- Figure 1: Volume forecast of sea cruises, 2011-21
-
- Figure 2: Value forecast of sea cruises, 2011-21
- The consumer
- Proportion of people cruising rises in the last two years
-
- Figure 3: Sea and river cruises, previous experience and future intentions, July 2014 versus August 2016
- Sea cruises more appealing than river cruises
-
- Figure 4: Sea and river cruises, previous experience and future intentions, August 2016
- Mini-cruises appeal to the time-poor middle-aged
-
- Figure 5: Interest in taking particular types of cruise holiday, August 2014
- Millennials want connectivity
-
- Figure 6: Attitudes towards cruises, August 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Research suggests more could be done to encourage families to cruise
- The facts
- The implications
- For cruising, travel agents are well placed to offer their expertise
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Increased capacity leads to strong growth in 2015
- Fly-and-cruise losing market share to port departures
- Luxury cruise market to remain strong
- Cruise liners must abide by new environmental standards
- Ageing UK population presents opportunities
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Slow growth predicted but relatively positive outlook
-
- Figure 7: UK sea cruise market passenger volume and value, 2011-21
- Figure 8: Volume forecast of sea cruises, 2011-21
- Figure 9: Value forecast of sea cruises, 2011-21
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
-
- Port departure cruises gained market share in 2015
-
- Figure 10: UK sea cruise market, fly cruises versus UK port departures, 2008-15
-
- Figure 11: UK sea cruise market, by destination, 2008-15
- Ultra-luxury cruises continue to grow
-
- Figure 12: Volume of UK ultra-luxury cruises passengers, 2010-15
- Average age of cruisers falls to 55 in 2015
-
- Figure 13: Age analysis of cruise holidaymakers, 2005-15*
- More consumers are taking multiple cruises
-
- Figure 14: Number of cruises taken in the last year (%), 2008-15
Brexit and the Cruise Market
-
- The impact of the EU referendum vote
- Cruise spend has been resilient during previous slowdowns
-
- Figure 15: Alternative market scenarios for the post-Brexit cruise market, at current prices, 2016-21
-
- Figure 16: Detailed Post-Brexit scenarios for the cruise market, at current prices, 2016-21
- Brexit uncertainty for holidaymakers
Market Drivers
-
- Core targets for cruises are confident following the Brexit result
-
- Figure 17: How respondents would describe their financial situation, by age, July 2016
-
- Figure 18: Consumers’ financial outlook for the coming year, by age, July 2016
- All-inclusive deals can soften the effects of a weak Pound
-
- Figure 19: Sterling exchange rate, 23 June-29 September 2016
- Post Office Worldwide Cost Barometer reveals cheapest destinations
-
- Figure 20: Post Office Worldwide Cost Barometer 2016
- Changing emissions rules mean cruise liners must adapt
- Low oil price good news for cruise liners
-
- Figure 21: Weekly Europe Brent Spot (Dollars per Barrel), September 2011-September 2016
- APD cuts benefit fly-and-cruise market
-
- Figure 22: Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates, April 2012-April 2017
- Ageing UK population presents cruise opportunities
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
-
- Carnival Corporation dominates
- Better than expected capacity growth by 2020
- Carnival Corporation partners with Airbnb
- Royal Caribbean International to add Cuba to itinerary
- New ships in the pipeline for P&O
- Celebrity Solstice ship set to unveil another outdoor cinema screen
Cruise Companies and Market Share
-
- Cruise capacity expected to grow for the big four cruise operators
-
- Figure 23: Top four cruise companies, by capacity, 2016 and 2020
- Carnival Corporation
- Selected Carnival Corporation brands
- Princess Cruises
- P&O
- Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited
- Selected Royal Caribbean brands
- Royal Caribbean International
- Celebrity Cruises
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- Carnival Corporation partners with Airbnb to promote its Fathom brand
- Royal Caribbean International plans to add Cuba to itinerary
- The Cruise returns to ITV next year
- Fred Olsen banks on bricks-and-mortar
- New environmentally friendly ships on order for P&O
- Celebrity Cruises ship set to unveil another outdoor cinema screen
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Consumers’ interest in cruises rises over the past two years
- Millennials are really keen on taking a cruise
- Sea cruises are twice as popular as river cruises
- Middle-aged consumers are interested in mini-cruises
- Direct and high street bookings evenly split for cruises
- Consumers want all-inclusive deals to help them monitor spending
Cruise Taking
-
- More consumers show interest in cruising
- Cruises particularly popular amongst widowed/separated older women
- The senior influencer
-
- Figure 24: Sea and river cruises, previous experience and future intentions, July 2014 versus August 2016
Interest in Cruises by Age
-
- Young holidaymakers are still keen on cruises
- Appealing to Millennials; cruise liners coming into the 21st century
-
- Figure 25: Sea and river cruises, previous experience and future intentions, by age, August 2016
Sea Cruises
-
- Sea cruises more appealing than river cruises
-
- Figure 26: Sea and river cruises, previous experience and future intentions, August 2016
- Sea cruiser profile
-
- Figure 27: Sea cruises, previous experience and future intentions, by age, August 2016
River Cruises
-
- River cruiser profile
- River cruising as a taster for Millennials
-
- Figure 28: River cruises, previous experience and future intentions, by age, August 2016
-
- Figure 29: Proportion of holidaymakers who take city breaks, by age, August 2016
-
- Figure 30: UK river cruise market passenger volume, by destination, 2011-15
Interest in Cruise Types
-
- Mini-cruises interest the 45-54 age group
-
- Figure 31: Interest in taking particular types of cruise holiday, August 2014
-
- Figure 32: Interest in taking particular types of cruise holiday, longer cruise versus mini-cruise, August 2016
- Appealing to parents aged 35-44
- Silver Splitter presents opportunities for cruise operators
Booking Method for Cruises
-
- Travel agents remain important for cruisers
-
- Figure 33: Method of booking last cruise, August 2016
- Cruises around twice as likely to book offline
- A quarter of cruisers research on comparison sites before booking
-
- Figure 34: Behaviours related to cruises, August 2016
Attitudes towards Cruises
-
- All-inclusive deals will give consumers peace of mind
- Families really keen on all-inclusive deals
- Connectivity is important for Millennials
-
- Figure 35: Attitudes towards cruises, August 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
-
- Forecast methodology
-
- Figure 36: Best- and worst-case forecast for cruise passenger volume, 2016-21
- Figure 37: Best- and worst-case forecast for cruise market value, 2016-21
Back to top