cruise tourism examples

What is cruise tourism?

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Cruise tourism is BIG business! So big, in fact, that in 2019 (before the COVID crash), the global cruise industry welcomed 29.7 million passengers, created jobs for 1.8 million people around the world and contributed over $154 billion to the global economy. 

Cruise tourism is essentially a form of enclave tourism and it encompasses all faces of the tourism industry- accommodation, transportation, hospitality and attractions. Cruising has become the fastest growing segment in the travel industry across the world and it’s no surprise with the wide variety of cruises on offer nowadays.

Cruise tourism is hugely popular around the world, but it can also have severe impacts on the natural environment and limited economic benefits for host destinations- interested to learn more? Stay tuned to learn more

History of cruise tourism

Royal caribbean, p&o cruises, norwegian cruise line, princess cruises.

• Cruise ship packages

Cruise ship names

The largest cruise ship in the world, cruise ship facilities, river cruise, expedition cruise, mega cruise, luxury cruise, caribbean cruise, mediterranean cruise, nile cruise, yangtze cruise.

• Read also: Business tourism explained: What, why and where

Arctic cruise

• Cruise tourism: Conclusion

Further reading on cruise tourism

Cruise tourism refers to holidays which are entirely or partly based on a cruise ship. It enables tourists to experience a multi-centre holiday, whereby they spend time at various destinations throughout their trip.

Cruise ships vary from small yachts to mega ships and can take place on the ocean , river or fjords. Cruise tourism is popular in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Arctic amongst other destinations.

In essence, cruise tourism is a luxurious form of travelling, involving an all-inclusive holiday on a cruise ship of at least 24 hours, with a set and specific itinerary, in which the cruise ship calls at several ports or cities. Cruise tourism is characterised by the concentration of large numbers of people who visit one particular destination at the same time.

If you are studying or teaching cruise tourism then I absolutely recommend that you consult the texts Cruise Ship Tourism and Cruise Operations Management: Hospitality Perspectives . These texts will cover all of the areas that I discuss in this post in more detail as well as discussing the impacts of cruise tourism and relevant management perspectives.

Cruise tourism has a long and fruitful history. The first notable leisure cruising began with the formation of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company in 1822. Whilst the company started out as a shipping

line, it soon introduced round trips to a range of destinations. Over the next century more and more cruise liners began to emerge around the world and in the late 19th century, Albert Ballin, director of

the Hamburg-America Line, was the first to send his transatlantic ships out on long southern cruises during the worst of the winter season of the North Atlantic.

Fast forward to the 1980s and we started to see the development of cruise ships closer to what we recognise today. The first ‘megaships were built and cruise ships gradually became bigger and more luxurious with more onboard facilities than ever before.

Nowadays, some modern cruise ships are so big they cater for a capacity the size of a city! Cruise ships have a wide range of onboard features and there are cruise ship itineraries that cater for every corner of the globe.

For many, cruising has been perceived as an activity for the older generation. The Cruise Lines International Association offered a report for the following profile of an average cruise passenger in 2008:

• 93% Caucasian.
• Average age of 46-year-old.
• Well-educated (65% graduate, 24% post-graduate)
• 83% married.
• 58% work full-time.
• Average household income of USD$90,000.

However, since then it is important to note that cruise ships have become more diverse in their offered services: Offering a variety of onboard services to appeal to a variety of demographic groups, such as; couples, families, the younger generation, sports enthusiasts and the older generation.

Even I have taken a cruise and I don’t consider myself old just yet!

With the diverse demographic groups motivated by cruise tourism, there comes a variety of cruise types.

Cruise tourism companies

There are a wide range of cruise companies, although the market is largely dominated by the big five names:

Cunard cruises have been operating for more than 180 years and they specialise in luxury cruises with their famous White Star Service . This formal and traditional cruise company is ideal for couple and the older generation.

Royal Caribbean cruises are the leading cruise company for innovation. Offering everything from surfing to Broad Way shows, the cruise line is popular amongst a wide range of cruise tourists, including families, couples and solo travellers.

This is the most popular cruise line in the UK. It appeals to a range of customer types including families and couples. It offers traditional cruise products and services.

Another cruise line that is popular with UK cruise tourists, Norwegian Cruise Line offers an American-style service onboard their ships. You can sail from the UK or book a fly cruise.

Princess cruises offers sailings around the world using a traditional, American-style cruise approach. Princess cruises are popular the world over with couple, families and premium travellers.

Cruise tourism packages

When you book a cruise you are generally booking an inclusive package that will include accommodation, transfers, excursions, food, entertainment and more!

As the cruise industry evolves, so does the diversity of its packages offered to cruise tourists. Below I have listed a few examples of cruise ship packages from the Royal Caribbean International website.

Miami Stay & Weekend Getaway Bahamas Cruise

• Fly from UK to Miami
• 3 Night Hotel stay in Miami
• A dinner on us at Hard Rock Cafe
• 3 Night Weekend Getaway Bahamas Cruise on Navigator of the Seas
• VOOM Surf Internet WiFi whilst onboard your cruise for one device
• Overnight Flight from Miami to UK
• Private car transfers included

Singapore Stay & Spice Of Southeast Asia

• Overnight Flight from UK to Singapore
• 3 Night Hotel stay in Singapore
• Universal Studios – One Day Pass or Evening Marina Bay Tour
• 5 Night Spice of Southeast Asia Cruise on Quantum of the Seas
• Overnight Flight from Singapore to UK
• Private Car Transfers included

You can find some excellent t deals on cruise packages if you know where to look! Here are some of my favourite websites to find a cruise package holiday:

• Travel Supermarket
• Travel Zoo (I suggest you register for weekly updates on offers)
• Titan Travel

Looking for some cruise travel hacks? Best Cruise Tips: 303 Cruise Hacks Saving You Time, Money & Frustration has over 100 detailed pages of travel hacks to help you to make the most out of your cruise experience for as little money as possible.

There are many, many different ships used by the various cruise companies. Each ship has its own unique name so that you can research exactly what facilities are available onboard. For a full A-Z list of cruise ships, take a look at globalcruiseship.com .

Here are a couple of examples for you to take a look at.

At this moment in time, the largest cruise ship is the Symphony of the Seas. Measuring 361.011 metres (1,184.42 ft) in length and with a gross tonnage of 228,081 across 18 decks, this ship is a engineering marvel! The ship is able to accommodate 5,518 passengers at double occupancy up to a maximum  capacity  of 6,680 passengers, as well as a 2,200-person crew.

The Symphony of the Seas has every you would expect from the largest cruise ship in the world.

The cruise has;

• 22 restaurants
• 2,759 cabins
• A park with over 20,000 tropical plants

But we are witnessing growing trends in the mega cruise industry and it is no doubt that vessels are going to get bigger in time.

But this ship won’t be the biggest for long! Royal Caribbean International has announced that it will begin operations of its new Wonder of the Seas, in 2022. This ship will measure 1,188 feet long, 217 feet wide and will feature 18 decks and 2,867 staterooms. Wonder of the Seas will sail 7-night itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean.

Cruise ships are pretty incredible. They will often have everything you could want onboard. In fact, many are like a small city!

It is fairly common among modern cruises for the following facilities to be found on board:

• Swimming Pool
• Fitness centre
• Restaurants

Take a look inside…

Types of cruise tourism

Whilst the large cruises that I have discussed above are perhaps the most well-known, there are in fact many different types of cruise, which are less high profile.

Below I have briefly explained the different forms of cruise tourism.

Many destinations are popular for river cruising. River cruising is different from ocean cruising as passengers are close to the shore and the focus of the cruise is more for sightseeing and visionary landscape purpose. During river cruises, passengers tend to step offshore, and these excursions are typically free of charge.

The facilities on board a river course is kept to a minimum and are restricted due to the smaller size of the ship (it needs to fit down the river!).

Typically, cruise ships will hold no more than 100 to 200 passengers, whereas ocean cruises can hold many thousands.

Expedition cruising is smaller in its scale, offering niche experiences with shore landings via an inflatable boat to access remote locations. The purpose of expedition cruising is to take part in a comprehensive educational experience.

More often than not, expedition cruises specialise in voyages that offer nature/wildlife-based experiences in areas like Northern Europe, Alaska or the Arctic, for example.

Mega cruises are the biggest cruise ships yet, including cruise ships such as; Symphony of the Seas and Norwegian Bliss. Mega ships are a new class of cruise vessel and focus on maximising capacity and onboard services.

Some mega ships can hold more than 5,000 passengers. The Oasis series built by Royal Caribbean International, Oasis, Allure, Harmony and Symphony of the Seas can each hold around 6,700 people.

Yacht cruising is particularly small in scale when we compare the form of cruising to luxury or mega cruising. However, yacht cruising can be similar to luxury cruising in that it is a very expensive form of cruise tourism and can have very high standards of service and facilities on board.

Yachts hold fewer passengers than other cruise vessels and usually a family or group of people will hire the entire yacht and cruise the seas. There are many places that are popular for the cruise tourism, such as hiring a yacht in Greece or a  Whitsunday yacht charter  in Australia.

Many of the types of cruise noted here can also be considered luxury cruises. Luxury cruises tend to half a low staff to passenger ratio and a premium class of service throughout. And the sky is the limit when it comes to pricing!

Popular cruise tourism destinations

So where do people go to take a cruise? Lets take a closer look…

Caribbean cruises are a popular choice for cruise tourists as the weather in the Caribbean is generally good all year round.

Whilst the cruise tourism industry in the Caribbean is large, the economic and environmental impacts are often centre of discussion amongst academics and practitioners.  Cruise Tourism in the Caribbean: Selling Sunshine  outlines these concerns in a well articulated and interesting way and is definitely worth a read.

Similar to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean has always been a very popular cruise destination. Particularly for its warm climate all year round. And there are so many great places to visit around the Med- from Barcelona to Venice to Malta!

As I discussed earlier, river cruising is becoming an increasingly popular choice of cruising among cruise tourists. And the Nile has become a very popular destination for river cruising.

There are many ways to cruise the Nile. Cruise packages range from luxury cruises to something more cut back and affordable. Cruises vary in duration, most commonly, cruises last 3 to 7 days but can also last up to 14 days. The Nile cruise has been deemed as one of the world’s best cruises and it is a great way to see what Egypt has to offer.

Being the world’s third-longest river , almost one hundred cruise ships operate along the Yangtze. This is an amazing way to soak up some of the sights of rural China and is particularly popular with Chinese domestic tourists.

Round the world cruise

Round the world cruises are quite literally cruises that travel around the world.

Round the world cruises is probably the most expensive cruise and can cost up to anything from £9,000 upwards. Some of the most luxury round the world cruises can cost up to £200,000 per person. They typically last around 90-120 days and allows passengers to embark and disembark in various places along the way.

Arctic cruising I often referred to as a form of extinction tourism’, whereby passengers travel to the Arctic to observe the distinct wildlife or culture whilst it is still there.

Most people who take an Arctic cruise are wealthy adventure-seekers, wishing to explore the natural wildlife and landscapes of remote locations.

The advantages and disadvantages of cruise tourism

As I mentioned, cruise tourism is a growing type of tourism around the world. This industry not only makes a large amount of income directly, but through its various industry partnerships and integration it also has the potential to reap significant financial rewards.

However, the reality is that this economic benefit is absorbed predominantly by the large corporations who own these cruise ships and there is very little economic benefit of cruise tourism to the destinations that host the tourists. Because their every need is catered for onboard, cruise tourists typically spend little money in the destinations that they visit, meaning that the local people reap few rewards for this type of tourism. In addition to this, cruise tourism can have devastating impacts on the natural environment when ships dock in shallow waters or when garbage is not disposed of responsibly. And last but not least, large numbers of tourists visiting a destination at one time can have adverse effects, with overtourism being a distinct problem around the world that often results from cruise tourism.

• The Cruise Planner – a place to record all the information and details you need to plan your perfect cruise with comprehensive lists, worksheets, a cruise arc planner, packing suggestions, diary and journal.
• Cruise Tourism in Polar Regions – This book discusses critically the issues around environmental and social sustainability of the cruise industry in Polar Regions.
• Cruise Tourism in the Caribbean: Selling Sunshine – This book considers the limited economic benefits of cruise tourism, its environmental and social impacts, and the effects of climate change, and “overtourism”.
• Best Cruise Tips: 303 Cruise Hacks Saving You Time, Money & Frustration – A guide to teach you how to make the most of your cruise experience for as little money as possible.
• Cruise Ship Tourism – This academic text covers the economic, social and environmental impacts of cruising, combining the latest knowledge and research to provide a comprehensive account of the subject. 
• Cruise Operations Management: Hospitality Perspectives – A practical guide for students and professionals alike, this is a comprehensive and contextualised overview of hospitality services for the cruise industry providing a background to the cruise industry and management issues.

Liked this article? Click to share!

Cruise Tourism

The cruise industry is a modern phenomenon but it rooted from the early years of the 19th century. As travel by ship was the only means to travel overseas. The Duke of Bridgewater was initiated to start water transport services from Manchester to London in 1772. His boat was used to carry passengers as well as goods.

In 1815 steamboats were developed and used to carry passengers and goods. To launch first cruise ship the credit goes to the king Charles IV of Sweden when he started his personal cruise ship in 1821 . In 1824 the first commercial cruise ship was started under the flag of Ireland. Gradually, steamship excursions became so famous and it resulted in the introduction of modern age cruise lines.

In 1938 the Peninsular and Orient steam was launched first long distance steamship services from India to the Far East. This company is still operating and has a good grasp of the cruise market. The Cunard ship company followed the P&O company and began regular services to the American Continent in 1840.

During the 2nd half of the 19th century, Britain dominated the cruise industry. However, this dominance has decreased in the later century with the advent of the substantial emigrant from Europe and the steady growth of US visitors to Europe.

Thomas Cook (the father of travel agency business ) stimulated the British tourists to visit North America. In 1866 he succeeds to operate first steamship excursion tour to the USA.

In the modern age, UK started first transatlantic lines ‘Titanic’ in 192 which was sold to the Newfound-land Islands in 1913. Second important cruise line ‘Queen marry’ was started in 1934 . It had 2000 passengers capacity along with 1100 crew members. It offered every facility for passengers such as comfort, safety, and entertainment. It was considered one of the great ocean liners.

In 1938 another larger sister ship Queen Elizabeth was launched by the same company. During the Second World War, these ships were used to carry British troops but after the war, their main business was to carry passengers across the Atlantic.

The year 1958 was the turning point in the steamship travel, as commercial jet aircraft has ended the dominance of steamship. By 1970’s steamship travel was only a curiosity. Due to less demand, high fuel prices and long duration of the journey all these resulted in the closing of many cruise company. Even many ship companies went bankrupt.

During 1980’s some large ships were converted into luxury liners, offering holidays to travelers who have money and time. Many cruise lines have taken the place of scheduled liner services.

The cruise industry is currently the fastest growing segment in the world tourism market and all tour operators now include cruises in their tour package.

Definitions of Cruise Tourism

The cruise tourism is an increasingly important part of the employment structure of advanced industrial nations as well as developing economies. Many of the cruise industries key players have made a significant contribution to the economic growth and development of the nation such as Star Cruises, Holland and American line Deluxe cruises. Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and so forth.

Cruise tourism provides and offers food, beverage, accommodation, recreational, casino, shopping, and other services to the tourist. It is like an informal industry which makes an arrangement of various services i.e., cruise packages and combines these with air travel to attract the potential customer.

The cruise package includes a plenty of facilities designed to meet the specific requirement of passengers – such as accommodation, food, beverage, deck games, swimming pool, yoga classes, quiet lounges, sheltered dock, library, casino, disco films.

Many cruises include special interest themes – like astronomy, yoga, meditation, sequence dancing, classical music and many more.

Cruise Tour Package

A cruise tour package may be defined as a systematically planned return journey with entertainment and recreational facilities on board, and shore excursion. In other words, the cruise package is a pleasure an all-inclusive trip by boat or ship for specific days, to specific days, to specific destinations, and with a set price.

Cruises packages may be designed and planned for an individual group, families, FITs, business executives, honeymooners, and special interest tourists. Of course, these cruise packages are designed for cruise passengers. However, these could not be segregated from air travel and land arrangement.

Types of Cruise Tour Packages

If we see the cruise packages offered and marketed by tour operators and travel agencies , we find similar as well as more ingredients in cruise packages such as port handling charges, airport taxes, visa processing charges and so forth. Therefore, the elements or components of a cruise package may vary from tour company to company, destination to destination and from region to region.

On the basis of above discussion actual cruise industry environment the following main cruise packages are offered by cruise liners:

• Incentive Cruise Packages
• Group Packages
• Family Packages
• Business Cruise Package
• Honeymooners Package
• Special Interest Cruise Package
• Fly Cruise Package

Types of Cruise

Since the introduction of the first cruise in 1821, numbers of cruises came in the cruise industry. Some of them are still operating in the industry while others which were not attracting clients discarded from the industry. Thus, the following typology is based on sales, marketing and working conditions of the cruises:

Volume Cruise

As the name indicates, volume cruises concentrate on volume turnover. That is why these are called mass market cruises. 65 percent of all cruises are volume/mass market cruises. These cruises are very popular in the Caribbean sea, Asia Pacific and South East Asia.

In such cruises, accommodation and other services are comparable to the star hotel. Generally, these cruises emphasized two things i.e. Turnover and short-term passenger itinerary. These are further divided into three sub-categorized:

• Short term cruises – Normally two to five days.
• Standard cruises – For one-week duration.
• Large cruises – Duration is from the week to two weeks.

Premium Cruises

Premium cruises are the second largest segment of cruise industry accounting for mere than 40 percent of all cruise revenues. The duration of this cruise varies from one week to three months.

Due to this, these are known as upscale cruises. Their product and services are equivalent to its class resort, and hotel. Royal cruise, Star Cruises, Princess Cruises, Panama Canal Cruises are offering premium cruise service.

Luxury Cruises

Luxury cruises occupied a meager percentage of the cruise market. It may be due to its high-quality product and services and it focuses on long-haul itineraries for exotic destinations. These cruises are meant for elite people. The duration of itinerary may range from 6 months to 12 months.

In spite of high prices, these cruises are more popular among the tourists and honeymooners. Luxury cruises are operated by the Royal Caribbean cruises, Crystal Cruises, and Star cruises etc.

Specialty Cruises

These cruises are launched to cater the demands of specific interest passengers, such as newly married couple, whale watching, oceanography,   scuba diving. The quality of products and services is comparatively low as other cruises. The duration of these cruises is very less but depending on the package.

Presently, there is more than 150 cruise ship with 90,000 cabins world over . The largest cruise lines is Royal Caribbean cruises liner (RCCL) with nine ships and have a capacity of 15,000 births. The Star Cruises is the 2nd largest cruise lines having five ships with 7000 births capacity. Followed by Deluxe cruise lines, Crystal Cruises, Radisson seven seas cruises, Seabourn cruises, Silversea cruise and princes cruises etc.

Significance of Cruise Industry For Tourism

The tourism industry in many countries of the world has been profoundly helped by the cruise sector to shape the tourism product and to satisfy the sophisticated travelers.

The relationship between the cruise industry and tourism industry is, therefore, a highly complex subject involving a mixture of socio-economic factors, technological factors, market pressures, government policies, management attitude ad tourist expectations.

The following points can be perceived pivotal for the significance of the cruise industry:

• Evolving cruise as a vacation option.
• Realizing the competitiveness.
• Development in MICE destinations.
• Image Conscious.
• Increasing the size of the cruise market.
• Alliances and Networking.
• Shifting tourist demands.
• Re-structuring ownership.
• Labor flexibility and Employment.
• Boom-bust cycles and tourism.

Process for Development of Cruise Tour Package

The development of air transportation and improvement in their technology in so far as safety, speed economy, and comfort are concerned to have admittedly hurt the cruise industry. However, steamship travel remains as today’s transportation of pleasure, relaxation, and comforts with service comparable to country’s best hotels and resorts.

The cruise industry is now a resort or hotel activities that must be promoted as floating hotel/resort, not for just vacation at sea but a romantic interlude, wedding anniversary, mind-dazzling, nightlife, resort cruise, and a pleasure of meeting new people.

Many thousands of rupees are spent annually by the cruise companies to promote their products and services directly or, through the tour operators and travel agents but a crucial question remains unanswered. What should be included in the cruise package? How it is to be marketed? What will be the core ingredients? In many cases, tour operators failed to find the right mix of cruise package for their clients.

Standard Components of Cruise Tour Package

Cruise packages are developed to all clients such as honeymooners, nature lovers, students, adventurers, fitness/health conscious, sport minded, music lovers, special interests and education professional etc. Thus, a cruise company has to consider a wide spectrum of market demands.

Therefore, the components of a cruise package will vary from client to client and company to company. However, the following main components or ingredients can be drawn from the cruise packages offered by the most cruise companies and tour operators:

• Air travel or land arrangements.
• Cruise segments Accommodation Food and beverage Entertainment and recreation Deck games Swimming pool Health clubs Casino Films Music-dances Entertainment facilities for children Quite lounges Sheltered decks
• Special Interest Theme Cricket Bridge Astronomy
• Education Library
• Other activities

Process of Cruise Tour Package Development

Developing cruises trips/tours, working with some other players; formulating effective marketing, managing and determining cost and price are the activities that are not easy to handle for the cruise company. However, if the manager approaches in a planned and systematic way, tour designing will become a simple, and easy task.

Cruise Tour Itinerary

A well-planned cruise tour itinerary identifies embarkation points, ports of calls, types of cabin, cruise facilities, meal services, shore excursions, tipping, and other services. Gradually, the cruise itinerary combined with air travel and land arrangement to make it more attractive and effective.

However, individuals needs cannot be overlooked. Thus, in developing cruise tour itinerary, tour planners/cruise planners normally considered the market forces, cruise industry environment, and cruise reference tools. Moreover, a cruise planner keeps in mind the following facts while designing cruise itinerary:

• Name of the Cruise
• Sailing date
• Destinations
• Port of Embarkation
• Port of Termination
• Client choice client budget
• Legal formalities

Types of Cruise Tour Itineraries

Cruise tour itineraries are broadly categorized in the following types:

• Short duration itineraries
• Medium-haul – Short and long duration itineraries (7 night, 10 nights and above)
• Long haul – Medium duration itineraries (7 months)
• Transatlantic and Round the world itineraries ( 6 to 12 months)

Cruise tour itineraries are not limited only to sea but river cruise itineraries can be developed. The main rivers of the cruise are Amazon, Mississippi, Yangtze Kiang, Hung He, Nile, and the Rhine, etc.

Determination of Cruise Tour Package Coast and Price

Determination of cost and price of a cruise tour is one of the most difficult tasks of a cruise manager/planner. What should be the exact cost? What should be the right margin? These are the two important question which a tour planner has to face.  Total price must be perceived by the passenger to be reasonable.

The cruise planner must ensure about the cost. Thus, before determination of the cost of a cruise package tour planner considers the following factors:

• Length of Tour
• Types of accommodation
• Type and quality of facilities
• Position of cabin
• Density of ship
• Date of travel
• Govt. Policy
• Competitive forces
• Seasonality

A typical cruise package includes accommodation cost, meal cost, recreational and entertainment cost, activities for children and teenagers, port taxes, shore excursion cost, and airfare may also be a part of total cost. Thus, at first glance, it may seem an expensive package, but we must understand the cost represents not only the accommodation, Food, and transportation but also entertainment together with other services and opportunities to visit a foreign port.

Cruise prices vary among cruise companies, depending on various factors and quality of product and services. More importantly, price depends on the selection of itinerary and standard of qualities. In cruise, segment price is not the main criteria but the quality of services is important.

Thus, a cruise package must create value for money to repeat clients. Generally, cruise companies adopt a mix of pricing strategies such as:

• Cost-oriented pricing
• Market-oriented pricing
• Product line pricing
• Competitive or seasonal pricing

Cruise Tour Sales and Marketing

The selling of cruise tour ticket is substantially different from the selling of airline ticket. One of the most important features relating to this is that the airline industry is well organized and regulated as compared to the cruise industry. Today, selling cruises are becoming more easier and profitable than ever.

Due to competition, the cruise companies are offering more discounts and other promotional incentives to the passengers. Besides 15 percent commission, more incentives are offered to the tour operators or travel agencies by the cruise companies.

There is a minimum procedure involved in selling and booking cruise package. Like other means of transportation, cruise liner issue the ticket, and provide other information through cruise brochure such as accommodation, entertainment, travel insurance, foreign currency, travel tips, and so forth.

Thus, successful selling and booking steamship cruise requires knowledge of both passengers and cruise on which client will have the product services, comforts, and entertainment. Tour operators need certain information to book a cruise package about the client such as:

• Name of clients
• Duration of tour
• Date of sailing
• Cabin choice
• Meal option
• Entertainment and Recreational activities
• Address with e-mail and telephone no
• Other information which is mere relevant

After obtaining required information, tour operator negotiates with cruise lines/companies. He has various options – i.e. to select a cruise for any age group. A long cruise “ Round the World ” takes long-range planning while shorter cruise can be booked with 3 to 5 days or shorter notice.

Tour operators or a travel agency follow a well defined and designed procedure for booking a cruise. The process may vary from company to company and point to point, but it includes all most following steps:

Cruise Ticketing

Preparation and issue of cruise ticket is the last step in the process of cruise reservation. The cruise ticketing is mostly done by the cruise companies or by the tour operators/travel agencies who are authorized to hold stock and issue the ticket.

A cruise ticket is a legal contract between the cruise line and passenger, entitling him/her or groups, at a stated price, to travel and avail cruise facilities specified – i.e. cruise products or services during a set time. Thus, the acceptance of cruise ticket means acceptance of those terms and conditions which contained in the passage contract ticket.

A cruise ticket document includes or conditions the following items:

• Staterooms, inside, outside
• Food and Beverage
• Dining room seating
• Sports deck
• Entertainment
• Social life
• Children’s corner
• Teenager rooms
• Port of cell
• Date of issue
• Agent validation No.
• Address of tour operator

A passenger who misplaces his/her ticket may be denied the right to board, to use cruise products or services, and even maybe denied a refund.

Protect Your Trip »

17 bucket list cruise itineraries.

Take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to world-class destinations around the globe.

(Getty Images) |

Soak up unforgettable scenery and experiences on an epic voyage.

Sail from Paris to Normandy, France.

Embark on a voyage across Africa.

Admire tulips and windmills in Holland and Belgium.

Explore Alsace, France.

Take a trans-Atlantic crossing.

Explore the best of Northern Europe.

Take a glamorous voyage to Monaco.

Cruise through the Cyclades islands.

Experience the South Pacific.

Discover Southeast Asia.

Explore Seychelles, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Visit Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

Embark on an around-the-world cruise.

Sail through the Panama Canal.

Cruise from New York to Montreal in the fall.

Embrace the Last Frontier.

Explore America's heartland.

Bucket List Cruise Itineraries

• Paris to Normandy, France
• Tulip season: Holland and Belgium
• Alsace, France
• Trans-Atlantic crossing
• Northern Europe
• Cyclades islands, Greece
• South Pacific
• Southeast Asia
• Seychelles, Maldives, Sri Lanka
• Antarctica, South Georgia, Falkland Islands
• Around-the-world cruise
• Panama Canal
• Autumn: New York to Montreal
• America's heartland

You Might Also Like

• Best Cruise Deals
• Best Cruises to the Caribbean
• Best Cruises to the Mediterranean
• Best Cruises to Hawaii
• Best Cruises to Alaska
• Fun Adults-Only Cruises
• The Top River Cruise Lines

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

You May Also Like

12 cheap fourth of july getaways.

April 29, 2024

The Best Tours of Buckingham Palace

Laura French April 29, 2024

Flight Canceled or Delayed? What to Do

Amanda Norcross April 26, 2024

The Best Beach Hats

Megan Johnson and Sharael Kolberg April 26, 2024

The Best Florence Tours

John Rodwan April 25, 2024

The 9 Best Louisiana Swamp Tours of 2024

John Rodwan April 24, 2024

How Much Does a Cruise Cost?

Gwen Pratesi April 24, 2024

The Best Whale Watching in Cape Cod

Lyn Mettler April 24, 2024

Best Whale Watching Tours in Maine

Marisa Méndez April 23, 2024

The Best Wineries in Napa Valley

April 23, 2024

Good Practices for Sustainable Cruise Tourism

The European Commission has published its Good Practices for Sustainable Cruise Tourism Report which takes an in-depth look at the cruise industry and sustainable tourism and highlights several European case studies where projects or activities have had sustainability at their core with tangible results.

While the cruise tourism industry faces a significant environmental mandate, the report finds that there is a plethora of green technological solutions available or in development.

The report finds that the cruise tourism industry is considered proactive in trying to improve destination management, reduce its impact on the environment and increase its levels of social responsibility.

But what is good practice? Good practice enhances collaborative efforts between stakeholder groups. It contributes to, facilitates and/or stimulates collaboration across these groups and is measurable.

Seven examples (out of many others) are described in more detail in the Good Practices Report.

Cruise-specific shoreside electricity at the cruise terminal of Altona

Construction of a shoreside electricity supply (or onshore power supply) at the port of Hamburg’s Cruise Terminal, Altona, allows cruise ships to connect to shoreside electricity supplies from renewable energy. The port of Hamburg was the first to provide shoreside electricity for cruise ships in Europe.

Waste treatment facility at the Port of Stockholm, Sweden

Highlighted as an excellent example of the processing facilities of waste of cruise ships by the Port of Stockholm. Cruise lines are incentivised to deliver at least three different categories of waste eg. plastics, paper, and metal. In total, 65% of the waste is converted to biogas, district heating or electricity, 34% of waste is recycled, and just 1% goes to landfill.

Sustainable cruise terminal in the Port of Tallinn, Estonia

The Port of Tallinn built a new sustainable cruise terminal to facilitate larger cruise ship visits, with improved access and facilities for the local community, as well as cruise guests, and innovation at its heart. The award-winning terminal is mainly built from sustainably sourced wood with a good proportion of its energy provided by solar panels.

A holistic approach to tourism in Dubrovnik, Croatia

This ground-breaking example demonstrates the positive impacts of collaboration between the City of Dubrovnik, cruise lines, and CLIA with the aim of making cruise tourism more sustainable within the city. More about this case study .

Waste reduction programme 4GOODFOOD

4GOODFOOD is a food waste reduction programme aimed at halving food waste generated on board Costa Crociere ships in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda target of reducing food waste by 50%. This has now been implemented across eight EU destinations.

LNG bunkering at the Port of Barcelona, Spain

This example involved using two existing barges and constructing a new ship to bunker liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship-to-ship in the Port of Barcelona. It is part of a wider programme aimed at fostering the use of LNG as an alternative more sustainable transition fuel in the maritime sector.

Environmental Ships Index (ESI)

This project entails creating a system that calculates the emissions of cruise ships when at berth. The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) at-berth module is currently in development and being piloted in 2023 with plans to be implemented in various EU ports.

Responsible tourism in practice

Most of the highlighted case studies also contribute to the EU green deal, which focuses mainly on sustainability from an environmental angle.

The report concludes that cruise tourism industry is important for Europe. It contributes to economic activity and generates jobs. Although it only represents a small fraction of total global tourism, Europe is the second biggest cruise market after North America, both as a source of passengers and as a cruise destination.

Read the full European Commission Good Practices for Sustainable Cruise Tourism Report .

We use cookies to create the most secure and effective website possible. By continuing to use our website you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

• Scholarly Community Encyclopedia
• Log in/Sign up

Video Upload Options

• MDPI and ACS Style
• Chicago Style

Cruise tourism is one of the leading industries suffering from covid-19 recently. Cruise tourism uses cruise ships with elegant services and various entertainment facilities as a means of transportation for scenic coastal tourist destinations. In particular, in accordance with the recent trend of increasing the size of ships, cruise lines have expanded the size and facilities of ships, and have continued to increase the maximum number of boarding ships. The cruise travel process and intensive entertainment system turned out to be a tourism structure vulnerable to the covid-19 pandemic. Will cruise tourism be extinguished? Should we prepare for the post-Pandermic cruise tourism era?

1. Introduction

Cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism segments, and it has undergone significant transformation, especially in the last few decades [ 1 ] [ 2 ] . Since 1990, the average annual passenger growth has reached about 6.63%, with cruise tourists increasing from 7.21 million in 2000 to 26.86 million in 2019 [ 3 ] . The number of passengers originating from Asia hit a record high in 2017, with 4.052 million taking ocean cruises (up 20.6%), and Asian cruise passenger numbers hit another record high in 2018 with 4.24 million (up 4.6%). In 2018, there were 28.5 million global ocean passengers, 14.8% of which were from Asia (versus 15.1% in 2017) [ 4 ] . The five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of Asian port calls from 2014 to 2019 was 14%, and the five-year growth during that time was 88%, continuing an upward growth trajectory. Destinations such as Japan, mainland China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and India will show a stronger five-year CAGR and five-year growth than Asia’s average [ 5 ] . It is time to learn more about the rapidly growing Asian cruise market.

Some believe that the expansion of disposable income and increased interest in quality of life have contributed to the steep growth of the cruise industry. Most cruise tourists are repeat customers who have had a satisfactory cruise experience and become loyal to a specific cruise brand [ 6 ] [ 7 ] . The continued expansion of cruise passengers is also due to the provision of high-value cruising through the newest ships, world-class destinations, innovative ship facilities, and various onboard activities. Cruise lines design various services to meet changing customer needs [ 8 ] [ 9 ] . High-value cruising refers to various special services, including cabins with excellent amenities, restaurants with various dining options, spas and wellness programs, sports and fitness, meeting rooms, Kids Zones, and wedding packages. Cruise ship service innovation has made cruise vacations more attractive and available to more target markets [ 8 ] . Cruise lines should create sustainable demand and loyal customers by differentiating the service quality of the onboard experience. Research by Li and Petrick [ 10 ] demonstrated that customer retention should be improved by providing excellent service quality and unique experiences.

Academic research in the cruise field has led to quantitative and qualitative growth since 2010 [ 11 ] . Papatnassis and Bekmann analysed papers published in a total of 56 overseas academic journals from 1983 to 2009 and divided them into four categories according to their research subjects. They found that despite the diversity of research methods and topics, scholars tend to focus on business, management, and economics. Vega-Muñoz et al. [ 12 ] analysed 320 papers in 142 journals between 1980 and 2018 and determined that the cruise industry is a subject of research worthy of various approaches. Cruise tourism research has been fragmented because of its multidisciplinary nature and its relatively young status [ 12 ] . Moreover, quantitative studies covering quality of service, service attributes, and perceived value [ 8 ] [ 10 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] have been conducted, and a qualitative approach to these variables has also been taken. In addition, qualitative research into cruise lines has been conducted on limited topics such as brands, crisis management, and corporate sustainability [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] .

The sustainability of the cruise industry has attracted strong scepticism, with discussions centred on its corporate social responsibility, environmental issues, economic contributions, and adverse effects on the port of call [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] [ 24 ] . As customers are increasingly interested in the ethical and environmental aspects of products and services [ 25 ] , many scholars believe that the future challenges of the cruise industry are related to sustainable development [ 22 ] [ 26 ] . The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) [ 27 ] is committed to contributing to the port of call in the form of ‘partnerships with the local governments, staggered arrivals and departures, excursion diversification, shoreside power, and local passenger spending’. It is encouraging cruise lines to invest more than USD 22 billion in energy-efficient ships and technologies in order to achieve the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by the year 2030, as compared to 2008 emission levels. In particular, the cruise industry [ 24 ] , which is already in a crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, must ‘improve its service process to improve its reputation’ [ 28 ] ; accordingly, it should seek to enhance its image through improved service quality, develop innovative management systems and strategies, and promote sustainability.

2. Cruise Service Quality

Service quality is recognized as a key determinant of business success and a major method of gaining competitive edge. With the rapid increase in the capacity of the cruise industry, cruise lines should reconsider differentiation [ 23 ] , and as service quality is an important variable in creating customer loyalty, it is important to derive a service improvement strategy by measuring service quality.

According to Parasuraman et al., service quality is defined as a ‘the consumer’s judgment about an entity’s overall excellence or superiority’ of the service; the authors use the concept of ‘perceived service quality’, which differs from objective quality [ 29 ] . Perceived quality, unlike objective or practical quality, is more abstract than specific product properties and similar to attitude; it is an overall evaluation by the customer. Parasuraman et al. [ 29 ] proposed SERVQUAL (see Table 1 ) as a perceived service quality measurement tool. Their SERVQUAL model adopts a disconfirmation paradigm in which the quality of service consists of five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangibles. Many researchers have tried to transform service quality to suit the hospitality and tourism environment [ 30 ] , testing the SERVQUAL framework in restaurants [ 31 ] , lodging [ 32 ] , destinations [ 33 ] , and outbound guide package tours [ 34 ] . Industry-adjusted measures include HISTOQUAL for historic houses [ 35 ] , ECOSERV for eco-tourism service quality [ 36 ] , and Cruse’s SERV-PERVAL [ 14 ] to measure holiday experience satisfaction (HOLSAT) [ 37 ] .

Table 1. SERVQUAL Model.

In an empirical study of Caribbean cruise passengers by Petrick, four measurement items (excellent quality, reliability, dependencies, and consistency) of SERV-PERVAL, a concept that emphasizes the reliability items in the SERVQUAL model, were used. The most suitable model for predicting behaviour was the quality model, rather than the satisfaction model or perceived value model [ 14 ] .

Kwortnik [ 20 ] expanded ‘Bitner’s service scope framework’ [ 38 ] by analysing customer data on an online cruise discussion board (CruiseCritic.com) to investigate the impact of cruise line service environments, specifically considering passengers’ emotions, meaning-making, and onboard behaviours. The physical environment of a ship, called the shipscape, was divided into (a) ambient environmental factors (scents, sounds, cleanliness, lighting, music, temperature, etc.); (b) design elements (decoration, colour, furnishings, layout, size, entertainment architecture, etc.); and (c) social factors (crowding, queues, cruise cues, crew co-working production, and friendship). Cruise customers who primarily pursue emotional enjoyment are consciously and unconsciously observing the environmental factors of cruise ships [ 20 ] , and these physical environments will be important determinants of customer psychology and behaviour [ 39 ] .

Lobo used the SERVQUAL scale of [ 29 ] for luxury cruise line passengers to measure the difference between expectation and performance of service quality and to explore the relationship between overall satisfaction and behaviour [ 40 ] . Li and Petrick empirically verified the impact relationships among quality, value, satisfaction, investment size, and alternatives on online panels of cruise experiences that affect customer loyalty [ 13 ] . Petrick analysed differences in cruise experiences, price sensitivity, monetary price, behavioural price, perceived quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction, word of mouth, and repurchase intention by segmenting Caribbean cruise passengers according to their perceptions of the cruise line’s reputation [ 41 ] . Yi et al. [ 42 ] explored Asian cruise travellers’ perceived value, in terms of satisfaction and behavioural intention, of the travel experience. The perceived value was measured on a SERV-PERVAL scale, and the results of the study showed that the perceived value of the cruise experience affects travel satisfaction and behavioural intention [ 42 ] . Chua et al. [ 8 ] used the three dimensions of service quality form developed by Brady and Cronin [ 43 ] , where cruise service quality is divided into three dimensions: physical environment (physical surroundings of cruise ships), interaction (employee service), and outcome quality (benefits given to customers at a service encounter). They analysed the relationship between novelty, perceived value and satisfaction, and loyalty [ 8 ] .

The quality of an interaction represents the customer’s perception of crew service in service delivery [ 44 ] , and the interaction between the customer and the crew is reflected in ‘Service Performance’, in which the customer evaluates the service experience [ 45 ] . Interactional quality can be measured with assurance (knowledge, employee courtesy, and ability to build customer trust), responsiveness (service delivery and willingness to help customers), reliability (employee’s ability to accurately perform promised services), and empathy [ 29 ] [ 43 ] [ 44 ] [ 46 ] . Outcome quality is the technical quality that determines the perceived service quality by what cruise customers received during service delivery [ 43 ] . Even though SERV-PERVAL [ 14 ] applies SERVQUAL to the cruise industry and emphasizes perceived value, this study focuses on SERVQUAL [ 29 ] because it is more commonly used.

• Papathanassis, A. The growth and development of the cruise sector: A perspective article. Tour. Rev. 2019, 75, 130–135.
• Chen, J.M.; Nijkamp, P. Itinerary planning: Modelling cruise lines’ lengths of stay in ports. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2018, 73, 55–63.
• Cruise Market Watch Website. Available online: https://cruisemarketwatch.com/growth (accessed on 21 August 2020).
• CLIA. 2018 Asia Cruise Industry Ocean Source Market Report; Cruise Line International Association: Washington, DC, USA, 2018; pp. 1–31.
• CLIA. 2019 Asia Cruise Deployment & Capacity Report; Cruise Line International Association: Washington, DC, USA, 2019; pp. 1–27.
• Bake, D.A. Exploring Cruise Passengers’ Demographics, Experience, and Satisfaction with Cruising the Western Caribbean. Int. J. Tour. Hosp. Rev. 2015, 1, 23.
• Kang, J. Identifying antecedents and consequences of well-being: The case of cruise passengers. Tour. Manag. Perspect. 2020, 33, 100609.
• Chua, B.; Lee, S.; Goh, B.; Han, H. Impacts of cruise service quality and price on vacationers’ cruise experience: Moderating role of price sensitivity. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2015, 44, 131–145.
• Lee, B. The effect of gamification on psychological and behavioral outcomes: Implications for cruise tourism destinations. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3002.
• Li, X.R.; Petrick, J.F. Examining the antecedents of brand loyalty from an investment model perspective. J. Travel Res. 2008, 47, 25–34.
• Papathanassis, A.; Beckmann, I. Assessing the ‘Poverty of cruise theory’ Hypothesis. Ann. Tour. Res. 2011, 38, 153–174.
• Whyte, L.J. Cruise Tourists’ Perceptions of Destination: Exploring Push and Pull Motivational Factors in the Decision to Take a Cruise Vacation. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2016.
• Li, X.R.; Petrick, J.F. Towards an Integrative Model of Loyalty Formation: The Role of Quality and Value. Leis. Sci. 2010, 32, 201–221.
• Petrick, J.F. The Roles of Quality, Value, and Satisfaction in Predicting Cruise Passengers’ Behavioral Intentions. J. Travel Res. 2004, 42, 397–407.
• Monferrer, D.; Segarra, J.R.; Estrada, M.; Moliner, M.Á. Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in a Post-Crisis Context. Prediction-Oriented Modeling to Enhance the Particular Importance of a Social and Sustainable Approach. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4930.
• Zhang, Z.; Ye, Q.; Song, H.; Liu, T. The structure of customer satisfaction with cruise-line services: An empirical investigation based on online word of mouth. Curr. Issues Tour. 2015, 18, 450–464.
• Bryce, K.R. The Role of Social Media in Crisis Management at Carnival Cruise Line. J. Bus. Case Stud. JBCS 2014, 10, 231–238.
• Dev, C.S. Carnival cruise lines: Charting a new brand course. Cornell Hotel Restaur. Adm. Q. 2006, 47, 301–308.
• Jones, P.; Hillier, D.; Comfort, D. The two market leaders in ocean cruising and corporate sustainability. Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manag. 2017, 29, 288–306.
• Kwortnik, R.J. Shipscape influence on the leisure cruise experience. Int. J. Cult. Tour. Hosp. Res. 2008, 2, 289–311.
• Di Vaio, A.; Varriale, L.; Lekakou, M.; Stefanidaki, E. Cruise and container shipping companies: A comparative analysis of sustainable development goals through environmental sustainability disclosure. Marit. Policy Manag. 2020, 1–29.
• Papathanassis, A. Cruise tourism management: State of the art. Tour. Rev. 2020, 72, 104–119.
• Sanz-Blas, S.; Buzova, D.; Schlesinger, W. The sustainability of cruise tourism onshore: The impact of crowding on visitors’ satisfaction. Sustainability 2019, 11, 1510.
• Renaud, L. Reconsidering global mobility–distancing from mass cruise tourism in the aftermath of COVID-19. Tour. Geogr. 2020, 1–11.
• Hennigs, N.; Schmidt, S.; Wiedmann, K.P.; Karampournioti, E.; Labenz, F. Measuring brand performance in the cruise industry: Brand experiences and sustainability orientation as basis for value creation. Int. J. Serv. Technol. Manag. 2017, 23, 189–203.
• Könnölä, K.; Kangas, K.; Seppälä, K.; Mäkelä, M.; Lehtonen, T. Considering sustainability in cruise vessel design and construction based on existing sustainability certification systems. J. Clean. Prod. 2020, 259, 120763.
• Cruise Lines International Association. 2020 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook; Cruise Line International Association: Brussels, Belgium, 2020; pp. 1–25. Available online: https://cruising.org/news-and-research/research/2019/december/state-of-the-cruise-industry-outlook-2020 (accessed on 16 September 2020).
• Li, H.; Zhang, P.; Tong, H. The Labor Market of Chinese Cruise Seafarers: Demand, Opportunities and Challenges. Marit. Technol. Res. 2020, 2.
• Parasuraman, A.; Zeithaml, V.; Berry, L. SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality. J. Retiling 1988, 64, 12–40.
• Kim, S.; Holland, S.; Han, H. A Structural Model for Examining how Destination Image, Perceived Value, and Service Quality Affect Destination Loyalty: A Case Study of Orlando. Int. J. Tour. Res. 2012, 15, 313–328.
• Bojanic, D.C.; Drew Rosen, L. Measuring service quality in restaurants: An application of the SERVQUAL instrument. Hosp. Res. J. 1994, 18, 3–14.
• Saleh, F.; Ryan, C. Analysing Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry Using the SERVQUAL Model. Serv. Ind. J. 1991, 11, 324–345.
• Pizam, A.; Neumann, Y.; Reichel, A. Dimensions of tourist satisfaction with a destination area. Ann. Tour. Res. 1978, 5, 314–322.
• Chang, J. Taiwanese tourists’ perceptions of service quality on outbound guided package tours: A qualitative examination of the SERVQUAL dimensions. J. Vacat. Mark. 2009, 15, 165–178.
• Frochot, J.; Hughes, H. HISTOQUAL: The development of a historic houses assessment scale Isabelle. Tour. Manag. 2000, 21, 157–167.
• Khan, M. ECOSERV: Ecotourists’ Quality Expectations. Ann. Tour. Res. 2003, 30, 109–124.
• Tribe, J.; Snaith, T. From SERVQUAL to HOLSAT: Holiday satisfaction in Varadero, Cuba. Tour. Manag. 1998, 19, 25–34.
• Bitner, M.J.; Booms, B.H.; Tetreault, M.S. The Service Encounter: Diagnosing Favorable and Unfavorable Incidents. J. Mark. 1990, 54, 71–84.
• Wakefield, K.L.; Blodgett, J.G. Customer response to intangible and tangible service factors. Psychol. Mark. 1999, 16, 51–68.
• Lobo, A.C. Enhancing luxury cruise liner operators’ competitive advantage: A study aimed at improving customer loyalty and future patronage. J. Travel Tour. Mark. 2008, 25, 1–12.
• Petrick, J.F. Segmenting Cruise Passengers with Perceived Reputation. J. Hosp. Tour. Manag. 2011, 18, 48–53.
• Yi, S.; Day, J.; Cai, L.A. Exploring Tourist Perceived Value: An Investigation of Asian Cruise Tourists’ Travel Experience. J. Qual. Assur. Hosp. Tour. 2014, 15, 63–77.
• Brady, M.K.; Cronin, J.J., Jr. Some new thoughts on conceptualizing perceived service quality: A hierarchical approach. J. Mark. 2001, 65, 34–49.
• Bitner, M.J.; Booms, B.H.; Mohr, L.A. Critical Service Encounters: The Employee’s Viewpoint. J. Mark. 1994, 58, 95–106.
• Wall, E.A.; Berry, L.L. The Combined Effects of the Physical Environment and Employee Behavior on Customer Perception of Restaurant Service Quality. Cornell Hotel Restaur. Adm. Q. 2007, 48, 59–69.
• Bitner, M.J. Evaluating service encounters: The effects of physical surroundings and employee responses. J. Mark. 1990, 54, 69–82.

• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Advisory Board

• The Ocean’s Importance

What is the Ocean Panel?

Advisory Network

The Agenda: Transformations

Ocean Wealth

Ocean Health

Ocean Equity

Ocean Knowledge

Ocean Finance

Sustainable Ocean Plans

Progress Reports

Action Groups

Sustainable Coastal & Marine Tourism

• Publications

What does sustainability mean for the cruise industry and how can this be achieved in light of the impact the pandemic continues to have on the cruise industry? What is the future of cruise tourism?

Following the COVID-19 caused shutdown in early 2020, the cruise industry began a return in early 2022 and over-optimistically expects to be back to normal in 2023. The restart was slow, and not without difficulties caused by the lingering effects of the pandemic. However, as requirements loosened for cross-border and international travel, passengers returned and cruise tourism gained momentum. The challenge now for cruise tourism post-pandemic is for all industry partners to benefit from the return of cruise ships and cruise passengers.

The resumption of cruise tourism coincides with cruise corporations’ renewing their commitment to sustainability. It is difficult to guess what this means, given that it was 2002 when the corporations first proclaimed their commitment to sustainability. But what does this word mean for the cruise industry? Answering this question requires a broader view. Cruise corporations (and the lines and ships they operate) are just one partner in the creation of cruise tourism. Others include governments, non-governmental organisations (including those representing cruise industry interests), ports, businesses and vendors. The list could go on, but it is of greater value to realise the complexity of each of these groups or segments. A port of call, for example, includes diverse interests, each with its own view of sustainability. The port authority, which collects port fees and operates the physical port, may have a different view of sustainability than citizens concerned with preserving the destination’s environment or sociocultural elements. The sustainability of bringing 10,000 or more passengers to a port will be viewed quite differently by a cruise line than by diverse segments comprising the port of call.

One way of disentangling the differences is to use the term responsible tourism . Responsible tourism brings to the forefront the question ‘Sustainable for whom?’ Sustainability for a cruise corporation emphasises the balance sheet. The goal is to increase revenue while reducing costs. The losses during the pandemic were obviously not sustainable. But there is more than the balance sheet. Carnival Corporation, as one, has historically performed poorly when it comes to social responsibility and labour. The London Times [1] , in a 2004 corporate profile of Carnival Corporation, rated the company relatively high on share performance (9/10), fat-cat quotient (8/10), future prospects (8/10) and strength of brand and innovation (7/10), but relatively low on social responsibility (3/10) and attitude towards employees (4/10). Being responsible would likely be reflected in a more balanced profile. For a start, they could increase wages, be more vigilant in reducing emissions and treat ports more equitably.

Responsible tourism introduces a moral component [2] . It is a question not just of cruise line revenues and costs but also of the revenue and costs to the community and its constituents. The costs and benefits to a port of call may be economic, sociocultural or environmental. Responsibility asks whether the core of cruise tourism—the port of call—is treat fairly and equitably. Sadly, no exemplars stand out, although some companies (e.g. expedition cruise ships, small operators) are more sensitive and responsive to local communities than the large corporate operators, which together constitute more than 95 percent of cruise ships. On the flip side, the state of Alaska has been proactive in regulating environmental practices, as well as economic relationships with ports.

Responsibility and health

The post-pandemic era provides a good illustration of divergent views of sustainability. Fewer restrictions on cruise passengers and on onboard labour is good for the cruise operator’s bottom line but does not necessarily demonstrate responsibility to ports of call. Prior to a cruise ship visit, a port should be informed of the vaccination status of all passengers and crew, and a full account of all illness reports recorded in each of the previous 10 days. That allows the port of call to be informed of potential risks posed by the visit. It is notable that the first cruise ship scheduled to visit Canada in 2022 had its port calls at Vancouver and Victoria cancelled because of a Centers for Disease Control investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak [3] . The ship, Ruby Princess , reported 253 cases of COVID-19 in five weeks [4] .

The flip side is the cruise industry’s perspective. Though transparency may be the moral thing to do, responsibility to stockholders requires a public relations machine that makes invisible the scale of COVID-19 on cruise ships. They want to reassure passengers of the safety of cruise ships. This tact was taken when waves of Norovirus undercut the perceived safety of cruise vacations; the strategy was described in detail at the 2003 World Cruise Tourism Summit [5] . Bad publicity is bad for business. At the same time, transparency to passengers and to communities can have positive public relations value. Online reports as recent as May 2022 reveal that passengers are unable to receive full information about COVID patients onboard.

Another illustration is revealed around medical emergencies on cruise ships. Medical facilities are limited, so medical emergencies must be debarked in a port or have a medical evacuation. This is sustainable for the cruise line—it offloads responsibility for the ill passenger, including liability, and it minimally impacts the ship’s itinerary. From another perspective, the question is where these ill passengers end up and at whose expense. Is there cost to the port where passengers are left? Yakutat, Alaska, sought to charge cruise lines because of the demand on the town’s emergency services—its only ambulance was often used for cruise ship emergencies, which made it unavailable for local emergencies. Ships never made a port call at Yakutat—passengers were transferred by tender and left behind. The cruise lines refused to pay the levy, and subsequently an amendment was added to the Maritime Security Act prohibiting the levy [6] . While this may be a unique situation, it draws attention to the need for cruise lines to be more sensitive to the communities on which they depend.

Responsibility and labour

Cruise ship labour illustrates another way sustainability may diverge from responsibility. It is cost-effective for cruise lines to employ workers, often from developing countries. They are immersed into a hierarchy with clear lines around race, culture, gender and authority (sexual harassment and sexual assault are long-standing and persistent problems [7] ). The standard employee contract requires a 77-hour workweek and can continue for 10 months without a day off (the length often varies with skin colour or country of origin). The salary for many is less than $2 an hour. Though mandatory gratuities and service charges have increased significantly over the past 20 years, the incomes received by workers have not. Pay scales need to be more equitable and fair, and workers should be represented by a traditional-style labour union (with grievance rights). If wages kept pace with the Consumer Price Index, a worker earning $500 a month should earn $850 today. That is not that case.

Cruise lines have also limited worker rights of grievance and their protection of health and welfare through arbitration clauses inserted in employment contracts [8] . This followed a period where most major cruise lines were sued by workers for unpaid overtime—discovery in the Princess Cruises case revealed a baker working 19 hours a day—8 hours unpaid overtime every day. It also showed different pay scales for workers from different countries, even when filling the same work role.

These labour practices are sustainable for the cruise line. If asked, the industry unapologetically says workers take their jobs freely and can leave anytime they want. That may be true, but the situation appears quite different through a lens of responsibility. Take one example told to me by a musician who had just lost his job with Norwegian Cruise Line. The cruise line fired all Hawaiian musicians playing Hawaiian music on ships in Hawai‘i, replacing them with Filipino musicians playing Hawaiian music. The Filipino musicians cost less, worked more hours and appear Hawaiian when dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Most passengers knew no different, but to the native Hawaiians the cruise line was not behaving responsibly. Similarly, Princess Cruises in 2019 apologised for cultural insensitivity after cruise ship employees posed in New Zealand as Maori performers with careless scribbles on their faces and wearing skirts not reflecting Maori culture [9] .

Responsibility and the environment

The cruise industry says its ships meet or exceed all international environmental regulations. This is meant to be reassuring, but there are two problems. First, though Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has mandatory environmental regulations for member cruise lines, it has never punished or fined a cruise line for violating these regulations (even those found guilty of felony offenses). A CLIA vice president was asked about this in a community meeting in Rockland, Maine; his response was that they had ‘pull[ed] the company aside and given them a stern talking’. That attitude did not further the industry’s desire to be viewed as leaders in sustainability. The local community was not reassured.

The second problem is ambiguity as to what it means to ‘meet or exceed international regulations’. That there are no international regulations around greywater (4,000-passenger ships produce more than 1.5 million litres of greywater every day) should raise concerns for ports since greywater can be legally discharged virtually anywhere in most jurisdictions. Incinerators are similarly not regulated when at sea, even though incinerators onshore are regulated. And though many cruise ships have advanced wastewater treatment systems, the systems do not always operate as promised and their discharges are often exempt from limitations or regulation [10] .

The Ocean Ranger Program in Alaska was a good strategy for ensuring that cruise ship practices and promises correspond, and that discharges into coastal waters meet water quality standards. Alaska’s experience, as the only jurisdiction worldwide to monitor cruise ship discharges and enforce regulations, demonstrates that cruise ships often fail to meet water quality standards. Violations of air quality standards are also enforced through local observers. Enforcement positively impacts cruise ship behaviour.

Another approach is reflected is a recent port-led initiative in the Pacific Northwest. Ports, governments and cruise lines are working to form a ‘green corridor’ where cruise ships traversing the coastal waters of British Columbia and Alaska would operate without fossil fuels by 2050 [11] .

Responsibility and ports of call

Ports of call are a critical element in cruise tourism. Ports significantly contribute to passenger satisfaction. They are also a huge source of cruise lines’ income and profits through shore excursions, shopping programs, ownership of cruise terminals and much more. The responsible cruise tourism lens asks whether economic benefits are equitably distributed to all segments of a tourist destination and whether negative sociocultural and environmental impacts have been minimised. The perception of sustainability or responsibility is vested with stakeholders involved in and impacted by the development of tourism products. Thus, when considering the economic benefits of cruise tourism the focus may not be on income derived from cruise tourism but instead on the degree to which economic benefits are distributed equitably between the cruise line and port and among the stakeholders and segments of society in the port. The cruise line’s goal is to retain as much of the income as possible.

Belize provides an illustration. Passengers arrive by tender at Fort Street Village in the centre of Belize City. The village is contained by a wall and security fence and has within a range of shops, eateries and bars, many of which are found in other Caribbean ports. The retail space is expensive, so few local merchants can afford it; there is a small crafts market for them in another area, but the rents again are significant. The merchants have some income, despite heavy overhead costs; they do better than merchants outside given that few cruise passengers venture independently from the village. Most passengers take shore excursions from which the cruise ship takes 50 percent or more of the price paid by a passenger. A passenger expects a $50 product, but the shore excursion provider receives less than $25. The excursion provider is challenged to provide a quality product while still retaining a small profit. It is of mutual benefit for shore excursion providers to receive a higher payment—they can upgrade their product and elevate passenger satisfaction, but pressure from cruise lines is usually to reduce costs.

Cruise lines similarly pressure ports to keep port fees low. Many ports have been unable to significantly increase head taxes for decades. That doesn’t serve the port. A port fee in 1990, keeping pace with the Consumer Price Index, should have more than doubled by 2022. A $10 port charge in 1990 would equitably be $22.69 in 2022. Cruise lines and ports have divergent interests in seeing these fees increase.

People pollution is another concern for ports of call. This refers to situations where the number of tourists or visitors exceeds the comfortable carrying capacity of a port community, such as when cruise ships collectively disgorge tens of thousands of passengers in a port at one time. Overcrowding has implications for the community and for the experience of passengers. As regards the latter, visitors don’t have an opportunity to interact with and to experience local culture; local cultures may be treated disrespectfully. The sheer volume of cruise passengers compromises the experience of all. On ‘cruise days’ in Belize, for example, locals warn land-based visitors to avoid Xunantunich, one of the country’s main Mayan sites visited by cruise passengers. Passengers’ experience of the sacred site is limited by the short time spent and by the overwhelming number of other cruise passengers sharing the small site. Cruise days are especially busy for the operator of the hand-cranked bridge that crosses the river to get to the Mayan site (quaint when crossing in a single vehicle on a lazy day), and for some craftspeople selling wares at the crossing point, but most passengers stay in safety on their air-conditioned bus and are whisked someplace else. Ideally, cruise lines would work with port communities (and with each other) in itinerary development. Rather than force a port to be proactive and place daily limits on cruise passengers (as has been done in Key West) or on cruise ship size (as in Venice), it would better for cruise lines and communities to find mutually agreeable solutions.

The challenge for cruise tourism post-pandemic will be for all industry partners to benefit from the return of cruise ships and cruise passengers. Cruise corporations want to return to profitability; the major lines all increased service fees (gratuities) and bar prices in 2022, and they are likely to put more pressure on ports of call. The challenge for ports and their constituents is to treat cruise tourism as a business, the way the cruise corporations do. They need to not only get their fair share but also enough benefits to make cruise tourism worth it. A clear business model is needed with targets for income and methods to offset costs.

Ports need to maintain self-esteem [12] . They may benefit from working cooperatively with one another [13] , a strategy the cruise industry has thwarted in past. In any case, they need to meet cruise lines (and those who speak for them) as equals. A cruise ship needs a port to fill its itineraries, which gives the port a degree of power. The port needs to know its value to a cruise line before it begins negotiations. Too often ports (and their constituents) rely on cruise lines and cruise line representatives for data on such things as passenger spending even though these industry-supported experts often overstate the economic benefits of cruise tourism. A study of cruise passenger spending in Halifax, Nova Scotia, revealed that the cruise industry had significantly and systematically overstated passenger spending [14] . The lesson is that port communities need to do their own independent research, and to enter negotiations from a position of strength, based on facts and realistic expectations. Ports also need to engage in inclusive consultation with all involved with and/or impacted by cruise ship visits—this is often the case in smaller communities in Alaska and the Canadian North.

—–

[1] London Times , Corporate Profile no. 104, 16 February 2004, 22.

[2] R.A. Klein, “Responsible Cruise Tourism: Issues of Cruise Tourism and Sustainability,” in “Cruise Tourism: Emerging Issues and Implications for a Maturing Industry,” special issue of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 18 (2011): 103–12.

[3] S. Little, “Start of Cruise Season Delayed as First Planned Arrival in Victoria Is Scrapped,” Global News , 2 April 2022, https://globalnews.ca/news/8730681/vancouver-cruise-cancelled-covid-19/.

[4] N. Diller, “Princess Cruise Ship Has 253 Coronavirus Cases in 5 Weeks,” Washington Post , 27 April 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/04/27/ruby-princess-coronavirus-outbreaks/.

[5] R.A. Klein, Cruise Ship Squeeze: The New Pirates of the Seven Seas (Gabriola Island, BC: New Society, 2005).

[6] Klein, Cruise Ship Squeeze .

[7] R.A. Klein and J. Poulston, “Sex at Sea: Sexual Crimes on Cruise Ships,” Journal of Tourism in Marine Environments 7, no. 2 (2011): 67–80.

[8] R.A. Klein, “Are Current Regulations Sufficient to Protect Passengers and the Environment?,” Testimony before US Senate, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Hearings on Oversight of the Cruise Ship Industry, 1 March 2012.

[9] D. Jones, “Princess Cruises Apologizes for ‘Cultural Insensitivity’ after Employees Pose as Maori Performers in New Zealand,” Washington Post , 3 December 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/12/03/princes-cruises-apologizes-cultural-insensitivity-after-employees-pose-maori-performers-new-zealand/.

[10] R.A. Klein, Getting a Grip on Cruise Ship Pollution (Washington, DC: Friends of the Earth, 2009).

[11] H. Bernton, “A Cruise Ship ‘Green Corridor’ in the PNW? Ports Make Pact over Carbon Emission Goals,” Seattle Times , 20 May 2022, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/a-cruise-ship-green-corridor-in-the-pnw-ports-make-pact-over-carbon-emission-goals/.

[12] R.A. Klein, “Playing Off the Ports: BC and the Cruise Tourism Industry” (Vancouver, BC: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2005).

[13] Klein, “Playing Off the Ports.”

[14] B. Kayahan, R.A. Klein and B. VanBlarcom, “Overstating Cruise Passenger Spending: Sources of Error in Cruise Industry Studies of Economic Impact,” Journal of Tourism in Marine Environments 13, no. 4 (2018): 193–203.

Accessibility Tools

Privacy overview.

TOP CRUISE DESTINATIONS: Regions, Countries, Ports, Itineraries, and the World!

by Cruzus Staff | Jul 13, 2021 | places , Top 21 | 0 comments

TOP CRUISE DESTINATIONS:

Regions, countries, ports, itineraries, and the world.

In this article you will find:

Most Popular Cruise Destinations

Favorite cruise regions, compelling cruise countries and ports, attractive cruise itineraries, around the world cruises, and there’s always the world.

So, where in the world do you want to go on your next cruise(s)? Unless you’re primarily interested in onboard cruise experiences, or prefer sea days to port days, destinations and itineraries are primary concerns of most water travelers. This is especially true in such port-rich regions as the Mediterranean where Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Santorini, and Istanbul are big destination winners. In fact, many cruisers like to talk about the cruises they’ve taken (This is my 25t0), the places they’ve visited (Been to 75 countries), and the ships they sailed (Did the QE2 three times) – the boasting “cruise mind” for one-upmanship “cruise conversations.” Many such water lovers also have bucket lists of places they hope to cruise to before they die!

One of the first decisions travelers make is where to go – identify desirable cruise destinations and itineraries before deciding which cruise line or cruise ship to book. Some cruisers also have a small bucket list of special ships and unique water journeys, such as the 7-night transatlantic crossing from New York City to Southampton (United Kingdom) on Cunard’s famous ocean liner, Queen Mary 2 , or an expedition/adventure cruise to the Galapagos , Amazon , Antarctica , or Northwest Passage with Hurtigruten , Lindblad Expeditions , or Quark Expeditions .

CruiseCritic conducts an annual survey of its readers to identify the most popular cruise destinations worldwide. Individuals who completed their 2019 survey identified the following 10 ocean and river ports as their favorites:

• Avignon (river)
• Bora Bora (Tahiti)
• Glacier Bay (Alaska)
• Vienna (river)
• Kirkwall (Scotland)
• Flam (Norway)
• Eldfjord (Norway)
• Oslo (Norway)
• Geiranger (Norway)

I’m very suspicious of this much-quoted survey — it doesn’t reflect actual cruise choices and favorite ports selected by real cruisers – only survey choices of visitors to a popular cruise website. While it’s unclear why these places are “favorites” — especially given the overwhelming popularly of such Mediterranean countries as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Turkey and such ports as Barcelona, Rome, Athens, and Istanbul — more objective cruise passenger data shows the following ports are the busiest in terms of sheer numbers of cruisers embarking or disembarking through these cruise-friendly gateway cities:

Individual cruise lines also promote their own lists of “best cruise destinations.” For example, Celebrity Cruises identifies these destinations, along with related itineraries, as the best for 2021 :

• The Greek Islands
• The Caribbean
• Western Europe
• Panama Canal
• Southern Japan
• Galapagos Islands
• Bay of Islands (New Zealand)

Royal Caribbean , which sails large ships to over 300 destinations with a disproportionate number (24 ships) targeted for the Bahamas and the Caribbean, identifies these best cruise places for 2021-2023 :

• Eastern Caribbean
• Western Caribbean
• Southern Caribbean
• Mediterranean
• Northern Europe
• Australia/New Zealand

Carnival Cruises , the world’s largest cruise company, promotes its own list of best cruise destinations and itineraries each year:

• The Bahamas
• Canada and New England
• Transatlantic
• South Pacific

Small luxury cruise line Seabourn , which goes to 17 unique destinations and 464 ports, is famous for its innovative itineraries to:

• South America
• Greek Isles
• Iceland, Greenland, and Arctic
• West and South Africa
• Great Lakes
• Ireland and Northern Island

The world’s most popular cruise regions and areas include the following:

• Mediterranean/Southern Europe (31 million) • Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda (12 million) • Asia and China (4 million) • Northern Europe (1.7 million) • Alaska (1.2 million) • Australia/New Zealand/Pacific (1.2 million) • Panama Canal/South America (800,000) • Africa/Middle East (500,000) • Transatlantic and World Cruises (400,000)

The Mediterranean (Eastern and Western) is the world’s most popular tourist destination, which accommodates nearly 350 million international visitors annually (2019 data). In fact, seven of the world’s top tourist destinations are found here – #1 France (90 million), #2 Spain (83 million), #5 Italy (65 million), #6 Turkey (51 million), #13 Greece (31 million), #15 Portugal (25 million), and #24 Croatia (17 million). This region also is the number one cruise destination in the world with over 30 million people visiting its 22 countries, 200+ cruise-friendly islands, and 300 ports each year. The Mediterranean includes a rich collection of islands (3,000+) for water lovers, from large and iconic Sicily, Sardinia, Cypress, Corsica, Crete, and Majorca to small and romantic Santorini, Mykonos, Nafplion, Paros, Capri, Formentera, Hvar, and Milos. The most popular cruise ports are mainland cities and towns such as Barcelona, Seville, Athens, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, Split, Lisbon, Rome, Venice, La Spezia, and Villefranche-sur-Mer (Nice) that dot the shores of the Mediterranean. Many of these places exude old world charm with their intriguing history, art, and culture.

For a quick and balanced overview of cruising the Mediterranean, including several popular ports and onboard activities of a large mainstream cruise ship (Celebrity Reflection), start with Rick Steves’ 55-minute video – Rick Steves’ Cruising the Mediterranean . For a brief summary of the Mediterranean’s best sailing and yachting centers, see Best Sailing Destinations in the Mediterranean . For more information on this region, see my “Top Mediterranean Cruises: Destinations, Ports, Itineraries, and Resources” article.

The Caribbean (Eastern, Western, Southern) is the world’s second most popular cruise region. Each year 12 million cruise passengers visit the Caribbean. Spread over an area of nearly 1 million square miles and populated by 45 million people, the Caribbean is punctuated with 7,000+ tempting islands, reefs, and cays, and lined with inviting coastal ports in North, Central, and South America. The most convenient cruise center for Americans, the area is easily accessible from major cruise ports in Florida (Miami, Everglades, Canaveral), Louisiana (New Orleans), and Texas (Galveston).

Caribbean cruises tend to be short (4-10 days) and inexpensive ($100 to $300 per day). Many cruisers book the huge mega-ships, which accommodate 4,000 to 5,500 cruise passengers plus another 1,000 to 2,000 crew members. Six cruise lines also own six private islands and cays (small sand islands on the surface of a coral reef – also “caye” or “key”) in the Bahamas where they entertain and upsell their captive audience onshore with everything from beach activities, cabanas, watersports, waterslides, fishing, games, and ziplining to music, food, restaurants, bars, spas, lagoons, ballooning, shopping, and mini excursions:

• Royal Caribbean on The Perfect Day at CocoCay • Disney on Castaway Cay • Norwegian Cruise Line on Great Stirrup Cay • Princess Cruises on Princess Cays • Carnival Cruise on Half Moon Cay (Little San Salvador Island) • MSC on Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (new in 2019)

Two of these cruise lines also own and operate two similar islands in Haiti and Belize:

• Royal Caribbean on Labadee , Haiti • Norwegian Cruise Line on Harvest Caye in southern Belize

Within the three Caribbean sub-regions, the most popular destinations include the following:

Eastern Caribbean (great for shopping, beaches, and relaxing)

• Philipsburg, Saint Martin • Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis • Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands • San Juan, Puerto Rico • Grand Turk. Turks and Caicos • Nassau, The Bahamas

Western Caribbean (great for activities – water sports and shore excursions)

• Cozumel, Mexico • Ocho Rios, Jamaica • George Town, Cayman Islands

Longer cruises include ports in Central America (Belize, Honduras, Panama)

Southern Caribbean (port intensive for shopping, dining, adventures, history, and culture)

• Castries, Saint Lucia • Oranjestad, Aruba • Kralendijk, Bonaire • Willemstad, Curacao • Bridgetown, Barbados

Bermuda , located north of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos, is technically not part of the Caribbean, but it’s usually included as part of the popular Atlantic/Caribbean cruise region. A major cruise player drawing cruisers from East Coast USA and the U.K., Bermuda annually handles over 500,000 cruise passengers from nearly 1,000 ships that dock at its two busy ports.

For more information on this region, see my “Top Caribbean Cruises: Destinations, Ports, Itineraries, and Alternatives” article.

The most popular countries for cruisers tend to be skewed by the location of major embarkation ports. For example, nearly 13 million cruisers, or one out of every three people who cruise each year, embark on their cruise at one of three U.S. ports in Florida – Port Miami, Port Everglades, or Port Canaveral. Other very popular countries and ports include:

• Spain (Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca) • United Kingdom (Southampton) • Italy (Civitavecchi/Rome, Naples, Venice, La Spezia) • Greece (Santorini, Piraeus/Athens) • Norway (Oslo, Bergen) • Sweden (Stockholm) • Finland (Helsinki) • Denmark (Copenhagen) • Russia (St. Petersburg) • Germany (Warnemunde-Rostock, Hamburg) • France (Marseille) • The Netherlands (Amsterdam) • UAE (Dubai) • China (Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong) • Singapore (Singapore) • South Korea (Jeju) • Taiwan (Keelung) • Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Madeira) • Australia (Sydney) • Argentina (Buenos Aires) • Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) • Chile (Valparaiso)

Barcelona is the leading Mediterranean cruise port with over 3.1 million passengers visiting each year (2019) as they embark, disembark, or pass through in transit. The Balearic Islands (four Spanish islands — Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera) and Civitavecchia (Rome) are the two other most visited cruise ports in the Mediterranean.

Cruise ship itineraries vary considerably based upon the size and clientele of the cruise ship. Large ships of Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line that primarily focus on the Caribbean disproportionally cater to young, multigenerational, and budget cruisers who find youth-oriented onboard activities especially appealing. The downside to their cruise life often involves lengthy embarkations, long buffet lines, lots of screaming kids and partying 30-year-olds, onboard nickeling and diming, and disembarking with 3,000+ fellow passengers!

Smaller luxury cruise lines , such as Regent, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Ponart, and Viking, along with Azamara, Oceania, and Windstar, offer many interesting itineraries that appeal to the education, adventure, and comfort interests of their well-traveled and senior (55+) clientele who prefer more all-inclusive cruise experiences. These cruise lines devise some of the most innovative itineraries and overnight port stays for curious travelers in search of unique travel experiences found in some of the world’s smaller cruise ports. Windstar , for example, recently revamped its itineraries to include such places as the Aleutians and North Pacific (Alaska to Tokyo), the Philippines, Borneo, Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and remote Caribbean islands. Azamara Cruises now promotes a “Maiden Voyages” collection that introduces cruises to many new and unusual places in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, South America, and the Caribbean. Silversea Cruises continues to pioneer luxury cruises to 900 destinations on seven continents, including the Galapagos, Africa, Indian Ocean, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Arctic, and Greenland. Viking Ocean Cruises is known for exploring the fjords of Norway and Chile, cruising the Amazon River, visiting such remote islands as Mauritius and Easter Island, sailing through the Panama and Suez canals, and cruising the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes. And Viking River Cruises has now expanded its operations to the United States – currently cruises the Mississippi River.

If you love to cruise, and if time and money are sufficient to indulge your travel passions, consider surveying around-the-world options with several cruise lines. These lengthy cruises are increasingly popular in today’s cruise world. In fact, many such cruises are cheaper than staying home or traveling by other means. And many are sold out for the next two years! Most offer spectacular itineraries.

Several cruise lines offer lengthy sailings – from 50- to 180-day cruises – to major destinations around the world. Other cruise lines primarily specialize in 7- to 14-day cruises with the longest sailings being repositioning cruises involving the Atlantic and Pacific. Cruisers usually can purchase short segments (15- to 40-day) on these cruises rather than complete the whole world cruise. Prices range from $130 to $500 a day. Here are some of the major world cruise offerings for 2022 and 2023 :

• Crystal Cruises – 116-night world cruise from Miami or Los Angeles ( Crystal Serenity — starts at $53,646) • Cunard Line – 118-night world cruise from New York ( Queen Mary 2 – starts at $15,149) or 105-day cruise from Hamburg, Germany ( Queen Victoria – starts at $21,999). 59-day segment (Sydney to Southampton) starts at $7,919. • Fred Olsen Cruise Lines – 101-night around the world voyage ( Borealis – starts at $33,324). • Holland America Line – 128-night “Grand World Voyage” — roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale ( Zaandam – starts at $22,499) • MSC Cruises – 116-night roundtrip from Civitavecchia/Rome ( MSC Poesia – starts at $15,549) • Oceania Cruises – “Around the World in 180 Days” sailing from Los Angeles to New York ( Insignia – starts at $39,799) • P&O Cruises – 99-night roundtrip voyage from Southampton ( Aurora – starts at $14,500) • Princess Cruises – 107-day around the World Cruise, from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney ( Coral Princess – starts at $14,719) • Princess Cruises – 111-day around the World Cruise from either Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles – 50 destinations across 31 countries ( Island Princess — starts at $19,199) • Regent Seven Seas Cruises – 143-night Miami to Barcelona world cruise ( Seven Seas Mariner – all inclusive, $84,899) • Seabourn Cruise Line – 145-night voyage from Los Angeles to Athens ( Seabourn Sojourn – starts at $64,899) • Silversea Cruises – 137-night voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Copenhagen ( Silver Whisper – starts at $89,100) • Viking Cruises – 119-night World Cruise from Los Angeles to London ( Viking Nepture – from $49,995)

The ultimate around the world cruise ship is the 644-foot The World Residences at Sea . Launched in 2002 and visiting over 100 ports each year, this is the only private residential ship in world. It’s literally a floating luxury ship consisting of 165 private luxury residents or condos. The initial buy-in costs anywhere from $4 million to $36 million depending on the unit (from studios to 3-bedroom units to a penthouse). Owners are assessed additional fees for ship preservation, operations, crew compensation, and food and beverage onboard. A combination private yacht and luxury vacation home, The World is always cruising to somewhere in the world; it usually circumnavigates the globe every two to three years. Most owners are flush with time and money, although many continue their professional lives by living part-time (three to four months a year) onboard. Normal occupancy at any time is 150 to 200 residents who are more than just your average millionaire or billionaire cruiser! They make up a special class of cruiser who may already have almost everything money can buy.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

What is Cruise Tourism?

Cruise tourism, an integral part of the global travel industry, has been steadily gaining traction over the past few decades.

For the uninitiated, one might ask, What is cruise tourism? Simply put, it refers to a vacation that integrates transportation, accommodation, dining, recreation, and entertainment aboard a luxury vessel.

This holistic approach to travel has transformed the tourism landscape, ushering in a unique blend of exploration and relaxation that continues to captivate millions worldwide.

Cruise Tourism: An Evolving Market

The caribbean, mediterranean, asian waters, the cruise tourism experience, academic perspective on cruise tourism, service quality in cruise tourism, sustainability and cruise tourism, conclusion and future trends.

The growth trajectory of the cruise tourism sector, particularly since the 1990s, has been nothing short of remarkable.

Rapid expansion has seen annual passenger growth average approximately 6.63%, ballooning from 7.21 million passengers in 2000 to an astonishing 26.86 million by 2019.

An intriguing element of this growth is the surge in Asian cruise passengers.

Asian cruise passenger numbers hit record highs in 2017 and 2018, demonstrating the region’s growing affinity for cruise tourism.

Factors such as increased disposable income, an escalating interest in quality-of-life experiences, and the expansion of cruise lines into Asian markets have all been instrumental in driving this trend.

Popular Destinations for Cruise Tourism

Given the global footprint of cruise tourism, it’s no surprise that it opens a world of opportunities for avid explorers.

This form of vacationing allows passengers to experience multiple destinations in a single trip, offering a unique blend of travel that land-based vacations can’t match.

So, what are some popular destinations that have etched a place for themselves on the cruise tourism map?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by InstaoftheSeas (@instaoftheseas)

Topping the list, the Caribbean is arguably the most popular cruise destination worldwide, attracting millions of passengers annually with its tropical allure.

Crystal clear waters, pristine sandy beaches, diverse marine life, and vibrant cultures make the Caribbean islands a hot favorite among cruise tourists.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ilove2cruise 🌞 (@ilove2cruise)

The Mediterranean, with its rich history, picturesque landscapes, and captivating blend of European, African, and Asian cultures, offers a multi-faceted experience for cruise tourists.

Destinations like Italy, Greece, Spain, and Turkey, steeped in history and cultural richness, are some of the gems in the Mediterranean’s crown.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alaska Cruises | Cruise Inspiration & Deals (@alaska.cruises)

Alaska is another prominent name in the world of cruise tourism.

It’s an adventure lover’s paradise, presenting breathtaking vistas, stunning glaciers, and unique wildlife.

The Inside Passage, a coastal route plied by many cruises, offers awe-inspiring scenic views and opportunities for whale watching.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gracious M. Pineda (@gracious1128)

As discussed earlier, the Asian market is burgeoning in cruise tourism.

With a myriad of cultures, languages, cuisines, and landscapes, destinations like Japan, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India are growing in popularity.

The Asian cruise market blends the exotic charm of Eastern cultures with the luxury of modern cruise lines, making for an unforgettable experience.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brie Burgett (@thebrieadventure)

Who wouldn’t want to wake up in paradise?

The Hawaiian Islands, with their natural beauty, tropical climate, vibrant culture, and welcoming spirit of ‘Aloha,’ is a popular choice for cruise vacations.

Whether it’s exploring volcanic landscapes or lounging on sun-kissed beaches, Hawaii offers something for everyone.

The concept of high-value cruising has played a pivotal role in cultivating the sector’s popularity.

This entails offering various special services, ranging from plush cabins with superior amenities to a plethora of dining options, wellness programs, sports facilities, meeting rooms, and even wedding packages.

By creating a space that provides nearly endless possibilities for enjoyment and relaxation, cruise lines ensure that each passenger’s experience is unique, enticing, and memorable.

Moreover, the high-value cruising experience attracts first-time cruisers and cultivates brand loyalty, encouraging repeat customers – a vital component of the industry’s success.

In the realm of academia, cruise tourism has been the subject of extensive research.

Themes commonly explored include business, management, and economics, reflecting the industry’s broad scope.

Despite the varied research methods and topics, an evident trend is the emphasis on service quality, perceived value, and customer retention.

Academic studies have underscored the importance of service innovation in cruise vacations, making them more appealing to diverse target markets.

This notion points to the ongoing need for cruise lines to constantly reimagine and enhance the passenger experience.

The concept of service quality, often measured using the SERVQUAL model, has been instrumental in shaping the success of cruise tourism.

This model, which assesses reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangibles, has been customized and effectively applied within the cruise industry.

Enhanced service quality translates to improved customer satisfaction, resulting in higher customer loyalty – a cornerstone of any successful business.

From the customer’s initial interaction with crew members to the tangible outcomes of the trip, quality is a thread that runs through every aspect of the cruise experience.

Like any burgeoning industry, cruise tourism has had its share of skepticism, particularly regarding sustainability.

Discussions often revolve around corporate social responsibility, environmental impact, economic contributions, and adverse effects on ports of call.

In response, industry leaders like the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) have taken significant strides toward sustainable development.

Through initiatives such as partnerships with local governments, staggered arrivals and departures, excursion diversification, and significant investments in energy-efficient ships and technologies, the industry aims to cut carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.

Looking ahead, the cruise tourism industry appears poised for continued growth, albeit with new challenges.

As consumers increasingly prioritize ethical and environmental considerations, cruise lines will need to continuously innovate, improve service quality, and adopt sustainable practices.

Overall, the journey of cruise tourism from a niche market to a thriving global industry is a testament to its allure.

And as it continues to evolve, it undoubtedly remains an exciting voyage to watch – and better yet, to experience firsthand.

So, when you ponder, What is cruise tourism? – it’s not just a vacation. It’s an ever-evolving adventure that promises an unparalleled blend of leisure, exploration, and rejuvenation.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of new posts by email.

© 2021-2024 Exploretouristplaces.com

• Market information
• Cruise Tourism
• Market Potential
• Share this on:

The European market potential for cruise tourism

Although cruise tourism is accessible for many Europeans, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a big impact on this market. In Europe, Germany and the United Kingdom are the main target markets. There are many forms of cruise tourism. World and sea cruises normally use large ships, which may not be affordable for you as a small and medium-sized enterprise. In addition, most large cruise ships are not environmentally sustainable at all. As the demand for sustainable tourism increases, small sea and river cruises which contribute to local communities become more appealing for small and medium-sized tourism operators.

Contents of this page

• Product description
• What makes Europe an interesting market for cruise tourism?
• Which European countries offer most opportunities for cruise tourism?
• What trends offer opportunities or pose threats in the European cruise tourism market?

Figure 1: River cruise ships mooring at a cultural destination

Source: pexels.com

1. Product description

Cruise tourism involves an all-inclusive holiday on a cruise ship for at least 48 hours, whereby the ship calls at several ports or cities on a specific itinerary. It is a tourism product that offers and combines attractions, activities, access, accommodation, and amenities . The nature of cruise ships makes them as destinations in themselves, where features and amenities are comparable or even superior to resorts on land.

According to the Dutch centre for coastal tourism, HZ Kenniscentrum Kusttoerisme , cruise tourism comprises a variety of different types of cruises, varying in duration and destinations:

Table 1: Cruise tourism divided in specialist niches and target groups

This article provides an overview of cruise tourism, including expedition, river, sea, theme, mini cruises as well as world, transit and turnaround cruises. Some other niches in the nautical segment are covered in separate CBI studies.

This study explains why Europe is an interesting market, which countries offer the most potential and which trends offer opportunities.

• Focus on a cruise type that is feasible for you. Expedition cruises, theme cruises , mini cruises, transit cruises and turnaround cruises may offer opportunities.
• Focus on activities and sights instead of luxury, as offering a high-level luxury requires big investments.
• Ensure that safety standards are followed. The safety of your passengers is very important. Get started by reading our study on how to manage risks .
• Look for opportunities to cooperate. For instance, your business may offer tours and activities for transit cruise passengers to explore the destination. When you operate your own cruise, work with other local service providers.
• Read our studies on dive tourism or surf tourism , if you are interested in nautical tourism in general.

2. What makes Europe an interesting market for cruise tourism?

The cruise industry is one of the largest growing sectors in the tourism industry. It has steadily been growing, even during the economic recession in the 2000s. Between 2009 and 2019, the number of ocean cruise tourists worldwide rose significantly from 17.8 million passengers in 2009 to 30 million in 2019. The industry continues to grow and expand into new destinations.

This growth is fuelled by various trends, as described in CLIA's 2020 trend outlook .According to the trend outlook, in the year 2020, 19 new CLIA ocean cruise ships are expected to start sailing, adding to the 278 projected to be in operation. Some 32% of the new ships will be deployed in the Caribbean region. The same CLIA report states that in 2018, 28.5 million tourists enjoyed a cruise holiday, while the industry contributed €128 billion to the global economy. The continuous growth of the global cruise industry is well indicated by the projections.

Europe is the fastest growing tourism submarket and, after North America, is also the second-largest cruise market in the world. The passenger volume of cruises leaving from European ports increased from 6.1 million to 7.2 million between 2012 and 2018.

The global cruise tourism market is expected to grow incrementally between 2018 and 2022 by 6%. According to the 2018 Cruise Industry News Annual Report , the biggest growth in passenger numbers will come from Europe. By 2027, 51% of cruise passengers will probably be coming from North America (14% in 2019), 31.5% from Europe ( 7.17% in 2019 ) and 17.5% from Asia-Pacific (5.7% in 2019). That means that the growth rate of cruise tourism in Europe is anticipated to be bigger than in the US and Canada, but the absolute number of cruise passengers in Europe will not exceed the number in North America.

The growth projections are challenged by the impact of COVID-19, however. According to KPMG , the pandemic has damaged the reputation of the industry and resulted in significant revenue loss (such as paying out cancellation fees, reimbursement of tickets, costs associated with ships docking at various ports). The financial impacts are significant and may lead to the closure of numerous cruise companies. The ones that are able to survive will need to comply with even more rules and regulations than before. The extension of existing sanitation standards and more strict enforcement of rules and regulations can be expected. Restoring confidence is a major priority, therefore transparent and visible procedures are needed. This means that the industry needs to prepare for higher risk management costs and more service restrictions.

As indicated by KPMG , various reports have confirmed that despite the uncertainties, the number of bookings for 2021 show an increase compared to 2019. This trend is strengthened by the fact that many cruise companies offer credits that can be used for future bookings, instead of cash refunds, and/or offer large discounts for new bookings. As stated by KPMG, a CLIA report shows that 82% of the passengers are likely to book a cruise holiday for their next vacation. The cruise industry therefore appears to be resilient and, despite of the risks, passengers look forward to cruising again in the near future.

Major factors driving the global growth in cruise tourism:

• A strong economic recovery, causing an increase in consumer spending and a gradual increase in luxury lifestyle and leisure travel expenses.
• A substantial increase in repositioning cruises, which refers to moving a ship from one sailing destination to another. According to Technavio, consumer interest in repositioning cruises includes exploring different destinations and their price advantage when compared with regular cruising. Cheap one-way flights for travellers to return to their homes or reach the ships in the first place are also an attractive factor.
• The growth of cruise ship capacity. According to the 2018 Cruise Industry News Annual Report , ocean cruise ship capacity will increase by 48% from 2018 to 2027, from 26.7 million to 39.6 million passengers.
• New destinations and new regions are continuously introduced
• Cruising is increasingly popular across various generations . Cruising is no longer just for the elderly.

The following table shows the most visited regions with at least 4,000 passengers involving developing countries.

Table 2: Number of sea cruise passengers per destination region

Source: CLIA 2018 Europe Market Report * Exploration destinations include, for example, the Arctic, the Galápagos Islands and Antarctica.

European cruise passengers on transatlantic world cruises or travelling through the Panama Canal, to South America, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, Asia and China have the highest average ages (58+) and make the longest trips (more than 12 days). To the Eastern Mediterranean, European passengers have the youngest average age (47) and do the shortest trips (approximately 8 days). Passengers to North America’s West Coast, Mexico, California, Pacific Coast, Africa and Middle East have an average age of 51-52 and take a trip of 12–13 days. Based on passenger capacity, the most popular cruise companies on the European market are Carnival Corporation (3.2 million), MSC Cruises (2.2 million) and TUI Group (1.1 million).

• Understand the market. Continuously collect data, facilitate market research, monitor the industry and consumer trends. A good place to acquire data is CLIA, which publishes an annual market report about Europe and other reports, such as the Ocean and River Cruise Review .
• Develop new cruise products. Although cruising is already well developed as a product, you could focus on developing new products based on market analysis and feedback, keeping in mind the varied target audience.
• Target your customers via European cruise operators, regular tour operators, destination management companies, or directly. To reduce your dependence on one sales channel, sell your cruises via a variety of channels.
• Promote your region together with other potential destinations to CLIA Europe. CLIA is the global organisation of the cruise industry, which includes CLIA Europe . It represents more than 50 cruise lines (ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines), 340 executive partners (key suppliers and cruise line partners such as ports and destinations, suppliers and business services), 15 thousand travel agencies and agent members worldwide.

3. Which European countries offer most opportunities for cruise tourism?

In passenger volume, the two most important European markets for cruises are Germany and the combined market of the UK and Ireland. Together they accounted for nearly 60% of all European cruise passengers in 2018.

The remaining cruise tourism markets in Europe’s top six are Italy, Spain, France and Switzerland. All these countries show increases in passenger volume between 2016 and 2018, the biggest increases being in Italy and Spain . The tables below show which of these countries have the biggest potential for destinations (with at least 4,000 passengers) in developing countries.

Germany offers the biggest cruise market in Europe (31%), but growing little annually. Cruise holiday lengths also show small increases. The Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda are the most important destination for German cruise goers (10–11%), followed by Africa and the Middle East (5–6%) and the Eastern Mediterranean (5%).

Table 3: German cruise market key statistics

Source: CLIA 2018 Europe Market Report .

Destinations in developing countries show a decline over the past three years. The decline is visible in the age groups 20–29 and 40+, especially in one-day cruises and cruises of 21 days or more.

Table 4: German cruise market most visited destination regions

UK and Ireland

The UK and Ireland combined make up 27% of the cruise market in Europe, the second-largest share. Compared with the other top-five markets in Europe, cruise passengers from the UK and Ireland are the oldest (56–57 years) and take the longest cruise holidays on average (10 days). Market data shows a marginal increase of this market in the past two years and a marginal increase in holiday length.

Table 5: UK and Ireland cruise market key statistics

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda (14%–15%) and Eastern Mediterranean (7%–8%) are the most visited destination regions by British and Irish cruise travellers. Interest in Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, and Asia, China, and Panama Canal and South America has been slightly increasing since 2016. According to Statista , the most popular types of cruises booked by UK travellers are ocean (57%), adult-only (33%), river (32%) and land-based (25%).

Table 6: UK and Ireland cruise market most visited destination regions

Italy is the third-largest cruise market in Europe, making up 12% of the total European cruise market. Interest in cruise holidays shows a clear increase in the past two years. Compared to the other top-five markets in Europe, Italian cruise passengers are the youngest on average at 43 and take the shortest cruise holidays on average (7 days), which has shortened marginally in the last three years.

Table 7: Italian cruise market key statistics

Italians’ interest in cruise holidays to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda has clearly increased over the past few years. Cruise holidays to Africa and Middle East show a small decline, mainly visible in the age group 20–39. From 2017 to 2018 all age groups showed increases. With reference to the length of the cruise, 1–3 day cruises, 8–13 day cruises and cruises longer than 21 days declined between 2016 and 2018, but probably due to economic recovery these figures were turned to strong growth again in 2018. However, the popularity of 15-20 day cruises has been declining, and this decline has been stronger in 2018 than in 2017.

Table 8: Italian cruise market most visited destination regions

Spain’s cruise market has a market share of 7% in Europe, which is similar to France’s. Compared to the other top-five markets in Europe, the Spanish cruise holidays are the shortest (7 days), having reduced in length marginally in the last three years. The shares of cruise holidays to various destinations fluctuate from year to year.

Table 9: Spanish cruise market key statistics

The most visited destinations by Spanish cruise goers are Eastern Mediterranean (16%–18%) and Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda (6%–8%). The latest figures show a small decline of visits to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda and a small increase to Africa and the Middle East, and Eastern Mediterranean. The decline was mainly associated with a decline in cruise popularity in all age groups older than 20 years. However, in 2018 all age groups showed a strong increase again. The decline in 2017 was mainly in the market of cruises of 15 days or more. In 2018. the longest category of cruises (21+ days) still showed a decline, whereas all other cruise lengths showed increases.

Table 10: Spanish cruise market most visited destination regions

France also has 7% of the European cruise market. Two destination areas stand out: Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda (21–24%) and Eastern Mediterranean (11–14%).

Table 11: French cruise market key statistics

It seems that the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda region has become more popular in the past three years among French cruise travellers (from 20.5% to 23.3%), while the Eastern Mediterranean slightly less popular (from 13.6% to 12.7%). Travellers between 13 and 30 years of age and from 40 to 49 showed slightly declining shares in 2016-2017, but all age groups were on the rise again in 2018. Cruises of 4–6 days and 14 days showed sharp declines in 2018. Cruises of 8–13 days and more than 21 days also declined in 2017 but increased sharply in 2018.

Table 12: French market most visited destination regions

Switzerland

Switzerland has a small market share in the European cruise market of only 2%.

Table 13: Swiss cruise market key statistics

Swiss cruise holidaymakers most often go to destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean region (14%–16%) and the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda region (10%–12%). These percentages show some fluctuation since 2016. In 2018, the age groups between 20 and 29 and those between 40 and 69 declined clearly in market share. All other age groups increased. Figures clearly show that cruises of 14 days or longer have become less popular in the Swiss cruise market, but shorter cruises increased.

Table 14: Swiss cruise market most visited destination regions

If you run a business in the Eastern Mediterranean regions, in the Asia-China region, or in the Galápagos Islands, you have the biggest opportunities to seize in the European cruise market; these destinations combine a significant number of passengers with the biggest growth in passenger volume (table 14). If we consider the strong growth of transatlantic and world cruises (8% in 2017 and 17% in 2018), businesses in the latter two destination regions might have even more opportunities.

• Focus on the UK, Ireland or Germany. The UK and Ireland combined, and Germany, are the most interesting markets for you to focus in Europe.
• Consider products and services in the market of expedition cruises and river cruises because they have strong potential.

4. What trends offer opportunities or pose threats in the European cruise tourism market?

Growing demand for sustainable cruises.

Sustainability and sustainable tourism are big topics in the political agenda in Europe. Travellers, especially the younger generations, and businesses are increasingly aware of and concerned about sustainability. Holiday choices are also increasingly influenced by ethics, moral values, concerns about the environment, animal welfare, production and labour practices, and social impact on local communities and people. These travellers demand affordability and availability of environmentally friendly, sustainable and socially responsible tourism services and products. They want to reduce their holiday carbon footprint, but often want to improve the destination as well. That is why do good, feel good holidays and ecological tours are growing in popularity.

Cruise tourism in general is seen as unsustainable . When huge ships pay visits to small communities, this normally has a big impact on the lives of locals. Because they bring many visitors, who stay only a short amount of time, it may cause over tourism and not create many jobs. Cruise tourism also hardly contributes to local communities, as only 8% of the total holiday expenditure is spent on location. The biggest problem with cruise tourism however is that it generates a lot of pollution, particularly large cruise ships. This includes air pollution (by CO2 and NOx emissions) as well as water pollution, since ships create a lot of waste that is partly dumped in waterways, seas and oceans.

The cruise industry is slowly responding to the growing demand for sustainability by working together with destinations, local cultures and landmarks to limit their environmental footprint. There has been an increase of sustainable practices on board, such as waste management, and sustainable tourism activities on shore, such as voluntourism initiatives that focus on creating a positive environmental and social impact at destinations.

Examples of good practices by cruise tourism operators include:

• AmaWaterways offers river cruises with the Zambezi Queen in South Africa on the Chobe River. It uses various approaches to sustainability, such as purified river water for on-board showers, taps and the pool; biodegradable cleaning products; solar-heated hot water; and a water-jet propeller system that doesn’t disrupt the riverbed.
• Uniworld Cruises (Ireland): environmentally friendly river cruising.
• Aqua Expeditions : river cruises ships’ doctors deliver medical supplies and healthcare to remote Amazon villages.
• Study the UN Sustainable Development Goals and develop a policy on increasing sustainability. Start small, for example, by reducing waste using reusable dishes. Have clear rules on your ship for passengers, for example, about not throwing rubbish in overboard. Invest in a motor that produces less emissions.
• Large ships can also use technology to reduce wastewater, install solar panels or use alternative fuels like biodegradable fuels.
• Use your sustainability practices to market your product. Showing you care about the environment will prove popular among European tourists.
• Provide training for both your staff members and your travellers on environmental and cultural issues. Educate your employees on operational procedures to minimise the negative environmental impacts and provide your travellers with on-board learning possibilities on marine life and environmental protection.
• Review our study on trends in the tourism sector , where you can find more information on the rising demand for sustainable holidays, including background information, best practices and tips.

Growing European market for millennials and Generation Z

While the millennial market for tourism has been growing, Generation Z is expected to outpace the millennials and become the largest consumer market by 2020. Both generations look for personalised and transformational travel experiences. Especially river and small ship cruises are gaining importance among millennials while Generation Z is looking for multi-destination cruises and unique experiences on board, such as music festivals at sea. for example.

The tourism markets for millennials or Generation Y travellers, born between 1980 and 1995, and Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2015, are growing rapidly. Both generations prefer unique travel experiences over possessions. While authenticity is important for the millennials, Generation Z is even more keen to find original experiences. They are increasingly searching for extreme adventures and transformational experiences that contribute to their quality of life. As both generations are tech-savvy, they enjoy sharing their travel experiences online. While both generations are mostly motivated by authentic user-generated content, Generation Z is even more inspired by influencers sharing genuine content.

Cruising originally targeted high-spending tourists, but nowadays it is increasingly accessible to people on small budgets, including millennials and Generation Z. While younger generations like to escape their everyday lives, they are also often referred to as working nomads (working remotely on their laptops to avoid lost wages). Offering good internet connections and areas suitable for working can please this target group.

It is also important to mention that while the ‘original’ target group of elderly passengers used to seek routine and standardised experiences, the millennials and Generation Z travellers see the cruise tourism as a ‘complementary’ form of holiday. This means we are witnessing the emergence of a new type of traveller, referred to as the ‘hybrid passenger’. Therefore cruise tourism providers can no longer simply rely on repeat visitors; they need to find a way to capture the attention of first-time passengers. One approach towards this is to offer thematic cruises such as heavy metal cruises, for instance, and unique packages that combine sea and land experiences or providing major events (e.g. concerts) on board. This trend points towards the emergence of cruise ships as ”flexible experience platforms”.

Examples of companies that have successfully tapped into the millennial and Generation Z cruise markets include:

• Aqua Expeditions offers small-boat luxury river cruises in Peru, Cambodia and Vietnam. It has achieved global recognition as a leader in luxury small-ship river cruising.
• Merapi offers various adventurous budget cruises in Indonesia on small boats. Cruise ships take travellers to snorkelling locations, traditional villages and places to relax, including excursions.
• Taonga Safaris offers river cruises for tourists aiming to enjoy wildlife.
• Uniworld River Cruises  in collaboration with  ME to WE , offers a 12-day New Delhi-to-Kolkata journey that starts with four days of cultural immersion and service projects in rural Rajasthan, followed by eight days on the Ganges, sailing round-trip from Kolkata.
• The South Pacific experts from Paul Gauguin Cruises  have partnered with  Te Mana O Te Moana , a non-profit education and conservation organisation, to offer free Moana Explorer programme for kids to participate in daily naturalist-led activities and outings, from conducting water experiments to learning about underwater life through board games. Parents are also welcome to participate. Read more on multi-generational travel on our CBI study on this topic.
• Read the CBI tourism trends report for more detailed information on the needs and wants of Generation Y.
• Launch thematic cruises offering unique experiences on board to target Generation Z.
• Generate authentic content for the promotion of your services to inspire these generations.
• Collect guest feedback and visitor data and integrate it into your management review.

The feeling of achievement

The millennials and Generation Z are driving the shift from experiential travel to achievement travel. These young travellers want to do more than just visit a destination. They seek adventure. They are looking to learn new skills (such as taking cooking classes, making local products or artefacts, learning to surf) or complete challenges (such as climbing a mountain or river kayaking).

The cruise industry responds to this growing demand by establishing connections with the destination and prioritizing physical visits and experiences in the destination. They offer packages that focus on ever-expanding itineraries, destination experiences and options for obtaining ‘Instagram perfect moments’, which refers to experiences that could perfectly be shared via the social media platform of Instagram . The aim is that those returning from a cruise will have shift in perspective and a sense of accomplishment/achievement.

While achievement is the core of the experience, travellers are becoming ever more conscious. Contributing to local communities while visiting a destination is seen as a priority. This has been recognised by cruise operators. This offers perfect opportunities for small excursion operators.

• Myths and Mountains : The company offers river cruises in Asia. The cruises offer a wide range of services and comfort. For those looking to immerse themselves in local culture, they offer master classes, such as on traditional attire and lifestyles, and a variety of off-board excursions.
• Investigate the numbers of ocean cruises that pass along the coast and of river cruises in your country. Get in touch with the organisations behind these, and discuss the options to offer authentic, adventurous, immersive activities such as a traditional canoe journey during a cruise stopover in Papua New Guinea.
• Offer cruises combined with onshore adventure activities, such as trekking, hiking, biking and cooking workshops.
• Contribute to the connections with the hinterland by providing authentic onshore transport facilities to bring people from the port to landmarks or activity locations.

Solo and female travel

Travelling solo is becoming more popular amongst cruise passengers. Cruise operators are increasingly focusing on people travelling alone, as cruises offer a safe and easy way to reach faraway destinations. As an emerging trend cruises started to offer single cabins with single-friendly prices. There is more emphasis on offering activities and on and off-shore programmes for solo travellers allowing them to meet others travelling solo. A number of Latin American countries are among the most popular for solo travellers. Solo travellers tend to be confident, independent, have a real sense of adventure, and to be spontaneous and social.

Besides solo travel, cruises have recognised the potential in female travel. Women travel more frequently, and their market is continuously growing. Cruises started offering itineraries focused on women. Female empowerment is in the core of these experiences. Female-centred cruises allow women to explore the world in a safe and secure manner. Furthermore, solo travel is more popular among women than among men. It is a promising market segment.

• Blue Foot : Sailing holidays in style. The company offers day trips, 7-day sailing trips and 8 to 9-day sailing adventures. They offer free sailing classes for those who want to learn how to sail. The trips are suitable for solo travellers as well as for larger groups. They offer their services around the Grenadines in the Caribbean region.
• Investigate which cruise companies passing by your area have offers tailored to solo and/or female travellers and provide services that match their needs.
• Provide authentic experiences that help create bonds between solo travellers.

The impacts of COVID-19 on cruise tourism

The pandemic can be seen as a catalyst that has accelerated many of the processes that have already been present in the cruise tourism sector. When looking at the impacts from the passengers point of view, it becomes clear that the significant negative implicants of Covid-19 on individuals’ financial situation affected the purchasing power and spending patterns of potential cruise passengers.

Due to the pandemic, the all-inclusive aspect has gained even more popularity. Passengers favour all-inclusive packages as these allow them to have an idea of the costs prior to departure. Furthermore, passengers seek security when it comes to cancellation fees and refund policies.

Although there have been smart developments in the cruise industry in recent years, this process has now accelerated due to the pandemic. Online booking options, dynamic pricing, last-minute bookings, and the use of advanced on-board digital technology and services will be increasingly required. This process will have an impact on the number of staff on board. The need for less personnel will allow for more revenue-generating passengers.

Ports can be expected to pose even more restrictions when it comes to accessibility and the health screening of cruise passengers. The sustainability debate will again come to the fore, with destinations expected to revisit the extent to which cruise tourism contributes to the local economy, and assess anew whether cruise companies follow local standards and comply with local regulations. This will mean loss of flexibility and further restrictions for cruise companies.

From the cruise operators’ perspective, ticket prices are anticipated to drop , while on-board revenue is expected to continue growing by providing additional services. Furthermore, cruise operators will increasingly focus on ‘controlled experiences’, both on board and at the destinations. Visits to private islands probably will increase as a result, since they allow for full control over the shore experience. In order to regain even more control, the ships are likely to become destinations themselves, offering an even wider range of attractions on board. In line with the increasing popularity of proximity tourism and short-haul tourism due to COVID-19, home ports will have key importance.

It can also be expected that small players will have difficulty staying in business. The launch of newly built ships will be delayed and the focus will shift to the refitting, rebranding and modernisation of older ships. With declining demand, the sector is expected to focus on mainstream segments instead of niches (geographical and/or thematic). Therefore, the product might become more standardised and the aim may be to capture as much share as possible in the mainstream markets.

• Offer packages that include a variety of services both on board and off board, and provide transparent cancellation and refund policies to build trust.
• Comply with the highest safety, security and sanitation standards possible.
• Make sure you have a budget dedicated to risk management.
• Adapt smart technologies that enable online bookings and dynamic pricing.
• Focus on proximity and/or short-haul tourism.

This study was carried out on behalf of CBI by   Molgo  and  ETFI .

Please review our market information disclaimer .

• Entering the European market for cruise travel products

Enter search terms to find market research

Do you have questions about this research?

Ask your question

The modernisation of the image of cruising, effective promotions and new destinations have caught the attention of Europeans. Dr. Lau Yui Yip, Joseph, Lecturer and Assistant Programme Leader, Division of Business and Hospitality Management, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

 Cruising is becoming more affordable. Passengers are becoming younger. Therefore, theme cruises have huge potential, not just for Europe, but everywhere. They are seen as mobile leisure platforms. Prof. Dr. Alexis Papathanassis, Dean of the Faculty of Management & Information Systems, Co-Director – Institute for Maritime Tourism, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences  

Related research

• What is the demand for outbound tourism on the European market?
• What trends offer opportunities or pose threats on the European outbound tourism market?
• What are the requirements for tourism services in the European market?
• (opens in a new tab) Twitter
• (opens in a new tab) Facebook
• (opens in a new tab) LinkedIn

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, cruise tourism management: state of the art.

Tourism Review

ISSN : 1660-5373

Article publication date: 18 April 2017

Cruise tourism is a dynamic, growing segment of tourism that has long ceased to represent a mere niche and is slowly but steadily entering the domain of mainstream tourism. Yet, cruise tourism represents a minor fraction of tourism-related literature and research (Papathanassis and Beckmann, 2011). This study aims to examine the main trends and state-of-the-art developments in cruise tourism. The intension is to provide a starting point, a basis for non-specialists in this area, for further interdisciplinary research.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the author’s previous research and expertise over the past decade, this paper aims at providing a concise overview of the key perspectives and concepts in cruise tourism, whilst highlighting the current and future challenges faced by the sector and its stakeholders.

In this context, the potential of information and communication technologies for cruise tourism development and research (e-cruising) is underlined.

Originality/value

Finally, this paper offers a comprehensive systemic definition of cruise tourism and the corresponding Cruise Entities, inter-Relationships and Themes (CruisERT) framework, highlighting relevant areas and questions for further research.

• Development

Papathanassis, A. (2017), "Cruise tourism management: state of the art", Tourism Review , Vol. 72 No. 1, pp. 104-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-01-2017-0003

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

We’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here