cruiseexperts.org CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION CRUISE REVIEW Published June 2018

Transcription

1 cruiseexperts.org CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION CRUISE REVIEW 2017 Published June 2018

2 CONTENTS PAGE - 04 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2018 PAGE - 05 CRUISE MARKET CLOSES IN ON TWO MILLION MARK PAGE - 06 WHO IS CRUISING? PAGES - 08 CHOOSING A CRUISE PAGE - 09 WHERE ARE THEY GOING? PAGE - 11 DESTINATIONS PAGE - 12 AGE GROUP PAGE - 13 CRUISE LENGTH PAGE - 14 AGE & CRUISE LENGTH PAGE - 15 CRUISE BOOKING BEHAVIOUR PAGE - 16 CONTACT 02

3 INTRODUCTION The British cruise market saw another year of growth in 2017 with a record high of 1,971,000 cruise passengers setting sail on an ocean cruise, representing an increase of 4.3 per cent, against Cruise held its share of the overall holiday market in 2017 at just over four per cent, and just under 11 per cent of overseas package holidays, in line with figures seen in Andy Harmer, senior vice-president membership and CLIA UK and Ireland director, said: We are thrilled to see the continued growth of the British cruise industry. This is a strong performance from the UK and Ireland market and indicates that it s highly likely the total for 2018 will surpass two million for the first time. With an unprecedented number of ships on the global order book, there has never been a better time to take a cruise, with a wider choice of ships, itinerary and style of cruise than ever before. The overall value of a cruise holiday became a more important factor to consumers in 2017, with price, value for money, and special offers cited as a key driver of choice. Specifically, the inclusive drinks package has become a significantly more important factor driving choice over the past two years, perhaps due to holiday habits from land-based resorts as more first-time cruisers set sail. Between 2007 and 2013, lead times were generally declining but since 2013 lead times have steadily grown, with an average now of seven months, the longest seen since Harmer, added: We are delighted with this trend, which indicates a solidifying of consumer confidence, as people are prepared to commit to a cruise in advance. 03

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2018 A record number of British holidaymakers took a cruise in 2017, with 1,971,000 setting sail on an ocean cruise, a rise of 4.3 per cent compared to 2016 The UK and Ireland cruise market is dominated by The Big Three: the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Northern Europe The Mediterranean remains the most popular cruise destination, accounting for 37% of the market, and growth of more than 12 per cent against 2016 The over-50s are leading the way in the adventurous exploration cruises to largely unexplored parts of the world including the Galapagos, and the Polar regions For younger age groups, both Northern Europe and the Caribbean saw double digit growth from cruisers in their 40 s last year Since 2013 lead times have steadily grown, with an average now of seven months, the longest seen since 2009, indicating a return to confidence Nine in ten cruisers plan to take another cruise within a year, and 64 per cent of these within six months 04

5 CRUISE MARKET CLOSES IN ON TWO MILLION MARK Almost two million cruises were taken by British holidaymakers in 2017, with a record high of 1,971,000 cruise passengers setting sail on an ocean cruise, representing an increase of 4.3 per cent, against This is a new total for passenger numbers in 2017, and has been revised upwards, as all 2017 data from cruise lines has been received and corroborated by CLIA and its research partners. This is a strong performance from the UK and Ireland market and indicates that it s highly likely the total for 2018 will surpass two million for the first time. Cruise held its share of the overall holiday market in 2017 at just over four per cent, and just under 11 per cent of overseas package holidays, in line with figures seen in Since 1997 cruise passenger numbers have grown by 636,000 passengers, an increase of over 47 per cent in the last ten years 1 UK Cruise Market Year Passengers (000s) , , , , , , , , ,644 (4.8) , , , Source: IRN Research for CLIA UK & Ireland 2017 % growth 05

6 WHO IS CRUISING? In 2017, the UK and Ireland cruise market saw growth across all age profiles, clearly cruise is now resonating with all generations Bookings from those in their 20s increased by 4.4 percent, by 5.4 per cent for customers in their 30s and by just over 10 per cent for those between 40 and 49. The biggest growth was seen from the over-50s customers who have the time and money and are becoming increasingly healthy and adventurous. And within this demographic the growth was driven by 60 to 69 year old age group, which saw an increase of more than 27 per cent last year. Born in the mid-1950s, they grew up with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, are healthier and more active than any other generation before them at this age, and they want to travel widely, comfortably and with purpose. 2 Destination By Age Group 2 Trade Group & Age Group Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean <= >=70 % growth 5% 4% 4% 5% 11% 21% 26% 24% 12.4 Northern Europe 4% 4% 6% 8% 14% 23% 23% 19% 10.9 Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda 5% 4% 6% 7% 12% 25% 26% 15% 10.5 Canary Islands 3% 2% 2% 3% 6% 16% 30% 39% 3.8 Other 1% 1% 3% 3% 7% 20% 40% 25% 5.8 TransAtlantic 1% 1% 2% 3% 5% 16% 35% 38% 4.8 Baltic 3% 3% 3% 4% 8% 19% 33% 27% 0.1 Asia & China 1% 1% 2% 3% 6% 23% 40% 25% 1.5 Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East 2% 2% 3% 4% 9% 24% 32% 23% (4.8) Alaska 1% 2% 2% 3% 6% 21% 43% 21% 8.8 Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/ Greenland/Iceland/North Cape) 1% 1% 2% 2% 5% 17% 36% 35% 5.6 World Cruise 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 9% 46% 43% 0.5 Source: IRN Research for CLIA UK & Ireland 2017 Often they are grandparents and will take their grandchildren away with them on a cruise, a trend known as skip-gen travel as the children s parents stay at home due to work commitments. The younger age groups, of 50 or less, preferred summer cruises to ones in the winter, sailing to sunny destinations. The cruise market is dominated by bookings from the south of England, accounting for 40% of bookings in

7 2 Destination By Age Group Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Northern Europe Northern Europe Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda Canary Islands Canary Islands Other Other TransAtlantic TransAtlantic Baltic Baltic Asia & China Asia & China Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East Alaska Alaska Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/Greenland/Iceland/North Cape) Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/ World Cruise World Cruise <= >=70 07

8 CHOOSING A CRUISE The overall value of a cruise holiday became a more important factor to consumers in 2017, with price, value for money, and special offers cited as a key driver of choice. Specifically, the inclusive drinks package has become a significantly more important factor driving choice over the past two years, perhaps due to holiday habits from land-based resorts. The average cruiser takes around two cruises per year and prefers to cruise in the summer, than winter. 08

9 FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS In terms of destination, the UK and Ireland cruise market is dominated by The Big Three: the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Northern Europe. The Mediterranean remains the most popular cruise destination for the UK & Ireland, accounting for 37 per cent of the market. It cemented its number one spot further in 2017 with growth of more than 12 per cent against The second and third most popular destinations, Northern Europe and the Caribbean respectively, both saw increases of more than 10 per cent year-on-year. And, Alaska, the fourth most popular destination for British cruisers, saw growth of just under nine per cent in The growth in the Mediterranean came thanks largely to increases in bookings from customers aged 50 or more. Mediterranean cruise bookings increased by 21 per cent on 2016 figures for the 50 to 59 age group. Even greater growth was seen from customers in their 60s, which were up 26 per cent, and sales from passengers in their 70s were up 24 per cent. DESTINATION WINNERS IN 2017: Mediterranean +12.4% Northern Europe +10.9% Caribbean +10.5% The Mediterranean remains the most popular cruise destination for the UK & Ireland, accounting for 37 per cent of the market 09

10 FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS Enticing people to cruise for the first time is crucial to safeguard the future of the industry. Seeing this level of growth for the Mediterranean, the most popular destination, from the 50-plus demographic is incredibly encouraging. These age groups make up the foundation of the British cruise market, as they have the time, money and inclination to cruise. The 50-plus cruise customers are not only cruising more than last year, they re also setting sail in increasingly adventurous destinations. They are cruising increasing numbers in long-haul destinations, such as Asia and China which saw a 40 percent increase in bookings from those in their 60s for example. The over-50s are leading the way when it comes to going on exploration cruises to largely unexplored parts of the world including the Galapagos, and the Polar regions, with bookings up more than one-third for cruisers in their 60s and 70s. However, it s interesting to note where the growth is coming from for the younger cruise passengers. Both Northern Europe and the Caribbean saw double digit growth from cruisers in their 40s last year, indicating that this age group prefers to use a cruise to explore places they might not have been to before, rather than the more familiar Mediterranean region. This trend is also reflected by patterns seen for younger cruisers in their 20s and 30s with the Caribbean and Northern Europe growth, slightly beating that seen for the Mediterranean. 10

11 3 Destination & Quarter Destinations Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Mediterranean 4% 32% 47% 16% Northern Europe 5% 37% 35% 23% Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda 40% 13% 10% 37% Canary Islands 23% 19% 19% 39% Other 37% 16% 18% 29% TransAtlantic 29% 12% 18% 42% Baltic 50% 50% 1% Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East 70% 7% 0% 22% Asia & China 48% 15% 10% 28% Alaska 42% 58% Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/ Greenland/Iceland/North Cape) 25% 31% 37% 7% World Cruise 99% 1% 0% 0% DESTINATIONS Unsurprisingly the choice of destination and time of year is split between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises in the summer, and the Caribbean for the winter months. Other popular cruise choices for the winter included the Canary Islands, and TransAtlantic sailings. Exploration cruise bookings were spread pretty evenly throughout 2017, and world cruise departures dominated the first three months of the year. 3 Destination & Quarter Mediterranean, Mediterranean Northern Europe Northern Europe Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda Canary Islands Canary Islands Other Other TransAtlantic TransAtlantic Baltic Baltic Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East Asia & China Asia & China Africa /Middle East & Africa/Middle East Alaska Alaska Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/Greenland/Iceland/North Cape) Exploration (Antarctic/Arctic/Galapagos/ World Cruise World Cruise 11 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

12 AGE GROUP Thanks to the necessity for young families to travel during the school holidays, cruise passengers in their 20s, 30s and 40s dominated bookings for the third quarter of the year, June, July and August. This is illustrated by the huge concentration of teenagers and those in their 40s sailing in Q3. More than two-thirds of all bookings for those aged between 13 and 19, coupled with just under 40 per cent of cruisers in their 40s, fell between June and August in Cruises in the Spring and Autumn proved pretty evenly popular across most age groups, whilst those between January and March were dominated by those over Quarter & Age Group Age Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 <=12 9% 24% 48% 19% % 16% 61% 17% % 27% 38% 22% % 29% 35% 24% % 26% 39% 23% % 27% 34% 23% % 28% 28% 24% >=70 17% 29% 28% 26% 4 Quarter & Age Group <= >=70 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 12

13 CRUISE LENGTH Once again the school holidays in August means that the biggest concentration of bookings come in the third quarter of the year, with the traditional seven-day itinerary accounting for just under 40 per cent of all bookings between June and August. Two-week cruises are more evenly distributed throughout the year, with more taken in Spring and Autumn, although a third were still taken in the summer months. Short cruises, of three days or less, proved most popular in the Spring, with one-third of bookings coming between March and June. 5 Quarter and Cruise length Cruise Length Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Up to 3 Days 13% 33% 25% 29% 4-6 Days 11% 32% 23% 34% 7 Days 14% 30% 39% 18% 8-13 Days 13% 26% 33% 28% 14 Days 22% 22% 34% 22% Days 17% 30% 20% 33% 21 Days Plus 48% 12% 12% 28% >=70 17% 29% 28% 26% 5 Quarter and Cruise length Up Up to to 33 Days Days Days 7 Days 7 days 8-13 Days 14 Days 14 days Days days Days Plus Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 13

14 AGE AND CRUISE LENGTH The lowest age of cruise passengers is naturally seen in the Summer months, thanks to the number of families travelling. The average age of customers between June and August in 2017 was 52.8 years old, and the average duration was just over nine days, reflecting the mix of young families taking seven and 14-night sailings. The winter months of January, February and March unsurprisingly see the oldest average age and the longest duration, just over 60 years old and an average of almost 12 days. The average age in this part of the year increased from 58 to 60 between 2016 and 2017, indicating a link to repeat cruisers booking a trip for this time of year. Spring (March to June) and Autumn (September to December) departures saw a similar average age of around 57. However cruises taken in the Autumn tended to be slightly longer, perhaps due to time off around Christmas with family and friends. 6 Age and Cruise Length Cruise Length Age Cruise Length Age Cruise Length Q Q Q Q Average Age and Cruise Length <= >=70 Up to 3 Days 4-6 Days 7 Days 8-13 Days 14 days days 21 Days Plus 14

15 CRUISE BOOKING BEHAVIOUR Around half of cruise holidaymakers who took a cruise in 2017 booked their last cruise within six months of departure, with just over one-third doing so within four months of departure. Between 2007 and 2013, lead times were generally declining but since 2013 lead times have steadily grown, with an average now of seven months, the longest seen since This indicates an increase in confidence as people are prepared to commit to a cruise in advance. 7 Age Profile of UK & Ireland Cruise Cruise Passengers Passenger Grand Total 1,960 1,971 <= % 3.8% % 3.3% % 4.4% % 5.4% % 10.1% % 21.1% % 27.4% >= % 24.4% No Age Provided Total with data NA NA 1,478 1, % The average lead booking time for a cruise holiday in 2017 was seven months, the longest seen since 2009, indicating a return in consumer confidence 15

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