12 Latest Trends in Cruise Bookings
The Latest Trends in Cruise Bookings
Cruising is back nearly three years since it was shut down when the COVID-19 crisis was declared a global pandemic and social distancing became the norm. While many aspects remain the same some things have changed, at least in terms of what travelers want out of their cruise experience in 2023.
Online cruise marketplace CruiseCompete.com recently released its monthly CruiseTrends report for February 2023, revealing the most in-demand cruise lines, ships, destinations, ports, cabin types, itinerary lengths and more across a trio of segments, including premium, luxury and river cruising. Consumers request an average of more than 25,000 cruise quotes per month via CruiseCompete so the data paints an accurate picture of what travelers are seeking out this winter.
Here are a dozen notable booking trends to be aware of this wave season.
The Most Popular Cruise Lines
Royal Caribbean International continues to be the most popular premium cruise line, followed by Royal Caribbean Group subsidiary Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line. In the luxury segment, Oceania Cruises leads the way, edging out Azamara and Cunard Line. In terms of river cruising, Viking is the most popular line right now, followed by AmaWaterways and American Cruise Lines.
The Hottest Cruise Ships
Royal Caribbean International’s popularity among premium cruise passengers is reflected on the list of the segment’s top cruise ships this winter, which includes Wonder of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. In the luxury market, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is garnering the most interest, followed by Azamara Onward and then a half-dozen Oceania Cruises vessels led by Oceania Riviera. Meanwhile, the most requested river cruise ships are American Queen, Scenic Spirit and AmaDara.
The Most In-Demand Cruise Regions
When it comes to the most popular cruise regions right now, it all depends on the type of cruising as the Caribbean is the hottest region among premium cruise travelers, luxury passengers have their sights set on the Mediterranean and river cruisers want to explore Europe more than any other region. Nonetheless, North America is the second-most sought-after region across all three segments.
The Top Cruise Departure Ports
South Florida and Europe dominate the list of the most popular cruise departure ports this February, with Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral ranking first, second and third in the premium market and Miami ranking tops among luxury passengers. Luxury travelers also prefer Southampton, U.K. and Piraeus (Athens, Greece). River cruise passengers, meanwhile, would like to sail out of Amsterdam, Budapest or Paris, the data shows.
The Most Sought-After Cruise Ports
In terms of cruise ports visited, each segment wants something different, with sun-kissed warm-weather destinations dominating the premium market, Alaska leading the way for luxury and European charm catching the eye of river cruise travelers. Cozumel, Nassau and CocoCay top the premium list while Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska rank first and second in the luxury rankings ahead of Santorini. The most coveted river cruise ports include Strasbourg, Cologne and Budapest.
Cruise Passengers’ Favorite Countries
North America and Europe remain hot when it comes to the countries cruise travelers most want to visit. The Bahamas, Mexico and the U.S. lead the way in the premium cruise segment while the U.S., Greece and Italy are the top nations for luxury cruise passengers these days. On the world’s rivers, Germany, France and the Netherlands are generating the most buzz.
The Most Coveted Cabin Types
In what should come as no surprise, balcony staterooms are the most popular cabin types across all three cruise segments, followed by outside cabins (luxury and river) and inside cabins (premium). Suites and Junior Suites are less in-demand across all three cruise categories.
How Many Staterooms?
No surprises here either. In terms of the number of cabins being requested in CruiseCompete quotes, one is the most popular across the board, followed by two and then three. Interestingly though, luxury travelers are more likely to request six cabins for a sailing compared to four.
The Most Popular Itinerary Lengths
Seven-night sailings are the most popular itinerary length across the board. After a one-week cruise, premium passengers are likely to opt for a shorter cruise (five nights) compared to luxury travelers (10 nights) and river cruise travelers (eight nights). Brief four-night cruises are also popular among premium cruise passengers while luxury and river cruise consumers have shown considerable interest in sailings as long as two weeks.
The Top Sailing Months Requested
Premium cruise travelers are most interested in a late winter or early spring sailing while luxury and river cruise customers are more likely to target the summer months. The leading sailing months requested among premium passengers are March, April and February 2023, while luxury customers are seeking out June, August and March 2023, in that order. Finally, travelers eyeing a river cruise are most often marking their calendars for July, June and September 2023.
Average Cruise Booking Windows
The cruise booking window—the average number of days between the date the cruise was booked and the date it sails—varies across the three different segments. River cruises typically see the shortest window at 179 days, followed by premium sailings at 191 days. The luxury booking window takes a dramatic jump up to 279 days.
Travel Insurance Interest
The vast majority of cruise consumers do not express interest in protecting their sailing with travel insurance but river cruise passengers are the most likely to purchase a policy (31 percent). That figure drops for luxury passengers (23 percent) and dips even further when you consider premium cruise travelers (19 percent).