The Cruise Market - Market Assessment 2005

In the early 2000s, the number of cruise passengers worldwide grew by between 8% and 9% a year. Growth in 2005 is expected to be lower due to a shortage of capacity and the beginnings of a squeeze on personal incomes, especially in the UK and Germany. In the longer term, South East Asia has enormous potential for the development of cruise holidays. Cruise trends in the UK include a rise in the popularity of mass-market cruise holidays lasting a week or more, a fall in demand for premium-cost cruises and an increase in budget cruising.

Cruises account for around 6% of UK households' spending on package holidays. Generally, only households in the highest income decile can afford a cruise costing more than around £1,500 per person from their income


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