Cruise Lines International Association released its 2017 Cruise Industry Consumer Outlook, the first report of its kind to focus on travelers’ attitudes, awareness and intentions regarding cruising.
The findings show cruise travel growing in popularity. CLIA partnered with J.D. Power to analyze consumer travel behaviors and opinions in the first of three outlooks for 2017. The report found that 64 percent of respondents said their awareness of cruise vacations increased over the past two years, while only 6 percent expressed an unfavorable opinion of cruising. Another 30 percent reported a significant decrease in awareness, reflecting the variety of consumer familiarity across demographic groups.
“The first installment of the Cruise Industry Consumer Outlook is vital in keeping the cruise industry abreast of consumer attitudes and behaviors, allowing the industry to continue to evolve in a direction that is appealing and beneficial to would-be and current cruise travelers,” said Cindy D’Aoust, chief executive officer, Cruise Lines International Association. “Each installment will help the industry, as well as cruise travel agents, continue to adapt business practices and offerings to coincide with the desires of travelers and propel the cruise industry forward.”
Interest in both river and ocean cruising is increasing: 63 percent of respondents reported interest in taking a cruise vacation, citing price and convenience as primary motivators. Roughly half of those surveyed are interested in both river and ocean cruises, while about 30 percent expressed a stronger preference for river cruising.
From a value perspective, 67 percent of travelers believe cruising delivers a high-value experience. Proximity to a departure port also matters: 66 percent of respondents prefer options close to home, and half indicated they would be willing to drive up to 500 miles to reach a port.
Overall, the CLIA/J.D. Power outlook paints a picture of a growing and broadly appealing cruise market. The report’s insights aim to guide cruise lines and travel agents as they refine products, pricing and port accessibility to better meet evolving traveler expectations.