Cruise holidays changing in the recession
By Darren Cronian on Friday, January 30th, 2009

Interesting to read that cruise operators are looking to reduce the price to attract consumers through the recession. This reminded me of a recent news story where a group of younger travellers supposedly caused havoc onboard a heavily discounted P&O cruise.

Cruise holidays changing in the recession

Attracting a new audience

I think that cruising is going through a generation change because traditionally you would find, how can I put this, older people with a more disposable income taking cruise holidays. As the price reduces cruise operators will attract a new audience.

Some cruises I understand do not allow children, and I can understand that, it’s not like you can go for a walk away from a cruise ship if your in the middle of the ocean and children are running around everywhere being boisterous.

Change of image

Will that all change though as cruise operators fight to attract new consumers. The image of passengers relaxing in peace and quiet next to the pool could be changed with images of young people, loud music, and drinking until the early hours.

That will not amuse regular cruisers who want to sail around and relax.

Visiting the world

Not sure if this is because I am getting older but I like the thought of spending two weeks sailing around the Mediterranean or Caribbean. Stopping off at cities like Venice or the sandy beaches of Barbados and St. Lucia.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts on the future of cruise holidays.


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6 responses to “Cruise holidays changing in the recession”

soultravelers3 | 31 January, 2009 at 12:47 pm

What I worry about with cruise ships is the devastating affect that these whole cities of people impact when they disembark and invade a small town or city like Mykonos, Ephesus or Dubrovnik.

I have been there when they all arrive at once and it is obscene. There are many more passengers on the ship, than those that live in these places.

It is also just no way to see a place either as there is no real time and they always look like they are chickens running themselves ragged and missing anything good. You can not really visit a small place when it is jammed with cruise ship passengers.

We always find out when they come to make sure we are not there then, we enjoy the serenity after they leave again. ;) My guess is that many people do a tremendous amount of damage in short order.

Not exactly sustainable travel, eh? Pity!

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Darren Cronian | 1 February, 2009 at 9:05 am

@ Soultravelers3

You make a good point – I read an article about Venice having problems with the increase in cruise ships docking and the impact it was having on the environment.

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Murray Harrold | 1 February, 2009 at 6:09 pm

Hmmmm… interesting. Cruises conjure up images of a bygone area. Trunks at Southampton, “Not wanted on Voyage” stickers, dressing for dinner – the sort of 1920′s Hercule Poirot era. A more gentle age, when Gentlemen gave up their seats for ladies etc etc , blah, blah. Mind you, there are a lot of things they had then which we are glad have passed. Rickets, for example or Hitler. Nonetheless, the cruise was/ should still be a place of impeccable manners, proper dress and highest standards.

What went wrong? Cruise ships got bigger and now look like oversized criss channel steamers with all the charm of a road hump. The QE2 had style, the QM2 just about sort of nearly gets a way with it but some of these floating villages? The floating villages need humans, but if we humans are going to pay a lot of money, then we want to mix with the “right sort of stuff” as P G Woodhouse would say. The right sort of stuff is in short supply and being such, look around for something more discerning than Benidorm afloat and promptly graduate to the Silversea or Seabourn type cruises, who have smaller ships and retain the right sort of atmosphere and right ethos. They also retain the “right” price and (usually) do not discount.

So, the floating villages start to create their own market, built on sand, a myth. Result: the chav holiday arrives afloat and a lot of disappointed clients to boot. Ah Well! As they say, if it looks to good to be true….. By the way, Darren, if you would like to cruise the Caribbean I would strongly reccommend the “sailing” ships of Windstar Cruises. (I say “sailing” because the rear mast is, er…, also the funnel, but they do sail) They are about 6,000 tons, so quite small and intimate, can get into all the right places and have excellent standards.

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Murray Harrold | 1 February, 2009 at 6:10 pm

….. sorry, forgot to mention – I am sure that Windstar do Med Cruises in the Summer.

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Maureen Dodd | 4 May, 2009 at 6:37 am

Re children running around all over the ship, my daughter and I are going on a cruise to 3 Pacific Islands soon and will be putting the 8 year. old girl and 5 year old boy in children’s play rooms for our peace and their safety. They are fully supervised and have a fun time with other kids

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Juliet | 21 May, 2010 at 11:50 pm

Just came back from NCL Norwegian Gem cruise Dubrovnik, Izmir, Ephesus, Naphalion, Athens. You are right. You get what you pay for. Low prices means less expectation. But did not expect to get a cabin with food fingerprints on walls, doors, and ceilings. Mattress smelled of body odor and sweat. It was disgusting to say the least. I was suffering in having to sleep in the cabin. Complained at least 4x and gave up as I heard the staff chatting about my complaints. It was indeed a cruise longing to be forgotten. Mistake in prepaying my gratuities. I did not expect to be in hell this early in life.

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