A surge in interest in no-fly cruises has been prompted by the volcanic ash crisis which grounded flights across Europe for six days, according to a major cruise agency.
Gill’s Cruise Centre received twice the number of bookings for sailings mainly from Southampton and Dover last Saturday compared to the previous weekend.
Numbers rose on April 18 to three times the previous Sunday’s bookings.
Company chairman Alistair Gill said: “Ex-UK cruises have hugely increased in popularity in recent years, accounting for almost 70% of all bookings at Gill’s Cruise Centre.
“In the last week we have seen a further surge in enquiries and bookings for these cruises as travellers take heed of the travel chaos caused by the Icelandic volcano and look for stress-free alternatives.”
by Phil Davies
