A poll of 1,000 franchise owners and home-based agents found the Caribbean remains the No. 1 destination, says a third-quarter Trend Report from CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.
More than three-quarters of respondents said their top-selling cruise destination was the Caribbean, and more than half said it was the most requested destination for clients planning to cruise in 2010.
Bookings in the third quarter were up, said almost half of recipients. Almost one-third said they had decreased slightly or significantly. For the rest, bookings were flat.
Cruise rates have fallen either slightly or significantly, according to 58 percent of those polled; 25 percent said they increased and 16 percent said they were flat.
Cruise agents also were asked about profitability, particularly whether cruise line promotions have impacted their bottom lines. Forty percent said promotions have not impacted profitability, but 35 percent said they have reduced profitability.
By David Wilkening
