British cruise passengers are expected to top 1.65 million in 2010, more than a 7% increase on 2009.
The figures, released during National Cruise Week, come after the European Cruise Council reported growth in the overall European cruise market which now provides 30% of the world cruise market.
This year sees the launch of 14 new cruise ships including P&O Cruises’ Azura, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse, with another 16 launching by the end of 2012.
“These figures show the strength of the cruise market for British ports and the potential for the future,” said Kate O’Hara, chair of CruiseBritain.
“With additional ships coming on stream, cruise lines will continue to look for new areas to sail to and Britain is well-placed to take advantage of the strong cruise trend. We have the culture and heritage, cities and scenery that passengers look for and we have the variety of ports to accommodate ships of all sizes.”
CruiseBritain is a joint initiative between industry, the Passenger Shipping Association and VisitBritain.
