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UK cruise market reports surge in passengers
The cruise industry has reported a 9% jump in UK and Ireland passengers for 2015, but admits the rise was largely down to capacity changes.
According to a market overview by cruise body CLIA, last year’s surge was mainly thanks to the launch of P&O Cruises’ Britannia and Royal Caribbean’s decision to position Anthem of the Seas at Southampton between May and October.
The increase was also boosted by the return of Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Magellan and Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess to Southampton last spring and summer.
The 9% jump, the highest in seven years, took the total number of UK and Ireland passengers to a record 1,789,000 passengers.
It came after several years of slow growth as the industry ‘adjusted to a challenging economic climate which forced lower levels of new ship investment for the UK market’.
The withdrawal of international capacity from European destinations to the Caribbean also dampened growth, said the overview.
Andy Harmer, director CLIA UK & Ireland, said with fewer capacity changes scheduled for 2016, the market is unlikely to see as high growth this year.
"Nevertheless, the indicators are that the market has a solid base with a consistent first-time cruiser percentage and the opportunity to raise the level of multiple cruise taking in the year to the higher levels seen in previous years," he said.
"The 9% growth in passengers in 2015 was accompanied by a 3% increase in average revenue per passenger. This should underpin some organic growth for 2016."
The report also highlighted that last-minute bookings were at their lowest level for five years in the UK, with just one-third being made within three months of departure.
A quarter of bookings were made at least nine months ahead, something which used to be more common before 2009 but which appears to be returning to the market with increases in the last two years.
Last year’s capacity rise from the UK also helped push up the number of passengers starting their cruise at home, which climbed 13.6% from 739,000 in 2014 to 840,000 last year.
Meanwhile, CLIA also reported a 8% rise in the number of UK passengers taking a river cruise holiday last year, taking the total to 150,300.
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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