*This story originally appeared on Travel Weekly
Washington, D.C. — Millennials are seeking out luxury cruises at a record pace, says CLIA in its newly released 2018 Cruise Travel Report.
Among its key findings, the report found that almost a quarter of millennials surveyed (24%) have sailed on a luxury cruise line within the past three years, while 70% (up from 63% last year) said they will “definitely” book a cruise for their next trip.
This year, almost all income brackets are cruising; 33% of cruisers surveyed have a household income of less than $80,000, while 50% have a household income of at least $100,000 or more. In conclusion, when compared to land-based options, income has little impact when choosing cruising as better of the two options.
“Industry research efforts, like the 2018 Cruise Travel Report, offer valuable insight to how and why cruise vacations are on the rise and becoming the vacation choice for millions by charting changes in the preferences and behaviours of both cruisers and non-cruisers,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. “The study confirms, cruise travel continues to break down income and generational barriers, proving that today there is a cruise for every travel preference, style and budget.”
Other findings include:
- Cruisers are loyal to cruising. More than half of cruisers (58%) believe a cruise is the best type of vacation, finding high satisfaction in river cruises (81%) and ocean cruises (73%), followed by land-based hotels and resorts (62%). Nine out of 10 say they “probably or definitely will” cruise again.
- On average, about 41% of cruisers say they are interested in childcare services, including babysitting and programs for children and teens. But only 13% are reporting that they use these services. In contrast, only 32% say they want onboard entertainment, while 70% attend once onboard. Overall, entertainment, including shows, musicals and comedy, is the most used feature on cruises.
- Travel agents are the most likely influencers of vacation planning and decision-making for cruisers, who are twice as likely (70%) to use a travel agent when booking a vacation than non-cruisers (37%).
