Apparently we’re a nation of ‘cruise-phobics’ believing that taking a holiday on a ship is a preserve of the posh and rich.
Another outdated misconception about cruising is that ships are like floating holiday camps and are too cramped.
These are among the findings of a new study into attitudes to cruising which highlights outmoded ideas of the sector from those so-called cruise virgins who have never set foot on board a ship.
Yet, the poll of 2,054 people found that the majority of those who have taken a cruise for the first time are won over by the concept.
This demonstrates to me the old adage that it’s always worth trying something once.
For the survey found that for those who had been on a cruise, only 8% said they were disappointed by the experience and almost half (47%) said they enjoyed it far more than they had expected. (There’s a surprise, then!)
Almost a third of those asked said that cruises hold appeal to travellers who want a foreign holiday without flying.
For the majority of first-time cruisers their favourite part of the voyage was seeing multiple destinations but only packing and unpacking once (72%). This was followed by food on board (enjoyed by 66%) and waking up in a new place every day (66%).
Exploring a wide range of locations with an expert guided tour rated highly for almost half of British passengers (47%).
Younger on board
The study also found that cruises are becoming more popular with younger travellers, with almost 60% of 18-35 year olds who had been on a cruise saying they had ‘more fun than they thought they would.’
The positives helped outweigh the negative findings which showed that 58% of non-cruisers are reluctant to take a cruise because they feel holidays at sea are too expensive.
The research found that 36% believe that ships are like ‘floating holiday camps’, a quarter said they would feel ‘confined’ on board and 15% believe cruises are only for ‘posh people’.
The poll for the website www.travelsupermarket.com suggests that the cruise industry still has to overcome false impressions that continue to exist about the whole concept of ship-based holidays.
For example, it’s patent rubbish to think that cruises are only the preserve of the rich given the outstanding value for money deals available which have long brought cruising into the mainstream holiday arena.
Although cruise holidays these days no longer need to be expensive long haul holidays, there still appear to be perception barriers to break down amongst the wider public.
While a record 1.7 million of us expected take a cruise this year, that’s still a tiny proportion of the number of Brits who holiday abroad every year.
And it is this majority of land lubbers that cruise companies are so anxious to convert.
Taster cruises
That’s why we’re seeing more taster cruises of less than a week’s duration are being laid on by the likes of P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Fred Olsen and Celebrity Cruises to name but a few.
These short breaks of two or three days help give a sample of the full blown cruse experience at an affordable price while only being away for a few nights.
What is clear in these times of austerity and budget tightening, that cruises can be incredibly good value for money, particularly for those prepared to shop around and book early to get the best deal.
Families in particular can budget in advance knowing that food, entertainment and childcare in the amazing kids clubs on board family-friendly ships are included in the price.
But with the myriad of different ships and itineraries that encompass the world, where do you start to research your fist cruise.
Obviously www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk must be your first port of call, where details of all the major lines and the destinations their ships go to are detailed in an easy to read format together with information on special offers and reviews of ships in conjunction with independent reviews website www.CruiseCritic.co.uk .
Another good place to do your homework on everything there is to know about cruising is the latest edition of the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise ships, the recognised ‘bible’ of the cruise world.
The 2012 edition has just been published and covers information on no less than 285 ships together with a preview of nine new vessels due to enter service next year and in 2013, including new vessels from Disney Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises.
Armed with this depth of information, you won’t be a cruise virgin for much longer.
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