Analyst Speak: Cruise takers use web for research but majority still book offline

1 July 2010

In contrast to other holiday sectors, the UK cruise market is enjoying strong yearly growth. Despite the recession, the cruise market rose 4% in 2009 with a record 1.53m British passengers, double what it was ten years ago. The UK market is now estimated to be worth over £2bn. Even more encouraging, the market shows no signs of saturation, and to cope with capacity 14 new ships are scheduled for 2010, three of which will be dedicated to the UK.

The challenge now for marketers is to communicate the different cruise options that are available. Until now online has been used less by cruise providers compared to other travel sectors, particularly for booking. For example, only 17% of cruises were booked online via an agent and a further 12% directly through a cruise line’s site.

This only tells half the marketing story, however, as online research of cruises is growing considerably. The BDRC Continental 2010 holiday survey revealed some 1.7m people will look for cruise information online when planning their main 2010 holiday. Besides going to cruise lines’ official sites, they need considerable reassurance that they’ve chosen the right holiday. For this reason, independent review sites are especially important. Nearly half (46%) of those looking at taking a cruise in 2010 will look at independent review sites such as TripAdvisor and TravelBlog, and nearly a third (31%) will look at blogs or postings by members of the public.

Those who go on cruises enjoy the social experience and like to share their experience with others. Our survey revealed that those in the market for cruises were avid contributors to blogs and forums. Nearly two-thirds (63%) had at some point posted their travel experiences online to share with others. Reading about others’ experiences and sharing one’s own views are not only good ways of ensuring that you choose the right cruise, they also provide an idea of the types of people likely to be on the cruise with you.

Although many may still make their final cruise booking offline, they’ll be using the web to research ideas and help them make the right choice. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of cruisers agreed the internet had made them more adventurous about the types of holiday they take. This was significantly higher than the figure for all travellers surveyed (47%). Adding new and exciting destinations to cruise itineraries will be important in satisfying future demand.

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