Further growth in river cruising and, conversely, big ship cruising, is also expected. Plus, consumers are booking earlier than in the past.
The findings are from a Cruise Lines International Association travel agent outlook. This fourth installment, the last of the year, involved 700 CLIA member agents in North America.
More than 75% of them expect an increase in cruise sales volume this year, with one-third of all agents reporting a gain of 10% or more. Only about 8% expect lower sales volume than in 2015.
By quarter, the current period shows the greatest optimism for increased sales—more than 80% think cruise sales volume will be up year over year in Q4, due in part to economic stability.
Nearly three-quarters of agents see higher consumer spending, with 22% expecting an increase of 10% or more, 22% expecting spending to go up 6% to 10% and 30% forecasting spending to rise less than 5%. Nine percent of agents predict their clients will spend less on cruises than in 2015.
The number of last-minute deal-hunters is shrinking, the CLIA survey found. Forty-three percent of agents said more clients are booking travel nine months to a year in advance, while 37% reported higher bookings 12 to 18 months in advance. Twenty percent of agents said fewer travelers are booking cruises less than three months before sailing.
River cruises are increasingly popular, with 67% of agents reporting this sector is experiencing growth or significant growth. The other fast-growing segment is larger ships, with 62% of agents citing growth or significant growth.
The CLIA survey also found a wide divide between what amenities are important to travelers booking a river cruise compared to a sailing on a larger ship. Dining options and stateroom amenities/comfort are important to both groups. But then their priorities diverge.
For river cruisers, enrichment and educational opportunities are key, while entertainment options are important to the big-ship cruisers.
The full report is available here.
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