Families Give Top Marks to Cruising!
Ray Goldenberg
I received this press release from Cruise Lines International
Association and thought it would be of interest. If you have missed
any of my news' postings, they are available on my web site.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Families Give Top Marks to Cruising
New Survey by CLIA and Cruise Critic Points to Value, Price and
Uniqueness of Cruise Experience as Advantages over Land-based
Vacations
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 13
Families take cruises and they cruise often because the price is
right, the value for money spent is outstanding and the cruise
experience offers unique advantages over comparably priced land-based
vacations. Those are the conclusions to be drawn from a just released
online survey of more than 1,000 households by Cruise Lines
International Association (CLIA) and Cruise Critic, the top online
resource on cruise information.
"Experts tell us that family vacations are one of the fastest growing
segments of the travel industry and this certainly is true for
cruises. It's not just the amazing new generation of ships and
shipboard activities and facilities for young travelers," said Terry
Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. "Most important, families are
choosing to cruise because of price and, even more important, value.
They recognize that a cruise vacation offers advantages and features
that are simply not found on any other type of vacation."
Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of Cruise Critic, agrees, "The
cruise vacation is an attractive way to travel because many elements
of a stress-free family trip are wrapped up into one tidy package for
passengers. From accommodations and meals to entertainment and
activities, the almost all-inclusive cruise experience appeals --
particularly to families -- because of the tremendous value and
convenience it offers."
Among the key findings:
* Families take a lot of cruises. Almost half (46 percent) of
respondents have taken two to four cruises with children under the age
of 18; 15.2 percent have taken five to seven cruises, and 4.8 percent
have taken more than ten.
* Outstanding value. Over 83 percent of families said cruise
vacations are very good or extremely good value.
* The price is right. Among all family cruisers, 73.4 percent said
that their last cruise was the same price or less than a resort
vacation, with almost 50 percent saying that the cruise was slightly
or much less costly.
* Multiple advantages over resort vacations. Family cruisers
listed many key advantages to taking a cruise over a family resort
stay, including: the opportunity to visit multiple destinations (62.8
percent); the all-inclusive nature of a cruise vacation -
accommodations, meals, entertainment and shipboard activities included
in one price - (57.7 percent); onboard kids programs and facilities
(30.2 percent); the variety of onboard amenities (28.0 percent); and
onboard entertainment (20.3 percent).
* Destination rules. 36.6 percent of families said that the
destination or itinerary was the primary deciding factor in choosing a
family cruise. Almost 30 percent were most motivated by price.
* Planning is easy. Almost 70 percent of respondents said that
planning a cruise was easier than planning a resort vacation.
* Cruising is relaxing, hassle-free and provides for quality
family time. The survey found that 44.3 percent of families spend
about half their time together on a cruise, while 42.7 percent said
they spend all or most of their cruise vacation together as a family.
* Over 30 percent of respondents said quality shared family time
was the best thing about a cruise while over 20 percent cited the
hassle-free "don't need to plan anything" quality of a cruise as the
most enjoyable feature of a vacation at sea. The opportunity to see
multiple destinations, kids' enjoyment of the cruise experience, the
quality of shipboard service and amenities, and kids' facilities and
services were other leading reasons to choose a family cruise.
* Cruising can be a great choice for a multi-generational
vacation. Over 60 percent of respondents say they sometimes or always
travel as an extended family (with grandparents and/or grandchildren.)
* Almost 76 percent of families reported that their kids took
advantage of kids-only activities, facilities and/or entertainment
onboard ship.
It is important to note that over 60 percent of those responding to
the survey use a travel agent at least on occasion to plan a cruise
vacation, with almost 40 percent saying they use agents most of the
time or always. CLIA has almost 16,000 travel agent members and one of
the best training and certification programs in the travel industry.
In order to be certified, agents must demonstrate that they have the
knowledge, expertise and personal experience necessary to thoroughly
understand the cruise industry and be able to match their clients,
including families, with the perfect cruise.
For more information about family cruises please visit
www.cruising.org. To find a CLIA travel agency, Certified Cruise
Counsellor or CLIA Luxury Cruise Specialist near you, visit
www.cruising.org.
About CLIA
The nonprofit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is North
America's largest cruise industry organization. CLIA represents the
interests of 24 member lines and participates in the regulatory and
policy development process while supporting measures that foster a
safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment. CLIA is also engaged
in travel agent training, research and marketing communications to
promote the value and desirability of cruise vacations and counts as
members 16,000 travel agencies. For more information on CLIA, the
cruise industry, and CLIA-member cruise lines and travel agencies,
visit www.cruising.org.