Today, Cruise Holidays released more findings from its authoritative 2008 Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey. Experts revealed that Dubrovnik is truly a “hidden gem” on cruise line itineraries and consider it the most underrated European port of call; while precise booking data shows 12-day Mediterranean, 7-day Alaska and 5-day Western Caribbean cruises are the top “long,” “mid,” and “short” itineraries for 2008. The survey tracked actual bookings of Cruise Holidays stores in the U.S. and Canada, made through December 31, 2007, with a sail date in 2008; also included is supplemental information provided by Cruise Holidays’ franchise owners and frontline agents.
“Our Europe bookings are up 42% year-over-year and CLIA* stated recently that the Mediterranean is one of the three fastest growing segments in the cruise industry. By gleaning information from true cruise industry experts, like our Cruise Holidays experts, on the most underrated European port of call or the top Mediterranean shore excursions, we are really trying to educate consumers and give them the best cruise vacation experience possible,” said Peter D. Thomson, vice president and COO of Cruise Holidays. “Consumers may really enjoy a Mediterranean cruise, but a private guided tour of the Vatican, exploring the stunning ruins of Ephesus, or – as one of our experts suggested – kayaking in Dubrovnik can turn a great vacation into an unforgettable experience.”
The following information is based on actual bookings made through December 31, 2007, with a sail date in 2008, by Cruise Holidays stores in the U.S. and Canada:
Top “short” itinerary: 1-5 days (Booked through 12/31/07 with a sail date of 2008)
1. 5-Day Western Caribbean 25.1%
2. 4-Day Bahamas 12.7%
3. 3-Day Mexican Riviera 11.0%
4. 5-Day Bermuda 10.5%
5. 4-Day Western Caribbean 10.4%
Top “mid-length” itinerary: 6-8 days (Booked through 12/31/07 with a sail date of 2008)
1. 7-Day Alaska 22.0%
2. 7-Day Western Caribbean 21.0%
3. 7-Day Eastern Caribbean 16.2%
4. 7-Day Southern Caribbean 9.4%
5. 7-Day Mexican Riviera 8.0%
Top “long” itinerary: 9 days or more (Booked through 12/31/07 with a sail date of 2008)
1. 12-Day Mediterranean 11.9%
2. 10-Day Southern Caribbean 4.0%
3. 10-Day Eastern Caribbean 3.3%
4. 9-Day Eastern Caribbean 3.1%
5. 11-Day Alaska 3.0%
The following data is based on a supplemental part of the 2008 Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey in which questions were directly asked of all Cruise Holidays franchise owners and frontline agents. This information represents 93% of the Cruise Holidays network.
Most Popular Caribbean Island/Port of Call:
2008 2007 2006
1. St. Thomas 40.5% 1 1
2. Grand Cayman 15.3% 2 2
3. St. Maarten/St. Martin 12.6% 4
4. Cozumel 7.2% 3 3
5. (tie) Aruba 4.5% 4 4
5. (tie) Jamaica 4.5%
Most Popular Mediterranean Port:
2008
1. Rome 40.2%
2. Venice 28.6%
3. Barcelona 8.0%
4. Santorini 4.5%
5. (tie) Athens 3.6%
5. (tie) Istanbul 3.6%
Most Popular Europe (non-MED) Port:
2008
1. St Petersburg 55.9%
2. London 12.7%
3. Copenhagen 4.9%
4. Amsterdam 3.9%
5. (tie) Dublin 2.0%
5. (tie) Lisbon 2.0%
Cruise Holidays experts list which European port of call is most underrated:
1. Dubrovnik/Croatia 32.1%
2. British Isles (Dover, Dublin/Ireland, Scotland) 17.0%
3. (tie) Malta, Italy 5.7%
3. (tie) Barcelona, Spain 5.7%
Asking Cruise Holidays experts about the top three Mediterranean shore excursions they would recommend elicited a wealth of information. Far and away, excursions in Italy were the most popular – those responses accounted for 55.3% of the recommended Mediterranean shore excursions. Greece followed with 12.8% and various excursions in Turkey combined for 9.9% of the responses.
When looking at the excursions individually, the Vatican and Rome were the most popular, followed by Pompeii. Our experts recommended private, guided tours of the Vatican to avoid the extremely long lines. The singular most popular Mediterranean shore excursion outside of Italy would be the ruins of Ephesus in Turkey.
Top Recommended Mediterranean Shore Excursions:
Suggestions:
1. Vatican 11.70% Private, guided tour
2. Rome 11.35% City sights tour
3. Pompeii 8.16% Tour of excavated ruins
4. Ephesus 7.09% Lesser known, but spectacular ruins
5. Florence 6.03% Private shopping assistant
6. Venice 5.32% Gondola ride and tour of Murano glass factory
7. Vineyards / Wine Tasting 4.26% Barcelona, Tuscany, France, etc.
8. Amalfi Coast 3.90% Private car, drive along the coast
9. Barcelona 3.55% Park Guell by Antoni Gaudi
10. Athens 3.19% Acropolis and the Corinth Canal
Top Reasons for European River Cruises:
1. More intimate experience in each port of call 75.93%
2. More inland scenery and sights 75.00%
3. Smaller ship 64.81%
4. Castles 37.96%
5. Shopping 24.07%
