By JoDell Haverfield, Have Travel Memories
Building back the Cruise Industry was the main theme of the Maritime Group for Informa Markets president as he kicked off the State of the Industry address at the 35th edition of Seatrade Cruise Global, and that was the underlying theme throughout the keynote address. Pierfrancesco Vaga, Clia (Cruise Line International Association) chair and executive chairman of MSC Cruises noted, “With the dark days of this pandemic behind us, the cruise industry has emerged as one of the safest styles of vacations,” adding that the “future is bright for all of us.” The president and CEO of Clia noted, “Our abilities to adapt to any situation and unite and collaborate across an entire cruise community is the key to our accomplishments so far.”
The clear message here is that the cruise industry has stood together as a whole; they say it is an even better cruise industry. It is planned that 220 ocean-going ships will be back in service with cruising having resumed in 30 countries around the world. Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean, mentioned “We have a history of working together for the common goal.” When it comes to new brands entering the cruise industry, there’s plenty of space for new players.
It’s surprising, but a lot of first-time cruisers are sailing the Covid seas. There are half a billion vacationers out there, and we are a just a tiny industry with only 30 million passengers a year pre-covid. There is plenty of room for us to grow and cruising has a very bright future. It wasn’t until the golden era of steamship travel (1927-1978) when the idea of cruising for pleasure and not just a means of transportation to get from one side of the ocean to the other even became somewhat popular. However, it was generally the wealthy who could afford it. As passenger air travel increased, cruising became even more leisure bound. However, it was still not widely used and cost effective especially for family travel. By the late 90’s, only 10 million passengers cruised, while 33 million people went to Vegas each year.
So, why is it an even better cruise industry post Covid? Well, besides everything being squeaky clean, travel insurance and cancellation policies have been improved. Onboard medical facilities have been expanded to include better equipment, more staff and emergency care. There’s faster embarkation procedures and, best of all, the in-your-stateroom-digital-Munster drill. In fact, you can take care of most everything right from your stateroom and/or the app on your phone, minimizing personal contact and those dreaded lines at Guest Services.
Speaking of the app, you can also easily communicate with your travel companions on your cell phone and even access your stateroom. I know many are lamenting the end of the self-serve buffet and 24-hr. soft serve ice cream, but I think they will return. The good news is if you hated the buffet, you got your wish. The buffet is still there, just without the self-service. Cruise lines have always been concerned about the health of their passengers with all their “washy washy” routines, but now they have superior sanitation procedures and air ventilation.
North American cruising been the market leader of the world with Germany as the second highest prior to 2020. Even with Covid restrictions, the U.S. is still the market leader. There is a record number of 30 new cruise ships in 2020 with 5.8 million cruise passengers and 3 million of them from North America. And so, with Vago’s words in mind, the cruise industry sails into 2022 and beyond with an array of new offerings for clients hungry to cruise the globe, and that pent-up demand is palpable. There is a cruise for every budget.
I will be part of the record-breaking numbers cruising this year. My first cruise in 2022 will be as soon as the end of February when my husband and I are sailing from San Juan to those beautiful U.S. Virgin Islands of St Thomas, St Lucia, St Croix, St Kitts, as well as Barbados. We have visited these Islands several times, even with our other children, but not with this son and his wife. Each time I have the opportunity to share the world with my friends and family is such a blessing to me. The memories will be passed down for generations.
I still have space on our all-inclusive Panama Tour March 24. Join me on this once in a lifetime exclusive chartered River Cruise tour from Budapest to Munich including hotels and the Oberammergau Passion Play May 20. On September 18, we will be hosting a Pioneer Woman and Magnolia Market Tour from Destin. October 10 will be our hosted repositioning Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles with $250 per cabin Deposit and reduced air from most U.S. cities.
Special Notice: Don’t miss the announcement of our first hosted TRAIN TOUR coming soon.
Book space now for our next all-inclusive hosted tour to Israel March 7, 2023. This is our #1 tour and sells out quickly. Watch for our Israel podcasts throughout this year.
For more information on our cruises, tours, podcasts and webinars, visit havetravelmemories.com and follow us on FB and You Tube. We look forward to you next memorable trip!
Views: 0
