It seems that the cruise ship industry is becoming a perfect example of the stereotyped and much-maligned British conservatism. Such conservatism is, of course, in many cases a myth, yet seems to apply in a recent survey carried out on 2400 cruise ship passengers by cruisecritic.co.uk.
The aim of the survey was to discover passengers’ attitudes towards the changes in on-board entertainment, which have escalated in recent years. Whereas piano bars and huge dinner lounges used to be on the top of the bill, passengers now feel like they are in a floating version of Las Vegas. It seems that British people do not welcome such changes in the slightest.
Whereas most passengers now think that cruise ships have the right amount of entertainment, which targets the correct groups of people, i.e. children and pensioners are included, 17% of the British people involved in the survey claimed that there is now too much entertainment on board. It seems to be a rather ‘party-pooping’ attitude to have, yet many British step on board with this opinion.
On a similar note, 27% of British people surveyed said that they have absolutely no desire to join in organized activities whilst on board. This figure is much higher than for any other participant nation in the survey. It appears that a large number of British passengers are most content to enjoy their cruise holidays on their own without entertainment getting in the way. Perhaps most surprising is the reluctance to join in daytime water-based activities.
The results of the survey must be taken seriously by the organisations involved as 54% of British people, again higher than any other nation, stated that the range of entertainment on board, or lack of it, is an important factor in deciding which cruise to choose.