With more and more ships taking to the waters and more passengers showing interest, the cruise industry hopes for a bumper year in 2011.
The cruise industry is hoping for 16 million passengers to embark on its ships in 2011, thus expecting an increase of 6.6 % on the last year. The optimism is shared amongst the leading representatives of other industries too, with the difference being the cruise industry placing its hopes on a fleet of new ships and masses of new customers. Europe, the Caribbean and Alaska are the biggest markets at the moment, with emerging nations such as China and Russia providing not only passengers but also venues and exciting places to visit for current cruise ship fans.
Cruise industry representatives hope that the new ships around the globe will tempt more people on board. Walt Disney Co’s new creation was launched in Florida just recently. The vessel is capable of holding up to 4,000 passengers and came at a cost of $900 million. The company is clearly expecting a return on such a massive investment in the near future. Currently the world’s largest cruise vessel, the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Sea, is capable of holding 6,000 passengers yet is not being used to its potential. In total, 2011 should see around half a dozen new ships on the water.
Another encouraging sign for the industry, not only this year, is the fact that the overwhelming percentage of north Americans and Europeans of previous times is going down. Instead, the cruise industry is getting used to welcoming passengers from all over the planet.