Cruising's Popularity Surge Continues

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its 2017 Cruise Industry Consumer Outlook, the first of its type focusing on the insights, outlook and attitudes of travelers regarding cruising.

The report released Thursday indicates cruise popularity is on the rise and that there has been a surge of interest in cruise travel.

The CLIA joined forces with J.D. Power to compile consumer travel behaviors and opinions in the first installment of three 2017 outlooks. The first report found that 64 percent of responders said their awareness of cruise vacations improved over the last two years and another 30 percent said their awareness of the industry increased greatly.

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In total, only six percent of people surveyed had an unfavorable attitude toward cruise vacations.

“The first installment of the Cruise Industry Consumer Outlook is vital in keeping the cruise industry abreast of consumer attitudes and behaviors, allowing the industry to continue to evolve in a direction that is appealing and beneficial to would-be and current cruise travelers,” CLIA CEO Cindy D’Aoust said in a statement.

“Each installment will help the industry, as well as cruise travel agents, continue to adapt business practices and offerings to coincide with the desires of travelers and propel the cruise industry forward.”

READ MORE: Never Lose Sight of What Defines Cruising

Interest in both river and ocean cruising is on the rise, as 63 percent of responders reported desire in taking a cruise vacation. 50 percent are interested in both river and ocean cruises while another 30 percent were most excited about river cruising.

The interest in cruising is also about the price and the convenience.

Fiscally, 67 percent of travelers believe cruising offers a high-value experience for the money. On the other hand, driving to a port is important to many others, with 66 percent of responders being aware of close-to-home port options and 50 percent being willing to drive up to 500 miles to a port.

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