Record numbers take a cruise

Confirmation of the growing popularity of cruise holidays among Brits comes in the latest figures issued by the Passenger Shipping Association.
A record 1,477 million of us took a cruise in 2008, an increase of 11 per cent on the previous year, partly due to the introduction of P&O’s Ventura, Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, and Fred Olsen’s Balmoral.
There were 577,000 passengers embarking on cruises in the UK (up 23 per cent), and a further 900,000 choosing to fly to join their ships (up 4 per cent).
Speaking at the Seatrade cruise convention in Miami, PSA director William Gibbons said: “The decision by a number of cruise lines, including MSC, NCL, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, to increase the number of British port departures contributed to an additional 110,000 passengers choosing to begin their cruise in the UK in 2008.
“With no new UK dedicated capacity planned for this year, we expect to see similar passenger numbers in 2009. Further growth is expected next year with a number of new ship launches, including Celebrity Eclipse, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, and P&O’s Azura, all dedicated to the UK market.”