No stopping growth of cruising

Cruising in the UK appears to have shrugged off the effects of both the Costa Concordia tragedy and the financial effects of the euro crisis, with the latest industry estimates forecasting a rise in the number of passengers this year and anticipating a further increase in 2013.
The total is expected to grow by 20,000 in 2012 to reach a record 1.72 million. A further 2 per cent rise next year will push the total number of cruises taken by Brits to 1.76 million.
Growth has slowed since the heady days of double-digit annual increases, and the statistics do not reveal how high a price cruise lines are having to pay by way of cutting fares in order to keep their ships sailing at full capacity.
Nevertheless. cruising continues to be one of the healthiest sectors of the travel industry. This is partly due to continued investment in new ships and the refurbishment of older vessels, and the growing popularity of no-fly cruises departing from UK ports, according to the Passenger Shipping Association.
“There is no doubt that the cruise industry faced a unique set of challenges this year,” said PSA director William Gibbons. “Our UK figures show that the cruise sector has out-performed the rest of the holiday sector.
“The sheer diversity of cruises, coupled with unrivalled value for money, has helped to attract the ‘new to cruise customer’, key to boosting growth. The undiminished investment in new ships and product innovation is also encouraging with six new cruise ships commissioned in 2012, and six more are scheduled for launch in each of the next three years.
“There is no doubt that value will still be an absolute priority for UK holiday makers in 2013 and a cruise is one of the best ways to have a unique experience whatever your holiday budget.”
The PSA calculates that almost $5 billion (£3.25 billion) has been invested in the seven new ships launched in 2012, and a further $3.2 billion (£2.1 billion) on vessels being completed next year – perhaps an indication that with excess capacity in most of Europe’s shipyards, cruise bosses have been able to drive a hard bargain when placing new orders.