Our survey said . . . uh-oh

There must be a better way to generate interest in National Cruise Week than an opinion poll which claims that the Mojito is the favourite cocktail among cruise passengers – based on the fact it garnered a paltry eight per cent of the votes. Or that New York has supplanted Venice as the most popular destination, and Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston remain our favoured fantasy travelling companions – according to the survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of the Passenger Shipping Association.
Mind you, if you believe Shearings Holidays, who commissioned their own poll, comedian Peter Kay is favoured over Captain Jack Sparrow, and Joanna Lumley is preferred to the friendless former Friend. While the readers of Cruise International magazine voted for Sydney as their dream port of call in the magazine’s first national cruise awards.
However, I have discovered a survey which does appear to have some relevance – because it asked questions which the people who run National Cruise Week, and the cruise lines themselves, would like answers to.
Because despite all their efforts to popularise cruises, this survey for travelsupermarket.com discovered that an astonishing 58 per cent of Britons who have never taken a holiday at sea are unlikely to consider a cruise because they believe it would be too expensive, and 15 per cent think they are only for “posh people.”
Another 36 per cent – presumably those who see cruising as a value-for-money proposition for people who are not posh – are put off because they think a ship would be like a floating holiday camp.
Fortunately, the survey discovered that there is one sure-fire way to change these false impressions, and people’s opinions change as soon as they have actually been on a cruise. Nine out of 10 cruise passengers would recommend cruising to friends, and 60 per cent of 18 to 35-year-olds said they were surprised by how much fun they had on board ship.
Bob Atkinson, of travelsupermarket.com, said: “This research has found that many of us still hold outdated misconceptions on cruising. These days, cruise holidays no longer need to be expensive, long-haul journeys. They are becoming increasingly affordable. If you shop around for the best deal and book as early as possible you could bag yourself a real bargain.”
But the question remains: How to get cruise virgins to take that first step up the gangway?
National Cruise Week runs until September 25 and there are some spectacular deals available, including discounts of up to 20 per cent, free upgrades and other perks such as free parking or travel to the port. Take a look at discovercruises.co.uk or visit your local travel agent.