The cruise industry set records in 2005 and is poised for even more growth in 2006. That was the message delivered Tuesday by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
In 2005, CLIA-member cruise lines carried 11.18 million passengers, of which 9.67 million were from North America. Occupancy rates averaged 103 percent, he said. So far for 2006, Wave Season is turning out to be "good to excellent," according to 70 percent of travel agents who responded to a CLIA survey.
Six new ships will enter service this year for a 4.5 percent net capacity increase, said Stuart, who is executive vice president of NCL Corp. The total number of cruise passengers is expected to increase 500,000 this year to 11.7 million, he said, with 10.14 million originating in North America. Overall, the cruise industry has 25 new ships on order for delivery for 2009, totaling an investment of $14.3 billion.
Stuart also briefly touched on the topic of cruise ship safety, saying that travelers are 10 times safer on ships than on land. New trends emerging this year are "mass-clusivity," meaning many travelers want touches of luxury during their vacation such as afternoon tea; active adventure; connectivity with wireless Internet and cell phone access at sea; and special interest groups. For more information, visit www.cruising.org.
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