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The Global Cruise Industry: Cruising for an Environmental Bruising?

What's the size of the global cruise market?

The scale of the global market is worth analysing too. The cruise market in North America is the largest in the world, with in excess of 8 million people taking a cruise holiday in 2003. The UK comes next in market size, followed by Germany. There, the market has doubled in the past seven years. Italy, France and Spain follow in terms of passenger demand for cruise holidays.

So the picture is one of a thriving industry, with growth being experienced in all the key markets of North America and Europe.

According to the CIS, UK cruise customers are booking their holidays on the seas for longer periods than before. The average cruise taken by UK customers was 9.6 days in 2003, compared to 8.9 days in 2002. More exotic destinations are becoming increasingly popular, with journeys to South America, Alaska and Antarctica growing as market segments. 'Niche' segments are also seeing a rise in customer demand. Niche areas of the market include:

• coastal voyages to places like the Norwegian fjords
• lakes cruising, such as to the North American Great Lakes
• special interest firms offering unusual itineraries on a diverse range of vessels, such as sail or sail-assisted ships

Image: Cruises to places such as the spectacular Geiranger fjord in Norway are becoming increasingly popular. Copyright: Emanuela, stock.xchng

So-called 'Ultra-Luxury' cruise lines saw their market grow by 68% between 2002 and 2003. The size of this market almost trebled over a four year period. This segment of the cruise holiday market is defined as follows:

• ships with less than 1100 passengers
• a passenger to staff ratio of no more than 2:1
• a 'space ratio' of one passenger to 40 sq metres

A holiday on one of these vessels costs a minimum of £350 per day.

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