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The development of the cruise sector - Activity

The Victorians created piers which reached out into the sea in British coastal towns. People contented themselves with this equivalent version of the holidays taken by the rich and powerful. What better than to 'take the air' on a bracing stroll above the waves?

A stormy sea and a rickety pier

All the enjoyment of the open sea, without having to leave land! Copyright: Jeff Jones, from stock.xchng.

Over 100 years later, tourists and fun-seekers don't have to stay at Clevedon or Colwyn Bay to experience the wind in their hair and the waves below their feet. Nowdays they can emulate Roman Abramovich and spend time on a purpose-built vessel on the high seas.

OK, so the ship they sail on won't be theirs, but for a while they can dream! They're holidaying in a way that used to be the preserve of the very rich or the affluent elderly: on a cruise.

Tasks and activities for further research

Who are the cruise operators?

Look at any online or travel agent brochure and you'll see a bewildering range of companies and cruise lines. But is this really such a competitive market? Go to Biz/ed's 'Wanna Argument' on the cruise industry to find the true number of major companies controlling the sector.


Who cruises most?

The following list of sources contains information on the numbers of consumers in the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Greece. Use these data to create a chart (line graph, pie chart, pictogram or bar chart, it's your choice) showing the share of demand for cruise holidays.

Issues in the cruise sector

The environment

What do cruise ships do with all the waste generated by their activities? Cruise ships produce an enormous amount of waste, including:

  • Oily bilge water
  • Grey water, such as run-off from showers, sinks and laundry facilities
  • Sewage
  • Litter and other packaging materials
  • Airborne pollutants from the ships' engines
  • Ballast water containing non-native organisms

Go to Biz/ed's 'Wanna Argument' on the cruise industry (link provided above) to find out how much waste is produced by a typical cruise ship on a one week voyage.


Economic effect on destinations

  • How much do cruise customers and staff spend at their destinations or at stopover ports?
  • How do cruise companies try to 'ring fence' the economic benefits of their customers' spending?
Cruise liner in harbour in Puerto Rico

This cruise liner is in dock in Puerto Rico - what will the passengers do once on dry land? Copyright: Gregory Runyan, from stock.xchng.


Shaping and responding to customer demand

What do cruise customers really want? Why do they choose to cruise? What are the major cruise operators doing to shape customer demand? The following list of advantages of cruising over land-based tourism was created by one of the big two cruise operators, Carnival Cruise Lines:

  • Value for money
  • 'Trouble-free' environment
  • Excellent food
  • The 'romance of the sea'
  • Superior activities and entertainment
  • An atmosphere of pampering service

Source: The Cruise Ship Tourism Industry, the Lighthouse Foundation.

Large, busy swimming pool on board a cruise liner

What activities would you find enjoyable on a cruise ship? Copyright: Robert Linder, from stock.xcng.

What do you think about this list of areas in which cruising is 'superior' to land-based tourism? Do you agree with these statements? Have you found any evidence in your research that would challenge them? Can you come up with a list of disadvantages of cruise tourism?


Regulation and representation

  • Who regulates the cruise operators?
  • Which bodies represent them?
  • What do these trade organisations do?
  • What measures are in place to protect the environment from the potential damage caused by cruise activity?

Use the following links to find answers to the above questions: