Caribbean cruises remain a top destination among cruisers according to a new survey by the Cruise Lines International Association.
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While the economy is having an impact, Caribbean cruises are still on the itinerary. Consumer interest in Caribbean cruising remains strong, according to the CLIA, with 55 percent of vacationers who have never taken a cruise intending to do so in the next three years.
Since the money is tighter for many Caribbean cruisers, many cruisers are watching their spending on the boat, says Brown, cutting back on onboard spending, planning independent short excursions and choosing a cruise near a home port to avoid having to fly to meet the ship.
That means the Caribbean is rebounding and the Mediterranean is losing out, says Brown. So much that Carnival is pulling Carnival Freedom from its previously announced 2009 summer itineraries in the Mediterranean and positioning it year-round in the Caribbean, she says.
The Caribbean cruise is traditionally cheaper than other cruises, because it is a year-round destination and people don't have to travel far to catch the ship. Other cruise regions are seasonal: Canada/New England and Alaska are only accessible via cruise ship in warm months, she says.
"With the Caribbean cruise, one of the biggest advantages is there's simply more choice and it's a much more flexible option," she says, adding that cruisers will have the most choices in terms of a ship from the winter holidays to mid-April. "During times of the year when there's more variety, pricing will be more competitive as well."
While vacationers, including cruisers, generally travel in pairs, family travel is exploding, says Brown. In 2008, 25 percent of cruisers traveled with kids under age 18, compared to 13 percent in 2002, according to CLIA.
The increase may be responsible for bringing the median age of a cruiser down to 46 in 2008 from 49 in 2006.
Brown compares today's Caribbean cruises to camps, ships retrofitted with science labs, teen lounges with video games, plasma TVs and dance floors. There's rock climbing, surfing and miniature golf. Some cruises even offer teens their own place to sunbathe and special mom and teen spa packages.
Caribbean cruises are also a superior economic value for families you can have as much as you want to eat and children have plenty of activities.
Even with no clear end in sight to rising gas prices, cruising is not expected to decline, says Allison-Shane. The overall satisfaction ratings for cruises are high: 95 percent of all cruisers rate their experience as satisfying and more than three-fourths of past cruisers plan to take another cruise within three years.
Brown says some of the most exciting cruise ships have yet to set sail. The new Celebrity Solstice has a freshly manicured lawn on the highest deck and Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship in the world when it launches next year.
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