Increasingly, though, cruise agents are reporting an emerging trend which would stretch the market into which they sell, and could ultimately change cruise’s profile for ever.
The trend? The average age of cruise passengers is coming down – fast. Take Cruise.co.uk, for example. In 2019, the average age of the Redditch-based cruise OTA’s customers was 66.2. Now it’s 55.1.
While Clia, the sector’s primary trade body, revealed this month the average age of cruisers has dropped to 54.3 years – down from 55.1 in 2023 and 57 in 2019.
Operator Destination2 has also seen a shift. Senior cruise development manager Mike Graham tells TTG the business has already taken more than 100 cruise bookings from Generation Z clients – those born between 1997 and 2012 – this year. This represents a 100% year-on-year jump – a far more impressive feat than the 44% growth Destination2 has seen among customers aged 50-59.
The power of social
So why are Gen Z choosing to cruise in such high numbers now? Kieran Shew, managing director of influencer and social media specialist Trending Travel, thinks he knows the answer.
After all, it’s Trending Travel suppliers turn to when they want to promote their product to younger people. “TikTok and Instagram are great ways for brands to showcase what they have to offer,” he explains.
“It’s a difficult product to sell, especially to the new-to-cruise market. We believe cruise is becoming more popular in these markets due to the presence of more cruise content on social media.”
According to Shew, the #CruiseTok hashtag has been tagged in 226.6 million TikTok posts, while on Instagram, #CruiseLife is attributed to more than 2.2 million posts. Shew says this reflects the scale of social media users’ growing interest and engagement with cruise experiences.
Trending Travel’s business model is simple and effective. Since 2023, it has deployed nearly 1,000 influencers on Virgin Voyages sailings. It’s no secret the line has faced challenges since its early Covid launch, including filling the three ships it launched during a short 18-month window.
Virgin Voyages, though, was able to make plenty of noise about its adults-only product thanks to Trending Travel’s influencers.
Shew believes the agency has played a “significant” role in the line’s success over the past two years. Shew claims Trending Travel recently ran an influencer trip for an unnamed “large” travel retailer, which he says had people rushing to their shops saying: “I want to do what they’re doing.”
It is evident the power of social media, the speed at which it allows suppliers to bring product to market and the control they have over who it reaches, is changing the tide at pace, and cruise lines are starting to capitalise.
Ever-expanding fleets
There are very few lines not expanding their fleets at the moment. This inevitably heaps huge pressure on these brands’ sales chiefs. The only way these lines can fill these ships and future-proof their businesses is to attract new customers, preferably younger ones who can go on to become regular repeat bookers.
Royal Caribbean International operates the biggest ocean ships in the world today. Icon of the Seas, which launched in early 2024, can carry 7,600 at maximum capacity. Between 2022 and 2024, Royal reported a 33% increase in the total number of Gen Z passengers.
“The younger generations can now see what they can access,” Graham explains, highlighting MSC World America and Norwegian Aqua – both launched last month – as examples of exciting, cutting-edge cruise products coming to market.
Sefton Monk launched his app-led cruise agency My Kind of Cruise in 2022. Almost every business owner suffers pre-launch nerves, but Monk is adamant he had such confidence in his concept – and the market he sells into – that he had no butterflies whatsoever.
“We totally believe in what we’re doing,” says Monk. “The reason why Gen Z are cruising more is social media – there are loads of cruise influencers on TikTok. Gen Z now watch people cruising online.” The average age of a My Kind of Cruise customer is 38, and almost 60% of bookings are now from new-to-cruise customers. But social media can only do so much – so what other factors are driving My Kind of Cruise’s business?
Monk says: “Cruise appeals to a younger audience for various reasons. There are sailings from Southampton – these are all-inclusive products offering value for money and the opportunity to see more destinations than a land-based holiday. We believe the market is there to grow.”
County Durham’s Cruise365 is an established and respected cruise agency, launched in 2001 long before the advent of social media and the rise of contemporaries like My Kind of Cruise, and while Gen Z were – quite literally – in their infancy.
Owner Anthony Blackmore reveals around 3% of the agency’s bookings each week are made by customers in their 20s. “This would not have happened 20 years ago,” he says unequivocally.
“We’re getting a lot of younger travellers, people at that stage where they are getting engaged or want to travel before they have children or buy their first home.” However, while Cruise365 uses social media to push offers, Blackmore stresses his shop “still gets a lot of walk-ins”.
‘Don’t make assumptions’
Graham believes cruise lines and retailers are changing the way they market sailings due to the power of social media. “Marketing used to be all about the deal,” he explains. “Now they’re packed with pictures because we are trying to bring these cruises to life.
“Advertising cruises is all about how you can visit the Vatican, Florence and the leaning tower of Pisa in a single trip. We target couples who have great jobs and therefore disposable income.” According to Deloitte, Gen Z will soon surpass millennials as the most populous generation on earth.
But the professional services firm insists Gen Z “values salary less than every other generation”, which begs the question: why should agents bother selling a high-value product such as a cruise to “Gen Z’ers”? Graham has a warning for agents hoping to grow their customer base.
“Do not make assumptions about these passengers. They may have already gone on 10 to 50 cruises. So make sure you offer them a cruise. This trend is not a flash in the pan. These generations are going to get older.”
