Luxury cruisers planning to 'downsize' to smaller ships

A customer survey from Mundy Cruising reported clients are “bullish” about their future voyage plans, with the majority surveyed (63%) planning to cruise again in 2021, while 15% said they were hoping to get back onboard this year if possible.

A further 20% plan to cruise in 2022 or later, while just 3% indicated they would not cruise again.

The majority (56%) of the 332 respondents surveyed by Mundy said they plan to travel on a ship carrying 50-500 guests after coronavirus, compared to 44% who preferred this size of ship before.

Only 7% said they plan to travel on a ship carrying more than 1,000 guests in future, compared to 19% before Covid-19.

Just over a tenth (11%) of respondents expect their next cruise to be an expedition voyage, while 26% of those surveyed said they would consider a no-fly cruise from continental Europe, joining their ship by road or rail.

When it came to river cruise - 30% of survey respondents said they were planning to take one for their next trip.

Mundy’s managing director Edwina Lonsdale said the agency was “buoyed by our clients’ confidence in the future and their excitement about cruising again”, with sales figures to match as business increased by 63% last month compared to June 2019.

“The cruise industry is leading the way in safe global travel, collaborating widely to ensure guests can return safely to their favourite type of holiday,” added Lonsdale.

Mundy’s study also found clients were opting for itineraries closer to home, with higher demand for the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

However interest there was also interest for North America and the Caribbean, with 41% of respondents prepared to consider a long-haul trip for their next cruise.