The British cruise market grew by 8.8% to a record of 1.79 million passengers last year, the strongest growth in seven years and a sharp reversal of the 4.8% decline in 2014, CLIA UK & Ireland said in a statement, adding that the average age of passengers fell by most in a decade.
The number of bed nights booked rose by 5.4% to a record of 18.9 million, reversing three years of decline and setting a new record.
Last year saw a huge rise in the popularity of Atlantic Islands cruises but the Mediterranean remains the number one choice for cruises from UK.
Cruising from a UK port increased sharply in 2015 and although fly-cruise also grew, ex-UK cruises are back on course to account for 50% of passengers within a few years. Nearly two-thirds of cruise consumers took more than one cruise in 2015 – the most multiple cruisers for a decade About a third of cruises were taken by first-timers. The average age of passengers dropped by three years – the largest annual drop for more than a decade - which was perhaps the most remarkable development of the year..
Last-minute bookings at lowest level for five year, while river cruising’s growth reflects that of ocean cruising as passengers top 150,000, CLIA UK & Ireland said.
