UK 2012 river cruise passenger volume soars 14%

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 04 March 2013 04 March 2013

The number of British passengerstaking a river cruise soared by 14% in 2012 with numbers reaching 130,000, according to new research released today by the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA). This marks a sharp contrast with the ocean cruise market that grew by just 1,000 passengers to 1.701 million.

 Britons took a record 90,000 European river cruise holidays, a 12 %increase on 2011. This popularity reflects an ongoing upward trend, with Europe representing 69 per cent share of the market compared to only 50% in 2009.

The overall increase in demand for river holidays was driven by new capacity on European rivers and partly by greater political stability in Egypt. Investment in new tonnage in 2012 was strong with an additional 12 river vessels and 2013 will witness over 30 new itineraries and more new ships including two each for Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways together with new vessels for CroisiEurope, Lüftner Cruises and Scenic Tours.

 According to PSA data, the value of the UK river cruise market in 2012 was £175m. Once again the most popular destination for British river cruises was The Nile, which was booked by nearly 22%  of the market and experienced a 12% year-on-year increase in passengers. This was followed closely by the Rhine/Moselle and tributaries (20.7% of bookings) and the Danube (11.6 %). Significant growth was achieved by China and the Far East, which experienced a 38% lift in passengers, up to 5.3% market share in 2012. In total, non-European destinations saw a rise of 19%.

 British river cruisers were most motivated by “value for money” in 2012, with 77% citing it as one of the principle reasons for their booking (up from 54% in 2011). The “all-inclusive nature of cruise packages” was the second key factor (referenced by 42% of river cruisers).

 Reasons for choosing specific river cruises included the itinerary and destinations (74%) and the duration (21%). British river cruisers were less concerned with using a cruise line with which they had sailed before (22% cited as a factor) compared with their ocean going counterparts (59% of whom highlighted this reason).

River cruisers are less likely than ocean cruisers to take several river holidays a year. Just 14% of the UK’s river cruisers took multiple river holidays in 2012, compared to 49% of ocean going cruisers who booked at least two ocean holidays. Less than a third (31% ) of UK river cruisers had never been on an ocean cruise, with 23%  having been on six or more ocean cruises and 30% having been on one or two.

UK ocean cruise passenger count grew by just 1,000 in 2012

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 04 March 2013 04 March 2013

The number of British pasengers that took an ocean cruise grew by 1,000 last year, which brought the total to 1,701,000. “The figure is indicative of the loyalty of cruise passengers, given the challenging nature of the year which opened with the Concordia tragedy and saw the UK economy dip back into recession. Cruise continues to account for one in every eight of all overseas package holidays,” figures from the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) show.

However, 2012 was a record year for UK cruise ports. Passenger embarkations increased 10% (up to 962,000 in 2012), with 78,000 extra UK and 6,000 additional overseas passengers. The fourth double-digit increase in cruise passenger embarkations in just seven years puts British ports on course to hit the million mark in 2013.

The most substantial increase in capacity has come in the south coast ports of Southampton, Dover and most recently, Portsmouth. The growth in popularity of ex-UK cruises can largely be attributed to the ease of access to the ships for those living in the south.

There was a similar increase in passengers visiting UK ports during their cruises. The 11% increase saw 723,000 passengers visit British ports, double the 2007 figure. The number of UK ports receiving cruise calls also increased to a record 52.

As in previous years the most popular destination was the Mediterranean, which saw 698,000 British passengers visiting the region. However the noticeable trend was increased appetite for cruising to Northern Europe which experienced a  29% upsurge with 443,000 passengers, up from 342,000 the previous year. The increase was fuelled by Britons’ growing taste for Norwegian fjords which saw nearly 200,000 passengers visiting the region (44.5% of the Northern European bookings).

Continued growth was also seen in ‘ultra luxury’ cruising. 1.7% of cruises booked by Britons in 2012 were classified in this sector, which represents an increase of 2,581 passengers and recession-defying year-on-year growth of 10%. Sales of summer ‘ultra luxury’ cruises increased by an even more striking 30%.

In terms of motivation, value for money was the main reason for Britons choosing their last cruise holiday. But when it comes to the appeal of a cruise in general, it’s itinerary and destination that topped the list (cited by 70% of passengers surveyed) for the fourth consecutive year. The number of British passengers who took more than one cruise in 2012 increased by 12 percentage points to 54%. 374,220 Britons – the highest ever - booked three or more cruises within the year, reflecting regular British cruisers’ confidence in the industry’s safety record.

 Regional distribution of UK cruise passengers had altered slightly, with an increase in southern passengers. Since 2006 the number of passengers from the southeast had increased 10 percentage points from 14% to 24%. The mix of passengers from outside of England stayed stable, with Scottish passengers constant at 11%; a slight increase in Welsh cruise passengers (from 5% to 6%) and a small drop in the proportion passengers from Northern Ireland (3% to 2%).

Absolute numbers of passengers increased to around 187,000 from Scotland, 102,000 from Wales and 34,000 from Northern Ireland.

 PSA director, William Gibbons, said: "The past year was an impressive one for the UK cruise industry, especially in view of the combination of challenges the year presented. The increase in passenger figures bears testament to the value and diversity that cruising represents and the positive experiences that bring passengers back time and time again. We feel 2012’s record results for British ports are particularly remarkable and we very much look forward to seeing UK ports achieve the million mark in 2013, and the associated economic benefits that this will bring to the country."