BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- October is Plan a
Cruise Month, prime time for sea veterans and newcomers alike to
start planning a cruise vacation. 25.3 million1 people
are expected to take a cruise by the end of 2017, a number that has
steadily grown over the past few years. With trips on top cruise
lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian bookable up
to 18 months in advance, Expedia.com® makes comparing cruise lines
and finding a great deal easy. To help travelers find and book the
perfect cruise getaway, the experts at Expedia® CruiseShipCenters®
have compiled insights on the latest cruise crazes and how to save
on your next trip.
"With cruises you get the complete vacation experience and you
can relax knowing that everything has been taken care of, from your
food and accommodations to your entertainment and transportation,"
says Matthew Eichhorst, VP, Global
Cruise, Expedia, Inc. "Travelers can easily book their cruise
online at Expedia.com, or they can visit one of our Expedia
CruiseShipCenters locations to speak with our knowledgeable Travel
Consultants who can help them plan the vacation of their
dreams."
Cruising Trends and Growth
Cruises are gaining popularity, and more than 100 million people
are expected to take a cruise in the next four years.2
In fact, cruises enjoy the highest satisfaction rate of any
vacation, and 84 percent of cruisers would recommend cruising to a
friend.3 And despite misconceptions and anxiety about
cruise expenses4, included amenities like meals,
activities, and room service can make voyages much more
cost-effective than land-based vacations. Plus, travelers can visit
multiple destinations without extra transportation costs. As cruise
lines look to continue to shake up assumptions of what a cruise can
be, here are some industry trends making major waves:
- New ships on the block. Over 100 new cruise ships will
debut in the next decade, and 26 new ocean, river and specialty
cruise ships are expected to debut in 2017 alone.
- All-time favorites meet new frontiers. According to a
recent survey5, the most in-demand cruises continue to
be ever-popular routes to the Caribbean and Alaska. However, expedition cruises are also
growing in popularity as more cruise lines are offering itineraries
to the Galapagos Islands and remote polar regions.
- New Panama Canal. Another key catalyst driving the
cruise industry's growth is the widening of the Panama Canal. The
nine-year canal expansion project will enable bigger cargo ships
and many of the world's biggest cruise ships to pass through,
cutting off the extra 8,000 miles it would take to sail around Cape
Horn.
- Nearly 20 percent of millennials plan to take a cruise in
the next 12 months.6 Many cruise lines are wooing
millennial travelers with high-tech amenities, fun onboard
activities (ziplines, mixology classes, skydiving simulators) and
late-night dance parties with international DJs. Carnival Cruise
Line's Carnival Vista even has its own brewery.
- Private beach attractions are gaining popularity. Cruise
lines are investing more in exclusive ownership of private islands
to enhance the guest experience. These islands – like Royal
Caribbean's CocoCay – are equipped with luxury amenities, bars,
easier accessibility, acres of lounge chairs, and beach
pavilions.
- Sea foodies. Survey respondents ranked cruises for
foodies and gourmands as the most popular themed cruise
type7, and there is no shortage of delectable options to
explore. Norwegian Cruise Line has their "Meet the Winemaker
Cruises," which allows passengers the opportunity to wine and dine
with leaders and legends of the wine making industry. Last year
Holland America partnered with America's Test Kitchen to bring live
onboard cooking shows and hands-on workshops on select ships.
- Celebrity performances. Cruise lines continue to draw
celebrities to perform on their ships, with past headliners
including Demi Lovato, Bonnie Tyler, and Carrie
Underwood. It's been two years since their last cruise, but
next year Backstreet's back! The Backstreet Boys Cruise with
Carnival Cruise Lines sails from Miami to Grand Turk May
3-7, 2018.
- Luxury cruises are going all out. The world's finest
cruises allow travelers to experience first-class amenities and
other extravagances like infinity pools, underwater lounges and
helicopters.
6 Ways to Save On Your Next Cruise Vacation
For travelers looking to get a great price on their next sea
voyage, Expedia has a few money-saving tips to keep in mind:
- Book your cruise through a travel agent – like Expedia
CruiseShipCenters. Travel agents can negotiate contracted rates
directly with cruise lines so they can save travelers on average
$452 per trip.8
- When planning a cruise vacation, book early. Often, cruise
lines will offer early booking incentives in the form of low fares,
value add-ons and upgrades if you book months in advance, typically
six – 18 months out.
- If you have a few friends or family members who want to go on a
cruise, take advantage of group booking discounts. In general, if
you book as a large group with most cruise lines, one person will
often cruise for free. Fun fact: Expedia CruiseShipCenters has a
Group Program that allows travelers to take advantage of the group
booking price without needing to be part of a group. This is
something that isn't offered if you were to book directly with the
cruise line.
- Consider taking a cruise during the off-season or shoulder
season when people are no longer taking vacation to net big
savings. There can also be a tremendous price difference between
one week and the next, so consider alternative weeks to reduce the
price of your cruise fare. It pays to be flexible!
- Arrange your own shore excursions instead of booking them
through the cruise line. Cruise lines offer shore excursions for
their passengers but paying for the convenience is pricey. Book
your shore activities on Expedia to save money.
- There are many options for finding cruise deals on Expedia and
there are new deals every day. Now through October 31 travelers can get up to $150 to spend onboard 2017 Holland America Line
Caribbean cruises. Check out the Expedia Deals page for more
last-minute cruise offers.
Travelers looking for more information can explore expert tips,
FAQs, on our Guide to Cruising.
Book now
In honor of Plan a Cruise Month, Expedia is offering travelers
several promotions:
- Carnival 1-Week Sale: Ends October
8. Free cabin upgrades, plus $50 onboard credit.
- Norwegian Free at Sea + Dash Sale: Ends October 9. Choose up to five free offers,
plus get up to $1000 to spend
onboard.
- Royal Caribbean 100 Hour
Sale: Ends October 10. 50% off
2nd guest + up to $200
instant savings + up to $150 onboard
credit.
- Win 1 of 5 Free Cruises: September
1-October 31. Enter for your chance to win one of five
free cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line.
- World Explorers Sale: October
5-25. From Asia to
Europe, set sail to exotic
destinations and discover the world by sea. Book Oct 5-25 and take advantage of incredible Expedia
Extras like free drinks, up to $600
onboard cash credit, or up to $1000
savings in onboard coupons.
- Disney Cruises: October
1-31. Get a $100 onboard
credit
- Holland America Line Exclusive Sale: October 1-31. Get up to $150 to spend onboard 2017 Caribbean
cruises.
Ready to start planning? Visit us at
https://www.expedia.com/Cruises and book your sailing in a snap.
Travelers can also visit Expedia CruiseShipCenters to get
trustworthy travel advice and personalized, 1-on-1 service.
About Expedia.com
Expedia.com® is one of the world's largest full service travel
sites, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book
travel. Expedia.com (https://www.expedia.com/,
1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest
selection of top vacation destinations, affordable airfare, hotel
deals, car rentals, destination weddings, cruise deals and
in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps.
With the Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the
best rates available online for all types of travel.
© 2017 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia and the
Airplane logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and
company names mentioned herein may be the property of their
respective owners CST # 2029030-50.
Visit our web site https://www.expedia.com/ or use our
mobile app to book cheap flights and hotels.
1-3Source: Cruise Lines International
Association.
4-7Survey commissioned by Expedia during September 2017 and conducted by Google Consumer
Surveys, polling more than 1,000 respondents, aged 18-55+, located
in the U.S.
8Source: ASTA's Best of Both
Worlds: Quantifying How Travel Agents Save Consumers Time and
Money.
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