Travel Daily Cruise Update
has asked Australia’s top 20
cruise consultants to predict the
direction of the industry in 2014.
Australia’s leading agents
(ranked according to the amount
of education and practical
shipboard experience undertaken
with Cruise Lines International
Association) see another bright
new year ahead for cruising.
Diane Craig, CruiseManagers’
representative for Balgowlah in
NSW believes Europe will continue
to be the “big seller”, with more
customers booking one-way
rather than roundtrip cruises.
“Seasoned cruisers are now
looking at longer cruises,
sometimes combining three or
four cruises into one long cruise,”
she said.
“They like to arrive in one city,
for example, Barcelona, and then
depart from Istanbul.”
These passengers also prefer
the pre-paid convenience of
packages.
“Expedition or adventure
cruising is becoming very popular
too, especially Pandaw Cruises for
cruising in Burma, and Cruiseco
have some very good all-inclusive
packages for Burma and also on
the Mekong,” Craig added.
Anne Graham of Just Cruises,
in Upper Mount Gravatt, Qld,
agrees that the strong Australian
dollar is pushing growth in
Europe and river cruising.
“Many of the river cruise
operators are releasing new ships
and therefore have increased
capacity and destination choices,”
she said.
“Now that there are far more
choices within France, Italy
Russia, China, Vietnam and
Burma, a river cruise is no longer
a once in a lifetime experience
but now an alternative to ocean
cruising, and we are also seeing a
lot of repeat river cruisers.”
Robyn and Murray Sinfield,
Cruise Master agents in Tasmania,
predict more growth in short
ocean cruises, especially for
celebrating special occasions,
such as a “0 birthday”.
Jeanine French, of MTA Travel
in Packenham, Victoria, said: “We
are starting to see a lot of people
booking the three and four day
cruises as a family get-together or
an opportunity for an extended
weekend away with friends.”
Yvonne Cadd, of MTA Travel in
Brighton SA, said: “Increasingly,
the one-week cruise length is
good for clients, where you don’t
need a passport to travel and
have cheaper insurance costs.”
