p10 ANTOR sep26 24/9/08 21:32 Page 10
news cruise survey
ttglive.com
Port excursions are the
new cruise battleground
Excursions are popular with passengers – and lucrative for cruise lines. TTG found out
what passengers really think by asking 1,500 of Cruise.co.uk’s customers. By Lucy Huxley
NCL claims to have taken shore excursions “to looking to get even more of their customers’
the next level” with its Ultimate Touring five-star excursion pounds.
TTG/Cruise.co.uk survey
range of exclusive “personalised adventures”. But what do cruise passengers really want 1,578 respondents
Meanwhile, Princess Cruises has claimed its from a destination? How do they want to book it? 32% had cruised five-10 times
own “industry first”, offering The Ultimate Ship Do they feel they are getting value for money? 25% had cruised with Royal Caribbean, 20%
Tour onboard its newest ship, Ruby Princess, as And what would make them change current with Princess Cruises, 18% with Thomson
an alternative to a land-based excursion. habits? and 14% with Fred Olsen
So not only is competition between cruise TTG teamed up with Cruise.co.uk, the UK’s Findings presented at an Antor cruise seminar
destinations hotting up, the lines themselves are largest cruise website, to find out.
How important is the destination? Have you stayed extra nights? How do you book extra nights?
8
8
Very important
Important
33 Myself
15
50
Fairly important
42
Yes
58
41
Travel agent
No
Not too important Cruise line
19
Not very important
26
We asked cruise passengers to rate how important a cruise’s Fifty-eight per cent said they had stayed extra days in the Thirty-three per cent booked extra nights through the cruise
embarkation/disembarkation points and ports of call were in embarkation/disembarkation port, particularly in places line, 26% through an agent, while 41% did it themselves,
influencing their choice of itinerary. such as Asia and the US. They said ports needed to have mainly online. So there’s scope for tourist boards, cruise lines
history, culture, beauty, be a main city or a must-see place and agents to work closer to secure more of that business.
How many excursions do you book? How do you rate excursions? What makes a good excursion?
5
Very good choice, range and value
6
13 Some form of activity
29
1-2 5
Very good choice, but expensive
24
Well-organised with a tour guide
40
1 at every port 4
73 Not enough choice
50
Something off the beaten track
Quite boring, mainly
As many as we can afford
walking/coach
31
20
Value for money
Not worth the money
One in three respondents said they booked excursions in Respondents said they like excursion options – but say they Fifty per cent said they should be well-organised with a good
every port of call on their cruises, while just 0.03% said they are expensive. This was the feeling of the vast majority, 73%. tour guide; 24% said they had to be value for money; 20%
never got off the ship. So excursions are clearly big business But alarmingly, no one rated excursions currently available said they had to be “off the beaten track”; and only 6% said
and an increasingly hot battleground for competing lines. as offering “good choice and range and value for money”. they had to include some form of activity.
What’s wrong with excursions? Would you like longer in ports? How will you book excursions?
Don’t like to follow the crowds 15
Specialised shore
29
26
32
excursion operator
Too expensive
Yes
18
Cruise line only
45 Poor quality 74
No
Travel agent
Limited variety
16
Local tourist board
5 5
Too long to reach destination
35
Respondents said the biggest drawbacks with shore Passengers overwhelmingly said they would like to stay For future cruises, 35% said they would purchase excursions
excursions were the cost and the crowds, with 45% saying longer in the ports, with 74% suggesting they would like the only from their cruise line, but almost as many (32%) said
they were too expensive and 29% saying they didn’t like chance to explore more of each destination, certainly into they would consider buying through a shore-based operator.
having to follow herds of other passengers. the evenings and possibly overnight. And 18% said they would happily book via a travel agent.
10 26.09.2008
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104