Survey identifies concerns of cruise 'virgins'

Nearly a third of cruise ‘virgins’ would be prompted by a special deal to take a cruise, according to a survey by Cruise Critic.

A poll by the online interactive consumer cruise site, which launched a UK dedicated portal this week, found 29% of people who had never taken a cruise would be tempted by a bargain.

Meanwhile, 16% of cruise virgins said they would book a cruise for a special milestone celebration and 13% when they can afford it.

When asked “what most puts you off, 21% noted that you “can’t escape people you might not like,” 19% were afraid of being “stuck on the ship with nothing to do,” and 16% cited the cost of a cruise holiday as too expensive.

Another 7.5% said they were put off most by “too many old people, and 1.8% said “too many young people”.

But the biggest worry among cruise virgins about taking a holiday on the high seas is the fear of sickness.

Most virgins (39%) would opt for a luxury ship, and the Caribbean and Mediterranean were the most popular itineraries (28 and 21% respectively).

A quarter of cruise virgins would like to take six to seven days and would expect to pay £500-1000 (49%) for a week-long cruise with full board in a standard cabin.

The new UK site, CruiseCritic.co.uk,features cruise reviews and ports of call recommendations written by both members and Cruise Critic's editorial staff.

Cruise Critic was launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, which was acquired by TripAdvisor in May 2007.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008