Cruise industry rebounding much better than other tourist sectors
After the worst-ever downturn for the industry in 2009, cruise bookings are going up, says the LA Times.
“Cruise lines are starting to raise prices from the deep-recession bargain basement. And a few companies are even feeling bullish enough to start ordering new ships after a dry spell of nearly two years,” the report says.
As the cruise industry gathers in Miami Beach for the industry’s largest annual gathering, executives are far more upbeat than they were just a few months ago.
By all accounts, the cruise lines are basking in a robust "wave season," the industry term for the first couple months of the new year, when the largest chunk of cruises are booked.
"The cruise industry has rebounded much better than the hotels or land tours," said Stewart Chiron, a cruise expert and CEO of cruiseguy.com.
Cruise Planners, a travel agency in Coral Springs, Fla., has chalked up 30 percent to 40 percent gains in bookings each month since October, compared with one year-earlier numbers.
"We’re seeing a huge upward shift," CEO Michelle Fee said. "Obviously, last year in the same time frame, everything fell off a cliff."
The cruise lines still face a long journey to get back to the prices of early 2008, before the financial crisis turned many people’s vacations into loading up the car and driving to stay with relatives.
In 2009, a cruise berth fetched 14 percent less per day than the year before at the two biggest cruise operators. This year, that "yield" is expected to turn positive by several percentage points from 2009 levels.
By David Wilkening
David
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