In our regular market update, bookings for the cruising market are up 30% on last year and P&O and Cunard are already seeing strong sales for 2001.

In our regular market update, bookings for the cruising market are up 30% on last year and P&O and Cunard are already seeing strong sales for 2001.

CRUISE specialists are reporting that sales are up at least 30% on this time last year.

Bob Green, owner of Mossley Travel in Cheshire, said: “In the early months of the year, the business was slow but for the past 10 weeks it has been the best we have ever known. We’re probably doing in the region of four to five times more business compared with this time last year.”

Essex-based Atlantis Cruising general manager Jeremy Scott said: “Lates have also been good with people coming in wanting to travel the next week. People seem to want to go and the deals are out there.”

Prices on Cunard’s QE2 to New York were slashed by 50% last month to £595 for a six night transatlantic cruise.

John Spicer, owner of the The Spicer Travel Bureau in Llandudno, said the outlook for next year was “superb”.

Ships seeing good business for next year include the five-star Cunard Coronia, Cunard’s QE2 and the three P&O ships, Aurora, Oriana and Arcadia, he said.

John Parmenter, manager at Upminster-based Chandlers Travel, said the introduction of P&O Cruises’ Aurora earlier this year had generated a lot of interest.