ONCE the exclusive preserve of people with money, cruising these days has become accessible to all.
The change started in the 1990s, when MyTravel, then Airtours, entered the cruising market with low prices and an informal product with mass-market appeal.
Airtours’ Sun Cruises has since become a casualty of MyTravel’s financial woes, but it opened the field to Thomson and First Choice, which owns Island Cruises, and their success encouraged Carnival UK to develop its own budget brand, Ocean Village.
Tagged ‘the cruise for people who don’t do cruises’, it is aimed at 30 to 50-somethings who can be tempted away from a land-based vacation to a holiday at sea.
All three were joined this year by EasyCruise, Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s brand of budget cruising. His ship, EasyCruiseOne, targeted at 20 to 40-year-olds, sails around the French and Italian Riviera for the price of a bed only (food is extra; cabins are only cleaned before embarkation; and a change of sheets and towels is £10).
The big appeal of budget cruising, apart from the price — you can cruise for a week for under £800 per person — is that it is very relaxed and very casual. Neither Island Cruises nor Ocean Village have set dining times or formal evenings but, if you want to escape the self-service, you can book waiter-service alternatives.
On Thomson Spirit and Celebration, passengers have to book for the speciality restaurant where there is a cover charge; otherwise there is waiter service in the restaurant, with open seating, except on Captain’s cocktail night, or the buffet.
In all cases, the formula has been a success, encouraging the cruiselines to expand. Thomson has operated four ships this year, up from two previously, while both Island Cruises and Ocean Village are expanding from one to two ships.
Island Cruises is getting Island Star — formally Celebrity Cruises’ Horizon — in November after a major refit to add 76 cabins, a new kids’ area and steakhouse. The ship will winter in Brazil and make its Mediterranean debut in March 2006.
Ocean Village is getting its second ship from sister company AIDA Cruises. AIDAblue transfers to Ocean Village in 2007. Before joining AIDA, the ship operated as Crown Princess and is a sister to the Ocean Village ship, which was previously Star Princess.
Within a month of launching EasyCruiseOne in May, Haji-Ioannou announced he would get a second ship for summer 2006.
Average occupancy on EasyCruiseOne in early August was 83%, up from 74% in July.
Although price tempts many first-timers into the budget market, Island Cruises managing director Patrick Ryan said around 15% of business comes from repeat clients and 30% of passengers have cruised with a competitor.
Ryan added that 50% have never cruised before. He said: “This market is ideal for first-timers — it’s the right price for people coming off a two-week land-based holiday. It is packaged so it is very easy to book and the option of a cruise-and-stay holiday gives them a safety net if they don’t like the cruise.”
He adds: “I suspect our clients move around in the budget market and don’t upgrade to other cruiselines.”
Ocean Village said about 60% of its passengers, who average 43 years old — well down on the cruise-industry average of about 54 — are on their first cruise, while Thomson Cruises general manager David Selby said around 40% of clients are repeat customers.
He said: “We charge prices that are acceptable and accessible to the masses and people see it is good value for money.”
The lead-in price for a Thomson cruise in 2006 is £669 per person for a seven-night Fjordland Splendours Cruise on Thomson Celebration from Newcastle.
