MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises have claimed record Black Friday weekend sales in the UK.
The European line reported bookings up by more than 60% over the same period last year as it made sailings available from £299.
Meanwhile, Princess Cruises reported a revenue increase of more than 30% compared to the previous best year. It started offering Black Friday deals in the UK five years ago.
MSC Cruises’ bookings spike follows the announcement of its involvement in a new cruise terminal in Southampton where MSC Magnifica will be based in 2021.
Sales director Steve Williams said: “Though the uptake took us by surprise, we know our offers provided guests with amazing deals to some of their favourite destinations and our trade partners have done a fantastic job at promoting these offers to their clients.
“Ex-UK has been the real star of the sale weekend. Our new sailings to the fjords and 14-night Mediterranean itinerary, the Canary Islands and Scandinavia all departing from our very own homeport have proven particularly popular.
“The new partnership with ABP Southampton will provide a great support to agents and help bring clients closer to their favourite destinations right from the UK’s doorstep.”
He added: “The strong uplift in bookings demonstrates to us holidaymakers desire to travel during 2021 and as we continue to see positive advancements around a number of vaccines in the UK, we expect customer confidence in travel continue to rise.
“MSC Cruises’ pioneering and robust health and safety protocol coupled with our stress free booking policy has further helped customers feel confident when booking with us.
“As we approach the Wave booking season, we are confident that guests and the trade alike will feel excited and empowered to book that much needed escape to reveal a strong booking period.”
More than 95% of Princess Cruises’ bookings were made for balcony cabins or suites with the most popular departure being an 11-night Canary Islands cruise by Regal Princess on October 12, 2021.
UK and Europe vice president Tony Roberts said: “It is fantastic to see that during an extremely turbulent year for the travel industry, Princess Cruises has achieved its biggest revenue ever during a Black Friday sale period.
“These record-breaking figures show that there is a strong desire amongst our guests to be able to sail with Princess Cruises when the time is right.
“Furthermore, we’re extremely encouraged to see that guests sailing with Princess are willing to choose premium accommodation for their holiday, demonstrating that we do not need to be reliant on offering low prices to stimulate the market.”