Ambassador Cruise Line has reported its booking revenue is up 341% year on year for the first two weeks of January – while its research shows most holidaymakers are undeterred by cost-of-living concerns.
The cruise line said it has “a healthy outlook” for both its vessels – Ambience (pictured) and Ambition, which launches in May.
Its survey of 2,000 respondents found that 94% want to book a break this year – although the research did flag up concerns, such as the expense of holidays (cited by 64%), fluctuating exchange rates (32%) and delays and last-minute flight cancellations (29%).
The poll, carried out by YouGov in December, found that almost two-thirds (60%) are planning to spend £2,500 or less on holidays in 2023, with one in three aiming to spend less than £1,000.
Respondents are most interested in the Mediterranean and UK (both 41%), followed by the Caribbean (21%) and Scandinavia (20%). The favoured holiday types are city breaks (37%), beach breaks (33%) and all-inclusives (25%).
Christian Verhounig, Ambassador Cruise Line’s chief executive, said: “Despite the challenges of the current climate, people still want to have a memorable holiday in 2023.
“However, it doesn’t surprise us that we are being more mindful when it comes to spending on holidays this year – the cost-of-living crisis and airport issues are fuelling concerns for lots of travellers.”
He said Ambassador can capitalise on concerns about costs and flight disruption thanks to its range of no-fly cruises departing from seven UK ports.
Verhounig added: “Twenty-five per cent of our forward bookings have been made by guests who have already experienced the ‘warmest welcome at sea’ with Ambassador, which is an incredible achievement after just nine months of operation.
“With nine out of 10 guests saying they would recommend Ambassador, our record-breaking start to the year suggests that guests are looking to book sooner rather than later to secure their cruise of choice, while also indicating that those who typically book with more established and higher-priced cruise companies are now looking to enjoy a truly authentic, premium-value experience with Ambassador in 2023.”