Ambassador Cruise Line claims to be maintaining lates market prices in its busiest booking month since the turn of the year.
The two-ship line attributed its performance to a growing popularity of no-fly holiday options.
The last two weeks have seen many lates prices increasing as cruise demand continues to grow, according to the company.
Ambassador suggested it is “bucking the industry trend” by holding steady on price on several cruises – in some cases increasing these as demand outweighs supply – “rather than flooding the lates market with loss-leading deals in a bid to gain market share”.
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Passengers are looking to move from a more expensive cruise operator to enjoy a “premium value” offering as the company expands its regional departure ports to seven with the addition of Falmouth and Bristol from September.
The most popular seller in the last two weeks has been a 32-night Mediterranean sailing from London Tilbury on October 16.
Future bookings signal heightened interest in “bucket list” itineraries, such as a world cruise by the ship Ambience in January 2024, which had the best start to any cruise when going on sale, according to the line.
Chief commercial officer Phil Gardner said: “Our guests see a holiday as a necessity and not a luxury, and with many of them aged 50-plus and retired, the cost-of-living crisis is not affecting our core customer base as much as the working population.
“Whilst we continue to offer a number of fantastic deals in the market, we’re also seeing that prices can go up in the lates market now and this is a marked change from the beginning of the summer season.
“Demand for our premium value, no-fly offering remains strong despite some forecasting a difficult year, with consumer confidence slowly but surely returning to the market.”
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