Luxury cruise passengers remain resilient to political and economic instability or increases in the cost of living, a new poll reveals.
A majority (92%) say that political instability does not affect their travel plans, while 82% are phlegmatic about economic instability and 80% believe that increases in the cost of living will not hold them back, according to the poll conducted by specialist agent Mundy Cruising.
The outcome of years of Covid misery has seen a determination to travel and an eagerness to make up for lost time with bucket list trips alongside close to home indulgences, the survey found.
The Mediterranean continues to be a favourite destination, as well as European river cruising, plus local itineraries in the British Isles, Baltic and Norwegian fjords.
More exotic travel is back on the radar with more than 40% planning to prioritise once-in-a-lifetime trips including the Polar regions (9%), Japan (10%) and South America (9%).
People are also trading up, with more than 30% actively planning to travel in a higher grade of accommodation than before the pandemic and 47% looking to travel on smaller ships, with inclusive pricing becoming increasingly important.
While the summer is overwhelmingly busy, more than 38% will travel in the early part of 2023, over 50% between October next year and March 2024 and over 59% are planning ahead for summer 2024 and beyond.
Mundy clients are overwhelmingly focused on excellent service levels with 82% identifying the staff to guest ratio as somewhat or very important when choosing their ship.
But while pandemic worries are not preventing them from travelling, 80% are still looking for focused Covid-19 policies on board.
Health and wellness are also on the agenda, with 27% looking for spa and wellness facilities and 23% for healthy dining options.
But green issues appear to have slipped since last year with just 26% agreeing that this is important against 31% who disagreed.
Mundy Cruising clients trust them over their friends and family when it comes to choosing a ship or cruise line, with 53% rating their travel agent’s recommendation against 30% for family and friends.
When asked to raise other important questions, respondents indicated a high level of interest in cruising for solos.
Managing director Edwina Lonsdale said: “The best explanation for these results perhaps was given by someone who rang us up to book an Antarctic cruise at short notice.
“She said: ‘Most of my life I have probably taken travel totally for granted. The last few years have shown me that I just can’t afford to do that any longer’. That says it all.
“We are in constant contact with our clients so our survey shouldn’t really bring us any surprises.
“We can’t help but admire them, though, for their resilience in the face of the geo-political situation and their determination to grab the opportunity to travel, in style, to places they have dreamt of visiting all their lives.”
Sales and marketing director Alex Loizou added: “After such a difficult time for the cruise industry, we are delighted to see the business come storming back which such enthusiasm.”