Most every segment in the Travel Industry has shown poor results since 9/11. Fear of terrorism and a lack luster economy have made people re-evaluate how they choose to vacation. Nevertheless, the Cruise industry has had the most dramatic growth in bookings in its history!

Why is everyone cruising?

Cruise vacations have always received the highest overall customer satisfaction ratings of any vacation package. Unpack once in comfortable digs, enjoy the entertainment and food for a week or ten days, and visit several different ports, all for a reasonable all-inclusive price. Cruise staff have always made an effort to make guests happy...repeat guests will always be a major source of revenue for the Cruise industry.

So what has changed to entice so many first-time cruisers?

As a New Yorker living on the upper West side of Manhattan, my hands-down favorite way to join a cruise ship is to eliminate the airport and simply take a ten minute cab ride from my home to the Manhattan Cruise Ship Terminal. Avoiding the hassle of flying is a big plus for any vacation and the Cruise industry has really gotten onboard by creating a host of new "Home Ports" around the country with more cruise ship departures than ever before. For millions of cruise vacationers, it is now possible to drive, bus, or be dropped off and picked up at the ship, not at an airport.

In the first quarter of 2003 alone, Texas produced a whopping 75% jump in the number of cruise passengers from the same period the year before. Massachusetts jumped from 66,000 passengers to over 100,000 in the same period. New York State had a 17% gain in cruise passengers in the first quarter as well. Florida had a 17% growth in the first quarter with Tampa and Port Canaveral area residents benefiting from additional cruise ship departures.

Cruises have always been an excellent value, but in 2003, the rates per person have been nothing short of astonishing! In the past, the average rate for a medium priced stateroom, on a seven-day Caribbean cruise from Florida was about $1,200 per person. If you call your travel agent today, that dollar amount will get you a comfortable outside stateroom for two! A budget inside cabin can be had for even less, making a cruise vacation affordable to an entirely new market of first-time cruisers. Even the more expensive luxury lines have been offering rates never before available. Current pricing trends have made a cruise vacation a consideration for thousands of vacationers who never felt it was an affordable vacation option. This has been hard to resist even for those cruisers who have to fly! Illinois had a 22% growth in cruise passengers during the first quarter of the year, exceeding the 20% growth rate across the board for North America in the same period.*

There is a concerted effort by the cruise industry to attract younger guests and families by offering more activities like rock climbing and ice-skating, supervised children's activities approaching "Day Camp" at sea, and more casual dining options. For most cruises you can leave your tux at home, and for many, even a tie and jacket are optional.

Every cruise line has placed more emphasis on quality, not just quantity, relative to the onboard culinary experience. Most lines have embraced "freestyle" or "personal choice" dining options allowing guests to dine when, and with whom, they choose rather than being limited to the traditional early and late seating dating back to the last century.

More cruise departures are including culinary themes that offer cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, and wine education seminars. CruiseGourmet.com will be hosting several such cruises in 2004. This trend reflects the industry's focus on dining as a key element to the overall satisfaction of the cruise vacation experience.

If you still have a sense of adventure and are willing to buck the trend toward cruising close to home, seeing the world by cruise ship is a first-class way to do it. I just returned from a Greek Island cruise from Athens to Istanbul with a group of fifty Americans. We felt safe, welcome, and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and tastes of a fascinating region of the world!

Bon Voyage and Bon Appetite,

Arie Boris, The CruiseGourmet

* Cruise Line International Association statistics for the first quarter 2003