| One of the most obvious changes in the international | | | | growth been fuelled by credit that's running dry? |
| holiday market of late is the boom in the numbers of | | | | In mid-2008, the body that represents the leading |
| cruise passengers. An increasing aversion to flying; | | | | cruise companies in Britain, the Passenger Shipping |
| the growth in personal wealth from rising property | | | | Association, forecast around 1.5 million Britons would |
| values; a greying population; all are factors that have | | | | take a cruise that year. They expect over 2 million |
| helped to fill newspapers' travel pages with adverts | | | | British passengers to be cruising by 2012 and point to |
| for cruises. | | | | an increasing number of affluent older people as the |
| Cruise lines now have about 40 new ships under | | | | key reason for the growth. Those figures may well |
| construction and ready to come into service by 2012. | | | | have to be revised. |
| Many of the new ships are bigger and better than | | | | The sheer number of cruise passengers has been |
| anything that has ever floated before. But is the | | | | causing problems in some ports with large cruise ships |
| boom about to go bust with this extra capacity | | | | arriving at the same time, swamping the facilities. |
| arriving just as the worldwide recession has hit | | | | Cruise visitors to Barcelona have virtually doubled in |
| travellers' finances and confidence? | | | | the past five years. Figures from MedCruise show a |
| The biggest operator is Carnival Corporation. Their | | | | rise from 398,948 in 2002 to 789,409 in 2007. |
| chairman says soaring fuel and steel costs, combined | | | | Fortunately, Barcelona, the second most popular |
| with a weak dollar, have made it virtually impossible | | | | Mediterranean port after Naples, is much better |
| to put together a new ship building project beyond | | | | placed to deal with the growth, being a large city |
| 2012 for any of the corporation's North American | | | | with good port facilities. |
| cruise brands Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess, and | | | | In contrast, the Venice Port Authority has announced |
| Holland America Line. This gloomy prophecy was | | | | plans for a new cruise ship berth costing £75 |
| made, ironically, at a press conference for the launch | | | | million. It is needed to accommodate 1,000 foot |
| of Carnival's latest ship, Carnival Splendor. | | | | monsters such as Genesis, operated by Royal |
| Carnival's biggest competitor, Royal Caribbean | | | | Caribbean, which can carry 6,000 passengers. |
| International, appears more optimistic. The company, | | | | Ship numbers and sheer ship size, have brought other |
| which includes Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and | | | | problems. Local businesses often do not benefit as |
| Azamara, has placed orders for the largest, most | | | | passengers have less time to roam around thanks to |
| expensive ships ever to be built. Yet it's hard to | | | | the longer time spent disembarking and re-embarking. |
| imagine that cruise bosses are as positive now as | | | | In addition many passengers now go on organised |
| they were when they placed the orders. | | | | pre-booked tours which means less chance of local |
| Judging by the cut-price offers now being made to | | | | shopping and fewer meals taken at local restaurants. |
| entice passengers aboard, over-capacity may already | | | | Over the next year or so these are the type of |
| be a big issue. It remains to be seen how long the | | | | concerns that cruise operators would probably love |
| current economic woes will continue and how deep | | | | to be dealing with. But filling these monster ships in a |
| the recession will become. How will cruise passengers | | | | recession might be a much bigger problem. There |
| react to all the economic bad news? Will those with | | | | could be some real bargains on the market very |
| money to spare stick with their newly acquired | | | | soon. |
| enthusiasm for cruising? Or has much of the recent | | | | |