According to popular cruise reviews and news site CruiseCritic.co.uk, the cruise industry stayed buoyant in 2009, due to cruise lines' willingness to slash prices - and the fact that the British love a good bargain, and similar trends are expected to attract record numbers in 2010."As the economy crumbled, the cruise lines adopted a fearless attitude toward discounting, and the resulting deals proved irresistible," said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of Cruise Critic. "Prices won't stay low forever, but the perks should remain as the competition to fill cabins continues. Look out for a host of new ships, more celebs at sea and the demise of controversial tipping policies."
According to the Passenger Shipping Association, more than 1.5 million people in Britain took a cruise in 2009 and despite the tough economy, this figure is expected to increase 6.5% in 2010.
So what's next for cruising? CruiseCritic.co.uk takes a look at what's on the horizon for cruisers in 2010.
2010: What to Watch for
- Value, Not Just Price - The deals will continue, but the exceptional offers of recent months will eventually dry up as the economy improves. So, holidaymakers are advised to book when they see a deal, rather than wait. Look for complimentary upgrades and onboard credit, free flights and other perks. New and refurbished ships often include new features and facilities, adding to the value of the cruise.
- Hot New Ships - Norwegian Epic tops the list and will debut in July as the largest-ever NCL ship. It will feature an aqua park, an array of restaurants (but no main dining room), a circus- and acrobatics-themed dinner show, a dueling piano bar, an ice bar and New Wave cabins with curved walls and split baths. It is definitely the ship to watch in 2010. We are also excited about Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and P&O's Azura.
- More New(ish) Ships - Otherwise, most of the ships debuting in 2010 year are sisters to previous ships. Costa Deliziosa, Celebrity Eclipse, Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam, Seabourn Sojourn and Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas are all twins (or nearly so) of existing ships (namely, Costa Luminosa, Celebrity Solstice, HAL's Eurodam, Seabourn Odyssey and RCI's Oasis of the Seas, respectively).
- Headline Acts - Look for theme cruises being hosted by more big-name stars - like previous headliners John Mayer, the Barenaked Ladies and Lynyrd Skynyrd - instead of featuring B-list celebrities and has-been sports stars. Plus, cruises will focus on the hottest trends, like the Twilight Cruise in August 2010. Be prepared to book early, though, as the hottest theme cruises are guaranteed to sell out far in advance - the 2009 New Kids on the Block cruise sold out in minutes.
- New Cabin Designs - Check out the cabins in this year's new-builds. Norwegian Epic is launching the New Wave cabin concept, featuring curved walls and a new bathroom concept with the shower stall, toilet area and vanity split up into three different entities. New, 100-square-foot studio cabins will offer mood lighting and access to an exclusive two-floor lounge, while the line's spa cabins take that trend to new heights by placing in-room whirlpools in eight of the staterooms. P&O's Azura will have 18 single cabins (a first for the line) and a pair of large suites, ideal for families or groups of friends.
- Tips - Unpopular with many U.K. cruisers, tipping polices - which often include compulsory gratuities - are changing. Royal Caribbean is reviewing its gratuities procedures, and P&O Australia recently announced that, starting with the line's October 2010 departures, gratuities will no longer be automatically added to passengers' onboard bills, leaving guests to tip -or not- at their own discretion. On the luxury side, Azamara is abolishing gratuities for housekeeping and dining as part of its more-inclusive policy.