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All Cruise Newsletters
CruiseCompete Currents
Cruise News and Information
April 3, 2006
Statistics Prove Cruising is Safe...
Despite a rash of recent negative news coverage, cruise travel remains one of the safest
vacation options available, according to data provided by the International Council of
Cruise Lines and independently reviewed by nationally known criminologist Professor James
Fox for Congress. From 2003-2005, more than 31 million people worldwide went on cruises,
with a total of 206 complaints from passengers and crew. Fox said no place - on land or sea
- is totally safe and the number of reported incidents of serious crime on cruise ships is
extremely low, no matter what standard is used - validating the industry's commitment to the
safety and security of its guests.
..but Bad Publicity = Great Deals.
Overall cruise bookings are down this year vs. last year despite an increase in industry
capacity--due in part to lots of bad publicity. As the cruise lines' number one priority
is filling every cabin on every ship, that will mean aggressive price cutting and great deals
for consumers. The slow-down has hit most destinations and just about every line (Princess and
Costa seem to be exceptions). Alaska and the Mediterranean are soft, but it's the Caribbean in
the fall that seems to be the furthest behind schedule. As Royal Caribbean has received the
brunt of the bad press, look for some incredible deals on their mega-ships in September and October.
Kids Rank Cruises Tops
According to a recent National Geographic Kids magazine survey, cruising ranks as the No. 1 vacation
option among children. 401 kids ages 8-14 were asked to identify their most popular vacation choice
and 35 percent said a cruise was the "perfect summer trip". Other favorites included trips to the
beach and amusement parks (17 percent), big cities (5 percent), lakes (3 percent) and summer camp
(2 percent). The Cruise Line International Association says more than one million children under
the age of 18 took cruises with their families in 2004, with the number rising.
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