New research reveals strong agent support for cruise industry

Aurland, Norway - August 15, 2012: Celelbrity Cruises Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship sailing through the Aurlandsfjord in Norway on its way to Flåm, a popular destination for cruise ships.

Agent support for the cruise industry remains strong, despite multiple outbreaks and heavy restrictions, according to an ongoing survey series by Celebrity Cruises.

The surveys have been gathering feedback from Celebrity Cruises’ travel partners across Australia and New Zealand, and reveal that despite the ongoing challenges facing the industry, 43 per cent of agents have remained steady cruise supporters since early May 2020.

On top of this, 89 per cent of agents believe Australia-only cruises will be popular once restrictions ease, as well as New Zealand-only cruises, with 92 per cent of responders showing interest.

Once additional health and safety measures are in place, agents said their clients will opt for longer night cruises between six and eight nights.

With 84 per cent of agents believing overnight stops are important to their clients, the results indicate a positive outlook for week-long local sailings that traverse Australian ports.

Indulgence is also a priority, with 40 per cent of agents believing luxury getaways will be the most highly sought-after holidays.

This comes as Royal Caribbean Group teamed up with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to launch the Healthy Sail Panel. The team of 11 medical, public health and maritime operations specialists will develop ongoing recommendations for the industry to advance public health responses and improve safety.

The work will be shared publicly, providing a gold standard for cruise lines and other travel and leisure sectors facing similar challenges. Initial recommendations are set to be released by the end of August 2020.

The third instalment in Celebrity Cruises agent survey series launched this week and will be open until 18 August, featuring 12 questions focused on understanding and delivering what agents need and want most now and to support future business recovery.

To access the survey, click here.


Featured image source: iStock/Sjo

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