We assess the latest market statistics to bring you the ultimate guide to selling more cruise, in the online and offline space.

Let’s start by all agreeing that cruise is one lucrative sales proposition. Industry body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australia predicted that Australian cruises would hit 1 million by 2016. That happened well ahead of schedule, in 2014.

THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Australian cruisers numbered 1,003,256 last year, which was a huge leap of 20.4% from the year before of 833,348. That equates to 10 million days at sea. “In excess of 80 per cent of cruise passengers book through a travel agent,” CLIA general manager Brett Jardine said.

“Cruising is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry so agencies which have embraced cruising are reaping the benefits.

“The Australian cruising industry is booming – the market has been growing at a rate of 20% over the last several years,” he added.

So how can travel agents capitalize on this blue water boom?

“As more and more travellers head to the water for their holidays, agents should seek to build their cruise knowledge through CLIA’s highly respected industry accreditation program, ship inspections and first hand cruise experience so that they can offer their clients the best possible service,” Jardine said.

WHERE DO THEY WANT TO GO?

These statistics are based on keyword searches per month in the Asia-Pacific region, collated by In Marketing We Trust.

It should come as no surprise that glamour girl Sydney is significantly ahead of the pack in cruise popularity. Sailing in and out of Sydney harbor would have to be a number one cruise bucket list experience.

The placement of other Australian destinations indicate a new trend for short term, short-distance cruises in Australia – but more on that later.

This possibly accounts for a decreasing interest in New Zealand, which fails to make the top 10. The CLIA reported a decline in Australian travellers to New Zealand, down 10% from 2013 to 2014.

WHAT DO POTENTIAL CLIENTS WANT?

There is a rather obvious theme in the statistics found below – everyone wants a special offer. It seems that the price is always right. 22,000 searches a month use the terms “cruise deals”.

Agency owners should use some of the keywords below to ramp up their SEO and find-ability online. Google will love you for it.

But CLIA has a slightly different take on matters. “We recommend that agents focus on positioning themselves in the market with a point of difference based on knowledge and skill rather than price to ensure they are recommending the right cruise for their client’s specific needs.”

WHICH BRANDS ARE WINNING SEARCHES?

The big cruise names are all here, along with some surprises, such as newcomer Star Cruises which comes to Australian shores this year. The fact that Cruise Sale Finder is giving huge names like MSC and RCI a run for their money confirms client’s predilection for a bargain.

Agencies can leverage this by using these keywords and brands to grow traffic to their sites.

SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO NOW?

CLIA sees short, domestic cruises as a trend for the Australian market.

Cruises of 0-4 days experienced the strongest growth in 2014.

According to In Marketing We Trust Short-term cruise searches also hold sway over long term cruises, with 57% of searches.

Long cruises are taken for an average 21 nights, but the popularity of short cruises is represented in these figures. The majority of searches are for cruises less than three days, which is a trend that has seen Carnival Cruises ramp up its short term Australian cruise offering.

Carnival’s short breaks at sea have increased for the 2016 season. “It’s a non committal way to try cruising,” Carnival Cruise Line vice president Australia Jennifer Vandekreeke said.

“We are adding a lot more shorter itineraries with seven weekend getaways leaving Thursday and Friday.” The destinations include Moreton Island, the Sunshine Coast and Tasmania.

The short cruise trend will only grow as clients change their perceptions toward cruise and start to see it as accessible as a weekender. As it stands however, most cruisers take their trips for between eight and 14 days.

WHEN ARE CRUISERS BOOKING?

“Generally speaking, when the summer season starts, we start to see bookings increase, although it is often for the following season,” Royal Caribbean Cruises’ commercial director Asia-Pacific Sean Treacy said.

“The most popular booking time is January and February when people return from there summer holidays and begin to plan their next holiday.”

“We typically have early bird promotions in place around that time which also sparks a lot of interest,” Royal Caribbean Cruises commercial director Asia-Pacific Sean Treacy said.