Latest cruise trends are born out by Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels, with more of its members booking ocean holidays than ever before.
The company's cruise bookings for 2009 reached £1million sales a full four months ahead of previous year, and with 2010 predicted to become the biggest on record for the UK cruise industry, more members are expected to start holidaying on the ocean wave.
The buoyancy of the cruise industry has seen the introduction of new, bigger ships offering a vast range of activities, appealing to the whole family, alongside higher-end vessels sailing to exotic places and catering for a different market segment.
This diversity is attracting more and more interest and is expected to show numbers up this year from the UK cruise figure of 1.5million passengers for 2008, with a further added wave of interest for 2010.
"Average duration of cruises taken by our members is 10 nights," reports Julie Fenlon, Club La Costa Travel manager, "and the most popular destinations are the Mediterranean, River Nile and Caribbean, with also strong interest shown this year in South Africa and the Indian Ocean."
She adds: "The popularity of cruising is not surprising as there is something for everybody and every age. Inclusive pricing makes it easy to budget for and the sheer choice of destinations and types of cruise offer all sorts of possibilities."
Royal Caribbean rolls out its new giant: Oasis of the Seas this winter; it will be the world's largest cruise ship. Accommodating 5,400 passengers, her special features include a drinks bar that moves up and down, a zip line, 'Central Park' - with games and an aqua theatre - and The Boardwalk, both of which offer restaurants and shops.
This year also saw the debut of the largest river cruise ship ever built, the 416-passenger, 439-foot-long Victoria Jenna which will cruise China's Yangtze River and shows how these types of vessels are becoming increasingly stylish with more amenities.
A new move by Club La Costa is its World of Escorted Tours, for members who want to try something new but who welcome the personalised touches that the holiday company will provide. The product was launched recently with a Med Cruise scheduled for September 2010, on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, and all balcony staterooms were quickly taken.
"World of Escorted tours is a very exciting development for us," said business and product development director Lucien Le Moing, adding: "Future itineraries will be guided by our members' preferences and their sense of adventure. Escorted tours can be organised to all corners of the globe for all sorts of holidays."
