Cruise Industry Looking to Record Year in 2007

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is forecasting a year of formidable growth, with 12.62 million cruise passengers predicted to set sail in 2007, an increase of approximately one half-million guests over 2006.

The forecasted half-a-million--passenger increase represents a 4.1 percent year-over-year growth commensurate with the planned net increase in 2007 CLIA-member line capacity.

The 2007 projections are new statistics released at a press conference by CLIA. Of the 12.62 million passengers projected to cruise in 2007, more than 10.6 million are expected to originate from North America.

Also newly released are third quarter 2006 results and fourth quarter estimates, which revealed that CLIA-member cruise lines carried 12.12 million worldwide passengers last year, an 8.4 percent increase over the 11.18 million carried in 2005.

CLIA-member lines carried 10.18 million North Americans in 2006 compared with 9.67 million in 2005, and also maintained their high utilization rates, posting a whopping 104 percent increase in collective occupancy factor throughout 2006.

Bolstering the influx of travelers choosing to cruise in 2007 is the introduction of a dozen new ships –totaling 22,039 beds in all- that offer vacationers innovative onboard facilities and amenities, new worldwide itineraries and ports, and outstanding experiential enrichment programs that appeal to an ever-burgeoning and diverse portfolio of travelers.

All tolled, the increase in ship capacity translated to a steady growth in available berths, from 227,837 in 2005 to 246,759 in 2006.

CLIA member lines have invested more than $15 billion in 30 new vessels that will enter service between 2007 and the end of 2010. This translates into 73,562 more beds, a 29.8 percent increase from 2006.

Further evidence that supports a robust 2007 is positive feedback from CLIA-member travel agents, who report a strong start to the 2007 Wave Season, the January through March period that traditionally produces the heaviest cruise booking activity of the year.