UK cruise passengers getting younger, says CLIA
The average age of UK and Irish cruise-goers decreased again in 2024 to 54.3 years, down from 55.1 in 2023 and 57 in 2019, according to CLIA
The findings were revealed this morning (8 May) during a breakfast briefing in London, organised by the cruise trade body, Travelzoo and marketing agency MMGY.
CLIA’s research into 2024 cruise data also showed that holidaymakers from the UK and Ireland took 2.4 million cruises last year, surpassing the previous highest total of 2.3 million in 2023.
The Mediterranean was revealed as the most popular destination among UK cruise travellers, accounting for 35 per cent of the total number of passengers last year, followed by Northern Europe (26.5 per cent) and the Caribbean (13 per cent).
Andy Harmer OBE, managing director of CLIA UK & Ireland, was upbeat about the association’s findings, saying: “Almost nothing will stop cruise”.
He continued: “Intent to cruise has never been higher and that’s down to the great work our cruise partners and onboard staff do.
“New ships are arriving in a managed way and that allows us, year-on-year, to increase capacity and appeal to people cruising for the first time.”
The CLIA-member cruise line fleet now exceeds 310 ocean-going vessels, with overall capacity increasing by 3.4 per cent across the year.
Harmer also underlined the fact that warm weather expedition destinations, such as Kimberley and Asia, are growing in popularity, while short cruises out of Southampton to Northern Europe are continuing to attract the new-to-cruise market.
Harmer added: “With an increasingly younger demographic onboard and more ships in the global fleet, the future of cruising has never looked brighter.
“The wider benefits the industry delivers to local economies, suppliers and communities highlight the positive impact cruising has on a global scale.”
A recent study from online cruise specialist seascanner.co.uk found that the next generation of cruisers are basing their booking decisions on destination and value for money.
