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Interest in Europe and China drives cruise growth for 2015

Mounting popularity for specialty dining and onboard entertainment means booking early is critical. The biggest gains among European river cruise destinations have been charted for Passau, Germany, and Lyon, France, while the Top 5 list for river cruises outside of Europe includes destinations in China, Vietnam and Myanmar.

PLYMOUTH, MINN. – Cruise Holidays International released its authoritative 2015 Cruise Trends report. While the Caribbean continues to lead – due, in part, to an ever-expanding selection of closer-to-home cruise ports that appeal to a wide range of travelers – demand for cruises in two other far-flung markets, Europe and China, continues to grow both for deep water and river cruising. The biggest gains among European river cruise destinations have been charted for Passau, Germany, and Lyon, France, while the Top 5 list for river cruises outside of Europe includes destinations in China, Vietnam and Myanmar. The Cruise Holidays Cruise Trends report is an annual, in-depth look at actual cruise bookings made for the year ahead by its network of more than 1,300 cruise-focused travel agents across the United States and Canada.

“It’s no surprise that the Caribbean maintains a dominant presence in cruising, thanks to its year-round pleasant weather, a plentiful inventory of cruise ships, affordability, and its geographical convenience,” said Kevin Weisner, Senior Vice President of Sales for Vacation.com, North America’s largest travel agency marketing organization, of which Cruise Holidays is a part. “But what’s especially attractive to a growing number of travelers is how the cruise industry is adapting to their desires to visit Europe, be it coastal or inland. Both deep water and river cruising have emerged as complementary – not competing – forces in travel,” said Weisner. Indeed, some traditional open water cruise lines are packaging their itineraries with river cruise trips.

Top 10 Cruise Destinations
Here are the Top 10 cruise destinations for 2015, according to Cruise Holidays travel agents across North America:

Rank

Destination

% of 2015
Bookings

2014
Rank

2013
Rank

1

Caribbean (includes the Bahamas)

50.5

1

1

2

Europe Ocean Cruises (includes Med, Baltic, Scandinavia & Greek Isles)

12.0

2

2

3

Alaska

7.8

3

3

4

European Rivers

6.7

4

N/A

5

Bermuda

4.2

5

4

6

Trans-Atlantic

3.2

7

6 (tie)

7

Panama Canal

2.6

6

6 (tie)

8

China/Japan/Southeast Asia

2.4

15

12

9

Hawaiian Islands

2.2

8

5

10

South Pacific (includes Australia & New Zealand)

1.7

9

8

Top 10 River Cruise Destinations
Due to river cruising’s skyrocketing popularity, Cruise Holidays’ data also revealed the top river cruise destinations:

Rank

Destination/Itinerary

% of 2015 River
Cruise Bookings

2014
Rank

1

Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“Windmills & Tulips”
Rhine (7-day), Dutch waterways (if roundtrip), some Mosel,
Rhine/Main/Danube (14-day)

41.2%

1

 

2

Budapest, Hungary
“Grand Tour”**

Danube (7-day), Rhine/Main/Danube (14-day)

36.6%

2

3

Basel, Switzerland
“Rhine River Valley”

Rhine

17.3%

4

4

Paris, France
“Normandy”

Seine (7-day), Rhone (8-10 day),
Seine/Rhone (14-day)

15.9%

3

5 (tie)

Prague, Czech Republic
Main/Danube, some Elbe

8.0%

8

5 (tie)

Nuremberg, Germany
Main/Danube

8.0%

5

7

Avignon, France
“Provence”

Rhone (7-day), Seine/Rhone (14-day)

7.4%

6

8

Porto, Portugal
“Douro River Valley”

Douro

6.3%

9

9

Passau, Germany
Danube, connect to Main

4.6%

14

10

Lyon, France
Rhone, Saône

4.2%

13

Passau, on Germany’s border with Austria, jumped into the top 10 thanks to increasing interest in exploring the Danube as it flows through the heart of Central Europe. Lyon, France, also climbed into the top 10, showcasing travelers’ growing desire to visit the scenic heart of France and taste its world-class cuisine and sample its iconic wines.

Top 5 River Cruise Destinations Outside Europe

Rank

Destination/Itinerary

% of 2015 River
Cruise Bookings

2014
Rank

1 (tie)

Beijing, China

2.35%

2

1 (tie)

Shanghai, China

2.35%

3

3

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

1.6%

1

4 (tie)

Mandalay, Myanmar

1.5%

N/A

4 (tie)

Pyay, Myanmar

1.5%

N/A

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