Cruise industry

Single Cruises

Single cruises, as the name implies, is geared for singles who are looking to to meet other singles. These cruises try to make it interesting for single travelers by providing new kinds of entertainment such as fitness classes, exotic cocktails, wacky games and a controlled environment that provides a safe dating experience.

Family Cruises

Family cruises are a part of a dream vacation where every member has some form of entertainment to look forward to. These cruises are kid-friendly and have ample safety measures in place.

Couple Cruises

Couple cruises are suited for couples who are looking for a romantic getaway, so the entertainment includes couple dances, moonlight dinners and spacious bedrooms to give them a good measure of privacy on board.

Exploration-based cruises

These cruises are geared for the adventure travelers who like to go to remote destinations such as Antarctica, Galapagos Islands or other uninhabited and sparsely populated places to give travelers a unique cultural and ecological experience.

Luxury Cruises

Luxury cruises are geared towards travelers who are looking to enjoy a high degree of luxury aboard a ship. Designer bed linens, caviar, butler services, spas, exotic cuisines are all a part of these cruises. The ratio of crew to passengers is also less to give a more personalized service to their clients. The boats, food and cook are top-class in these cruises and they are in many ways a luxurious hotel at sea.

Premium Cruises

These cruises are the ultimate in luxury for the affluent travelers who are willing to pay any price to enjoy a one of a kind vacation. Such cruises take passengers to the most exotic destinations in the world and they get to enjoy a unique culinary experience as well. Some of the well-known cruise ships depart from Florida and chart a course through sea and sea to match the preference of its travelers.

Besides knowing what each cruise offers, travelers should also stay abreast of the latest trends in the cruise industry as this will help them to make better choices which in turn means their vacations are more enjoyable and memorable. One of the most notable trend of 2012 is the increased interest in river cruises. Every major river cruise company has ordered new ships to take advantage of this growing interest and as a result, more people enjoy river cruises that are shorter than sea cruises without compromising on amenities. This additional investment and finance by river cruise companies is expected to reap rich benefits in the future.

Some river cruise line companies are offering tour packages that combine the local attraction with a nearby river cruise. A good example of such a package is the African safari and cruise on river Zambezi offered by cruise companies that operate in Africa. Such a package is more delightful and entertaining as travelers get to enjoy more than one sight and experience. Other companies are offering river cruise as an alternative to flight travel because of the increasing airline ticket prices. They offer river cruises from one port city to another to help travelers to get to their destination in a more relaxed manner, not to mention the cheaper costs. This trend of river cruise o sea has given a big boost to the cruise industry in general and it is expected to grow immensely within the next few years.

Another trend in the cruise industry's tourism management segment is the additional emphasis placed on security. Though accidents are rare, first-time cruisers are apprehensive about safety and security. To appease these first-time travelers and to attract more travelers, the cruise industry has implemented some safety measures such as providing more training for crew members in handling lifeboats. The industry has mandated all crew members to undergo training to handle and maneuver lifeboats at least once every six months to help travelers in the event of a problem with the ship. Also, the industry has appointed a panel of experts to constantly review the safety procedures and to implement new ones as and when needed, all in an effort to attract more customers to cruises.

Lastly, cruise operators are looking at hitherto overlooked ports such as Dubai to enhance the travel experience for their customers. Also, these new ports are beefing up their port infrastructure to bring in more cruise ships and travelers to their cities. Even existing destinations such as Aruba and Barbados are working on their infrastructure to keep pace with competition from newer destinations. All this is good news for the cruise industry which is expected to grow exponentially within the next few years.