Cruising: The Floating Economy

.....R CRUISING the Floating ECONOMY CRUISE SHIPS ARE TITANS OF THE VACATION INDUSTRY. These massive boats holding thousands of vacationers sail the world over every day. In 2011 alone, over 19 million people took a cruise, totaling over $29 billion in business. But surprisingly, less than a quarter of Americans have set foot on a cruise ship. Let's consider the sensational scale of the cruising world and how to save on your own cruise getaway. THE SHIP: "YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER BOAT." Owned by #ROYAL H ČARIBBEAN, ALLURE & DASIS Oasis and its sister ship, Allure of the Seas, are the TWO LARGEST CRUISE SHIPS IN THE WORLD. $1.4 BILLION The Oasis cost to build and features: 24 restaurants 3,300 MI of electric cable. 26 kitchens 18 robots that wash Enough to windows spread across every day. the entire U.S. .......... ..................................... In a week, the Oasis 1,250 goes through security cameras 20 GALLONS on board. of maraschino cherries & 30% 2,500 DOSES of all the security of meclizine cameras in lower for sea sickness. Manhattan. ĐisNEp (RUISE LINE. receive more than 500,000 guests annually. .................... A 3-day Disney The weight of a Disney cruise will use ship's anchor equals enough towels 3 adult elephants. to dry off every swimmer in the Olympics. Every 7 days, guests on a Disney cruise eat: 1,000 pounds of lobster tails 5,000 pounds of beef 10,000 pounds of chicken THE DESTINATION: LAND HO! THE CARIBBEAN consistently ranks as the #1 cruise destination, making up more than 40% of trips. After the Caribbean, the most popular cruise destinations are: MEDITERRANEAN THE REST OF EUROPE ALASKA THE BAHAMAS /2 of all passengers on major cruise lines depart from these Florida ports: PORT CANAVERAL FORT LAUDERDALE MIAMI But the most popular cruise port in the world is St. Thomas, ST. THOMAS U.S. Virgin Islands. 3 THE GUEST: AN AVERAGE CRUISER The average cruiser is More than 85% 50 YRS OLD are married Has a household income of 7/10 $109,000 have a college degree In 2008, a cruise goer typically spent $220/DAY onboard the ship. Per passenger, a cruise line spends about $7/DAY on food. 24% 1000 Only 24% of Americans have ever been on a cruise! THE SERIOUS STUFF: SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT With the tragic sinking of the Concordia, the cruise industry is now doing everything possible to insure that PASSENGER SAFETY IS ALWAYS A SHIP'S TOP PRIORITY. All cruises now run "MANDATORY MUSTER" drills for guests before departing. These drills cover safety protocols and emergency evacuation procedures. An average ship has enough life boats, rafts, and CLIA preservers for every person on board. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is using independent experts to UPDATE ALL SAFETY STANDARDS. (The CLIA will share its best practices and policies with the entire industry.) CRUISE LINES ARE ALSO DRASTICALLY REVAMPING THEIR GREEN EFFORTS. Holland America Line Holland America now has green cleaning supplies, low-flow showers, and environmental officers on every ship. Celebrity The Solstice, by Celebrity Cruises, has solar panels powering all lights and elevators and a filtration system that nearly purifies all wastewater. DiSNep (RUISE LINE. Disney cruises use excess heat to convert seawater into potable water and leftover cooking oil to power heavy machinery. THE BOOKING: SAVE BEFORE YOU SET SAIL Avoid packages that include airfare to the port. Booking your own flight is often cheaper. Find ports closer to you. More and more ports are now docking cruise ships. 3 Keep track of your drinking and gambling expenses. Use the ship's phones and internet sparingly. 4 Rates are typically steep. INDIVIDUAL Booking private tours beforehand can TOUR 5 be cheaper than taking the boat's tours. And always pay attention to your 6 running balance on the ship! THE DATE: TIMING IS EVERYTHING Booking a trip during the offseason makes cruising much more affordable! CHEAPER ALASKAN CRUISES IN MAY AND SEPTEMBER. MAY SEPT Temperatures are cooler, usually in the 50's and 60's. CHEAPER CARIBBEAN CRUISES FROM LATE APRIL-MAY AND SEPTEMBER-JANUARY. Pay attention to the APR-MAY SEP-JAN June-November hurricane season! CHEAPER HAWAIIAN CRUISES IN LATE NOVEMBER, FEBRUARY, AND MAY. NOV FEB MAY January is the wettest time of year in Hawaii. CHEAPER MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES FROM SEPTEMBER-FEBRUARY. SEPT-FEB Temperatures are cooler but comfortable. Year-round mega boats are much less crowded. The cruise ship is truly a modern wonder. The epic proportions, the global site seeing, and the endless dining and activities make for an incomparable vacation experience. From 1990 to today, the cruise industry has had an average annual growth of 7.38%. Such consistency proves that cruises will be taking to the high seas in style for years to come. GET ON BOARD! 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