Over 85% of baby boomers take cruises
of 12 days or more, according to Australia’s
leading cruise specialist.
An analysis by 2013 Best Travel Agency of
the Year, Adelaide’s Phil Hoffmann Travel, has
found that the vast majority of its customers
are cruising for longer than ever before.
According to the company, more than 85%
of its clients travel 12 days or longer on cruise
packages.
“While the typical cruise holiday for boomers
was previously five to 10 days, it’s now being
stretched out anywhere up to one month or
100 days,” said Peter Williams, chief executive
officer of Phil Hoffmann Travel.
“This is a result of the inclusivity of pricing
and ease of travelling that cruising provides.”
Williams added that retired people, with
both time and money on their hands,
appreciated the value of all-inclusive packages
that take care of flights, transfers, food and
entertainment.
According to Williams, the recent fall in the
Australian dollar had not weakened demand
for overseas cruises.
“Regardless of the Australian dollar, most
places in which boomers are choosing to visit
have flat economies at the moment so they’re
actually getting better travel rates,” he said.
The Mediterranean, Northern Europe and
Canada and Alaska were deemed the most
popular destinations for baby boomers, with
river cruising in Europe becoming one of the
faster growing segments on the market.
Emerging cruising destinations for the
Australian market include Panana Canal,
Hawaii, Tahiti and Antarctica.
Phil Hoffmann, the company’s managing
director, also said cruising was booming
because of the greater range of choice.
“Baby boomer travellers can now choose
between a 60-passenger ship and a
5,000-passenger ship, and there are many
more being built and coming onto the market.
It’s certainly raised the bar for what cruising is
all about.”
