So, who are these first-timers? Fifty-five percent (55%) of advisors converted couples into first-time cruisers,
followed by friends and family at 46% (see Chart 7). For an industry that was built on retirees, seniors now lag
behind and represent just 32% of all new cruisers, according to respondents.
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CHART 7
Description of New Cruisers
THE LIFE STAGE OF NEW CRUISERS
PROMINENT GROUP TYPES
55%
46%
41%
32%
31%
30%
23%
22%
12%
9%
2%
2%
2%
1%
Couples
Friends and family
Multi-generational famiy
Seniors
Young professional
Empty nesters
Groups
Millennials
Nuclear families
Solo travelers
Students
Corporate clients
Incentive/ conference groups
Other
CHART 8
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Nearly 60% of first-time cruisers fall between 35 and 54
years of age, whereas almost a fifth of the advisors report
that millennials are their first-time cruiser target (see
Chart 8). That shows that the first-time target audience
has shifted from seniors to millennials and pre-empty
nesters.
Only 21% are 55-plus, which is rather surpris-
ing to an industry that has made its name sailings baby
boomers for almost three decades.
And it’s going even younger! As per CLIA, Generation-Z
is set to become the largest consumer generation by the
year 2020 — outpacing even the millennials. Families
(46%) and multi-generational groups (41%) crack the door
of opportunity wide open when selling to first timers.
Overall, the trend in new cruisers is going to younger and
more active clients who value experiences over things.
The Target Age Range
WHO ARE THESE FIRST-TIME CRUISERS?
AVERAGE CLIENT AGE
21%
34%
25%
16%
4%
1%
18-24 years
25-34 years
35-44 years
45-54 years
55-64 years
65+ years
Data rounded up and may not total up to 100%