Cruise Lines and Industry Highlights for 2006
January 17, 2006
Cruise Network, a proud member of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), is happy to relay some of the cruise trends and features anticipated by CLIA for 2006. And, as big as 2005 was, all signs are pointing to 2006 being even better for both the cruise lines and the cruise passengers. But with all the new ships, itineraries, and onboard features that cruise lines offer, it's a lot for a person to keep track of. Hopefully the following information will help you with your 2006 cruise plans.
CLIA, which represents 19 North American cruise lines and 17,000 travel agencies, estimates that 11 million people sailed on its member-line ships in 2005. That's a lot of margarita ordering, blackjack playing, and onboard swimming, for sure. Yet while 11 million is certainly a huge number, CLIA is expecting 2006 to be even better for both the industry and passengers. Why? Because cruise lines are making it a point to enhance their programs with new itineraries and innovative onboard features. In other words, the cruise lines are doing their darnedest to keep passengers excited about their projects.
Perhaps the latest and greatest example of cruise ship innovation has been Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. Not only is she the largest cruise ship in the world (158,000 grt), the cruise ship features groundbreaking onboard inducements such as the largest Rock Climbing Wall at sea, a huge Ice Skating Rink, the H20 Zone (a water park), and the FlowRider, which is a wave pool that allows passengers to actually surf at sea! Its inaugural sailing is June 4th. Call Cruise Network for details.
Now, we at Cruise Network have been advocating the following for a while, and CLIA's on the same page. Book your cruise early. How early? Well, as early as possible. This is one of the most important guidelines to follow for the coming year.
The era of getting great deals on last minute cruises is pretty much gone. Now, you'll find the best prices around through Cruise Network, but even our prices can be a bit higher the closer it gets to the sail date. Even with the 68 new CLIA-member ships that debuted within the last 5 years (there are many more on the way), the cruise lines are seeing their cabins fill to capacity more quickly than ever before.
Also, when you're in the planning stages of your cruise, be sure to look out for lots of brand new Caribbean and European itineraries. New ports of call, news routes, new shore excursions---2006 is definitely a new year.
Carnival Cruise Lines, for instance, is debuting six- and eight-day "exotic" Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale on its cruise ship, Carnival Liberty. The 6-day cruise takes a Western Caribbean route; the 8-day alternates between the Western and Eastern Caribbean. Also, Holland America Line---a cruise line owned by Carnival Corp.---will offer 13 sailings to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, which start in February.
For Europe, Norwegian Cruise Line's Jewel, one of NCL's newest ships, will sail in Europe for a full six months, offering a host of itineraries that are only offered on a one-time basis. (Remember the tip about booking early? This is where it would make a difference, no doubt.) Sixteen 7-Day itineraries will sail roundtrip from Barcelona, Spain, to Messina, Sicily; Naples, Rome, and Florence, Italy; and Nice, France.
There are also interesting European itineraries offered by luxury cruise lines such as Seabourn Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises. The former offers 5 seven-day cruises aboard Seabourn Legend, stopping in ports of call in Italy, Tunisia, and France; the latter as a new 14-day itinerary aboard Insignia that could be described as a greatest hits of Norway and the British Isles. One of the cruises also stops in Iceland.
Well, as you can tell, there's a lot happening in 2006. The year will likely prove to be a record one for family cruise vacations, as well as for adventure cruises, since trips to Antarctica and many ports of call that beckon people to be active are becoming more popular. It's all part and parcel of why cruising is growing at such rapid pace---it has something for everyone!
The important thing for you to remember is that you don't need to go all over the internet or rifling through the phone book to find the information and cruise deals that you want; you can get everything you need right here at www.CruiseNetwork.com or by calling our Cruise Specialists at 1-888-267-1232. Together, we can make 2006 the year that you took the best cruise ever!
