CLIA Predicts Record Passenger Numbers for 2008

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), in its annual report on the status of the cruise industry, predicted a record year for 2008, with member lines projected to carry 12.8 million passengers. Of the total, 10.5 million passengers will originate from North America and 2.3 million from international markets.

CLIA also released third quarter 2007 passenger carrying results and fourth quarter estimates, which revealed that member cruise lines are anticipated to have carried 12.6 million worldwide passengers last year, a 4.6 percent increase over the 12.01 million carried in 2006.

Included in that forecast are 10.33 million North Americans in 2007, compared with 10.08 million the previous year. Cruise lines also maintained their high utilization rates, posting a collective occupancy factor of over 105 percent in 2007.

CLIA said eight new ships and two redeployed vessels will join the CLIA fleet in 2008, representing a total increase in berths of 23,275. Taking into account the timing of ship introductions and deletions throughout the year, the actual annual increase in available net bed days –and passenger growth- is projected to be a moderate 1.6 percent. Based on the known 35 new ships that CLIA member lines will introduce from 2008 to 2012, the CLIA fleet will have a 29 percent increase in capacity from 2007.

Early reports from CLIA member travel agents on this year’s Wave Season, the January-February period traditionally known as the heaviest booking period of the year, shows that 90 percent of agents expect as good or better annual sales results as 2007, 60 percent of agents expect 2008 to be better than 2007, and 20 percent expect it will be their best year ever overall for cruise bookings.

Roughly 35 percent of respondents expect Wave Season to be their highest volume booking period although 32 percent reported that their cruise sales are generally consistent throughout the year.