Increased Demand for European Cruises

It’s the time of year when would be travellers are planning and booking their holidays for the year and it’s not surprising to see an increase in travel ads, all beckoning you to drop down tools because you’d have so much more fun when you’re on holiday.  What’s surprising though is that some people have actually started booking their 2009 cruising holiday.  I did mention a while back that European river cruises have exploded in popularity and it appears that the ocean cruises are doing just as well.  European cruises are in great demand and the major cruise liners have already started to release their summer 2009 schedules.  The cruising community are prepared to book up to two years in advance in order to secure the cabin of their choice and within their price budget.  Of course booking early also rewards you with the early bird discounts, which can amount to a quite substantial sum of money, which is better off in your pocket for additional shopping budget.  I just spotted an ad by Trafalgar trying to entice customers to book for their 2009 river cruise with a promise of 25% discount if you book and pay by May 2007.

The major cruise liners like the P & O, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are all gearing up for the increase in demand and basing a larger number of boats in Europe.  I must admit that I’m not a fan of ocean cruises, but there are some who absolutely love it.  I once met a lady who was in her mid-forties and she told me that she’d been on about 15 of these cruises.  I thought she would have visited some really exotic places, however she told me that she and a group of friends are happy to do the same Pacific cruise every year.  She, and her friends, love the relaxed mood on a cruise and you actually can choose to do nothing, apart from checking in for meals!