Record bookings have been reported during wave season in the first months of the year
With the summer approaching, recently released internet search numbers on cruise lines show that the interest in taking a cruise is peaking significantly.
According to a press statement made by research and analytics company Similarweb, record bookings have been reported during wave season in the first months of the year attributing to a solid start and zero signs of slowdown. The rapidly expanding cruise reservations come as a welcome change as the tremendous surge is generally followed by a slowdown.
Following the successful relaunch of the sector in 2021–2022, a survey on Similarweb reveals a sharp increase in cruise-related web searches. The cruise industry will probably surpass its 2019 visitor records thanks to record occupancy rates already being recorded and rising interest. According to the survey, there has been a 15.6 pc overall rise in the number of visitors to cruise company websites this year.
The cruise industry’s titan players, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, reported an increase too. Carnival received 14.4 million visits, a 5.9 pc increase compared to last year. Royal Caribbean recorded a 4.5 pc increase from the previous year, with 13.6 million visits, says the press statement.
With an astounding 104.8 pc increase in website views over the previous year, even the newest entry in the market, Virgin Voyages, is experiencing record numbers, it says. The company received 2.2 million visits to its website in May alone, up 20 pc over April. Established brands Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, both reported promising results. From the previous year, there was a 36.8 pc increase in visitors to Celebrity Cruises, totaling 5 million. 8.9 million passengers visited Norwegian Cruise Lines, a 33 pc increase, adds the survey.
A further significant takeaway is that more people are looking for cruise lines by name while conducting web searches, which is a sign of rising popularity. Virgin Voyages led the pack with a 56 pc increase in name-specific searches, followed by Norwegian and Celebrity, which saw an increase of 26.8 pc and 23.6 pc, respectively.
On the other hand, both Carnival and Royal Caribbean reported fewer people searching for them by name over the last year. Certain cruise lines are getting more website visits because they are becoming more well-known and liked, possibly thanks to successful advertising campaigns or, as is the case with Virgin, rave reviews, says Similarweb.
The study says that the surge for the smaller players indicates genuine interest in the brands, despite the fact that cruise lines heavily invest in bought traffic through marketing campaigns and advertisements. Following a significant marketing effort for Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean spent the most on advertisements in May, even if the growth in traffic has somewhat decreased. Virgin Voyages, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises follow rather distantly.
It adds that Carnival and Royal Caribbean remain dominant players despite recording fewer website visits compared to previous months while the impressive growth of Virgin Voyages, Celebrity, and Norwegian Cruise Line signifies a shift in the industry, showcasing their successful marketing efforts, robust cruise offerings, and hype around new ships such as Celebrity Apex, three ships for Virgin Voyages, and Norwegian Prima.
