The cruise industry’s comeback has seen demand for new boats soar.
Shipyards have taken requests for around 70 new vessels to be built by 2036, which is predicted to add a staggering 170,000 berths to the global fleet.
Many travellers are choosing a cruise when choosing where to go on holiday, as the demand for ever-longer world trips is on the rise.
Vessels are embarking on month-long tours, some lasting for years. Royal Caribbean cruises saw passengers eagerly hop aboard its nine-month journey with Villa Vie Odyssey, which is currently on its three-and-a-half-year world cruise.
With longer trips garnering popularity, cruise bosses predict that people will eventually live on the boats.
Azamara Cruises’ chief executive Dondra Ritzenthaler told the Telegraph: “I think that by 2034, there will be people who sell their homes and live on cruise ships, perhaps living on one for three months and then flying to another.
“I could see this becoming a permanent lifestyle for people.”
Ms Ritzenthaler’s prediction is already in the mix of becoming a reality as Virgin Voyages launched the first-ever annual cruise pass. With a hefty price tag of £96,000 ($120,000), passengers can travel “anytime, anywhere” for 12 months.
The demand is seeing calls for bigger cruise lines as the largest of ships only carry up to 7,600 people. Boats this size are becoming more mainstream as the want for larger vessels has been fuelled partly by the younger cruising crowd.
Managing director of Cruise.co.uk Tony Andrews says the average age of his company’s customers has plummeted over the past five years.
“Our average passenger age has come down by 11 years to 55 since 2019,” he tells the Telegraph. “We expect this to drop further as cruising becomes increasingly mainstream and cruise lines introduce even more innovations on their ships and itineraries that are tailored to new demographics.”
Cruise giants with endless onboard activities could see more excursions to nowhere as the need to hop off the boat has dwindled.
Mr Andrew adds: “There are limitations due to restrictions of access at ports, and the market is limited as these ships do not appeal to everyone, but we could still potentially see a 10,000-passenger ship in the next decade.
“Beyond that, we could see floating cities holding many more people, with mini-ships taking passengers into ports or on short cruises.”
