Fiction – I am sure you have all heard the saying, “Cruises are for the Newly Wed or Nearly Dead”. While it is true that at one time cruise vacations catered exclusively to the wealthy and retired, those days are long gone. The cruise industry now realizes the best opportunity for sustained growth is by marketing to families.
One thing I have found is demographic statistics can vary depending on the source, but approximately one-third of cruisers lie between the ages of 25-39. There is also an increasing number of children and teenagers on cruises of seven days or less, cruises of that length account for nearly 90% of all cruises booked. Most cruise lines have extensive camp-like children’s facilities, babysitting services and several have nightclubs that cater exclusively to teenagers. The idea that today’s junior cruisers are tomorrow’s buyers has transformed everything, for the better.
Almost 90 percent of cruises booked are seven days or less which is ideal for a family vacation, a short “let your hair down cruise” or a romantic getaway. The number of retirees and honeymooners on cruises longer than 7 days is significantly higher than on shorter trips (for obvious reasons) but those cruises account for just over 10 percent of all cruises taken. Short cruises down to the Caribbean or Mexico are especially popular with younger people who want to get away and party for a few days. While seven day cruises are the perfect length for a family vacation or for those of us still working to have a relaxing getaway.
In my experiences, today’s cruise ships are so large and over so many different forms of entertainment, it is impossible to attempt to place a generic label on who cruises. Furthermore, if you believe (as I do) that you are only as old as you feel than the age of your fellow cruisers shouldn’t matter. Personally I have great memories of partying in Aruba with people in their seventies and not so great memories of being seated with a couple in their late 20’s that did nothing but talk about which anti-anxiety medications they were on. My advice to you is to not judge a book by its cover. Never forgot, no matter how worn the cover, the reason you read a book is for the story that lies inside.
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