4 Takeaways from CLIA’s 2021 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook

Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) recently released the “2021 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook” and you may be wondering what they could actually be reporting on, since 2020 through early 2021 was not an active time for cruise lines. CLIA members actually voluntarily suspended cruise passenger sailings worldwide in mid-March 2020. But the behind-the-scenes work kept going, as cruise lines took steps to improve their health and safety protocols, develop new itineraries and make more plans for the future. Here are four things you should know about the future of cruise based on CLIA’s report.

1. Sustainability is a major focus for cruising. Cruise lines need healthy oceans and rivers for them to even exist, so it’s a no-brainer that cruise lines would focus on sustainability and minimizing their environmental impact. CLIA members have invested $23.5 billion in new ships with “new technologies and cleaner fuels to reduce carbon emissions.”
2. 24 new ships will be powered by liquid natural gas. This is another win for sustainability. CLIA reports that their members have 24 new ships arriving that will be powered by liquid natural gas, which emits virtually no sulfur emissions and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by almost 20%. The ships are on order through 2027.
3. 2 out of 3 cruisers are willing to cruise within a year. In December 2020, CLIA executed a survey of 4,000 vacationers and found that not only are 66% wiling to cruise again very soon, 58% of the vacationers they surveyed who have never cruised are likely to cruise in the next few years. What an opportunity for travel advisors to tap into!
4. Apps are the future. CLIA’s report says that cruise lines are incorporating the use of apps into almost every onboard experience. From messaging each other onboard to making dining and spa reservations to following step-by-step directions to their stateroom, cruise lines’ apps are more robust than ever.