Cruise Trips Boost Economy

As communication becomes more intricate, so does the use of transportation, including ocean-line cruises. And according to the 2006 surveys by Cruise Lines International Association or the CLIA Report, the business of travel cruises is for the better.

Travel efficiency has come a long way by means of water transportation as shown in the courtesy photo of the U.S. Badger near the coast of Hawaii to the modern-day cruise ships, some with as many as seven layers of rooms, quarters, or accommodations above deck level.

The top ten U.S. cruise ports by number of embarkations in 2006 included Miami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Galveston, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa, Long Beach, Seattle and Honolulu. Some very good rates were to Mexico and the Bahamas; for a longer vacation and time to really set sail still at good rates are trips to Alaska or transatlantic cruises. Port departures increased trips eventually accounting for 75 percent of the embarkation world wide. Of all cruise line passengers world wide, the U.S. accounted for 78 percent.

Currently, charterers are finding an average stay for one to two nights at port is averaging $289 for each person. This is not required, most passengers stay on board while the ship is docked, and its about 40 percent of the passengers who opt to stay in town for a night or two.

The cruise lines industry generated approximately $35.7-billion in gross output, supporting 348,000 jobs earning a total of $14.7-billion in wages according to the CLIA report and BREA economic advisers. It meant a spending increase of 10 percent impacting all 50 states including its direct impact at ports. Some of the larger contributors included purchases by the cruise lines for food and beverage, equipment, business and port services, maintenance and repair as well as the purchases by crew and passengers related to cruising, airfare and lodging, and a very important item of fuel. The industry increase from 2006 to 2007 at 7 percent equates to $20.6-billion in revenue.

To meet the demand the cruise industry commissioned 151 more cruise vessels. Even with the increase, the occupancy rate on the ships was still at 104 percent.

From visiting websites and tallying rates of travel, cruises from port to port in North America begin at $99, transatlantic cruises start in the $800 range.

Shipyards have made progress by leaps and bounds in the making of ships including stable structure, faster movement and fuel efficiency, luxury accommodations, and on-board entertainment. This facet of industry has created enough of a boost to encourage cruise line employment as a possibility worth looking into.