The cruise industry is in a period of record growth. Nearly
every line is building new ships - and counting on new-to-cruise travelers to
fill those cabins. As cruise industry marketers work to bring that wish to
fruition, data from a recent report provides valuable insight to steer their
strategies.
According to MMGY Global’s 2018-2019 Portrait of American
Travelers study, which surveyed nearly 3,000 adults in the United States who have taken at least
one trip over the past 12 months, millennials are showing the most interest in cruising
compared to other generations. Fifty-six percent of millennials, defined in the
survey as those born after 1979, say they are interested in taking a cruise in
the next two years.
That puts them ahead of the category typically thought of as
the target cruise audience - what the survey calls “matures,” defined as those
born before 1946 - and several percentage points ahead of Generation X
travelers and baby boomers.
Comparatively, in MMGY’s
2014 report, only 40% of millennials said they wanted to cruise in the next two years.
“Our numbers show the millennial segment having the most growth in spending power overall in travel, even above and beyond these other segments - the
Xers, the boomers and the matures. That’s not specific to cruise, but it shows
the opportunity,” says Rebekah Bell, director of strategy and accounts for MMGY
Global, which also provides marketing services to Princess Cruises and Cunard
Line.
“This is the audience that is not the 18-year-old in your
basement. This is an audience that is in their thirties, maybe has a family,
has full buying power.”
Subscribe to our newsletter below
Reaching this audience, says Bell, requires thinking about
how they consume media and creating more rich content, more social media engagement
and using alternative channels such as podcasts.
As an example, Bell points to Cunard’s recent partnership
with British Vogue, aimed at highlighting the line’s annual transatlantic
fashion cruise.
“Vogue being the powerhouse that it is produced a lot of
content for them and promoted it in the social media space,” Bell says. “That
allowed Cunard to open their following of slighter older audiences to
potentially a millennial audience or younger people interested in fashion. That’s
a really smart move.”
What matters most
Along with demographic shifts, MMGY found the features that
influence travelers to purchase a cruise have changed in the past few years.
You are not just going to be able to promote your destinations or your excursions.
Rebekah Bell - MMGY Global
In the 2015 report, the first year MMGY began measuring this
category, the most influential factor across all age categories was “ports of
call/available itineraries.”
But in the latest report, cabin quality and quality of food
onboard tied for first as the most influential features, with ports of
call/available itineraries third on the list.
“People are cruising for different reasons,” Bell says.
“I also think it’s reflecting the myriad of information that
is available to the traveler. They want to make sure everything is right.”
The message for cruise lines: the onboard experience is critical.
And that means marketing content needs to showcase things such as food,
entertainment and cabin features.
“You are not just going to be able to promote your
destinations or your excursions,” she says.
Where to go
Regarding destinations, MMGY found clear generational
preferences.
The Caribbean is still the top destination overall, but when
the data is segmented by age, mature travelers pick Europe as their top choice
followed by the Mediterranean.
Bell says this is reflective of the “generational cycling”
that is happening in the cruise industry. When those mature travelers were
younger and newer to cruise, they too likely picked the Caribbean, whereas now
they have “been there, done that,” says Bell, and so they seek cruises to more
unique ports of call.
While most cruise inventory is in the Caribbean - suitable
for attracting those millennial travelers - brands that want to target more
mature travelers should market their unique itineraries and destinations to
catch their attention.