seatec - Finnish marine technology review 1/2012 | Page 10

try players seems to be in work- ing order: the good citizens of the United States will not let those cruise lines go under any time soon. According to the latest consumer survey prepared for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Americans are still strongly interested in either a repeat cruise or trying one for the first time. It’s a numbers game, really: 73 million Americans have cruised before and 36.1 million, from a core target market (25+ years of age, $40,000+ household income) of 133 million, reported that they are “likely” to take a cruise vacation in the next three years. The U.S. has a total population of about 304 million. SATISFACTION LEADER The 2011 Cruise Market Profile Study also found that a significant majority of consumers – 94 percent – rate cruising as a satisfying vacation experience with 45 percent rating a cruise as “extremely satisfying,” making a cruise vacation a satisfaction leader among vacation choices. The study surveyed over 1,300 past cruisers and non-cruisers to determine vacation preferences and attitudes, plans for future vacationing, spending patterns, travel agent usage, and other topics, drawing comparisons among numerous types of vacations, including cruises. Christine Duffy, CLIA’s CEO and President, commented that the cruise industry can be optimistic about its continued growth and success in the longterm. She pointed out that CLIA member lines have had an average annual passenger growth rate of more than seven percent since 1980. In 2010, capacity increased by 8.1 percent yet CLIA member line ships continued to operate at 103.1 percent occupancy. And why do cruises stay in the game year after year, even with the competition for people’s leisurely time 8 seatec 1/2012 Photo: Meyer Werft S till, the home base of cruise indus-