Upwards of 2.6 Million Cruised During Third Quarter

December 4, 2003

Upwards of 2.6 Million Cruised During Third Quarter
December 4, 2003 – According to TW Crossroads, the Cruise Lines International Association reported that more than 2.6 million people took a cruise during the third quarter. If those number continue nearly 10 million North Americans will cruise this year. The third-quarter figures reflect an 8.92 percent increase over the same period last year.

CLIA, which gathered the numbers from its 24 member lines, more than 2.1 million of the third-quarter cruisers were from North America. CLIA said it expects 8.3 million North Americans to cruise during 2003.

CLIA executive director Bob Sharak reported that 12 new ships are slated for introduction in 2004, capping a five-year boom in ship deliveries. While 2004 won’t set any records for the number of ships delivered, it will set a record for the number of berths introduced into the market — nearly 26,400 new cruise beds will be on the market by the end of 2004. For more information, visit http://www.twcrossroads.com/news/newswrapper.asp?ArticleID=40609.