Demand for cruises on small ships jumps in wake of COVID pandemic
Is a cruise on a smaller ship the safest way to go in the era of COVID-19?
A growing number of cruise fans apparently think so, judging from the high number of bookings that are coming in for 2021 sailings at cruise lines that specialize in small ships.
In session after session this week at Seatrade Cruise Virtual, an online version of the cruise industry’s annual meetup, small-ship cruise line executives said bookings for the coming year were booming, thanks to a newfound interest in smaller vessels.
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"They're huge guys. They really are," Susan Shultz-Gelino, vice president for trade relations at small-ship specialist American Cruise Lines, said of bookings for the coming year at a press event for the brand. "I think it's the size of our ship. I think people are going to smaller, not larger, at first until (the case counts are) down and a vaccine is for sure."
Connecticut-based American Cruise Lines operates 14 small, spacious vessels along the U.S. coasts and on rivers such as the Mississippi and the Columbia. None of the ships hold more than 190 passengers.
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Also reporting strong bookings for 2021 was AmaWaterways, one of the leading river cruise lines catering to North Americans. It markets trips in Europe, Asia and Africa on 25 vessels that typically carry around 160 or fewer passengers.
"The big-ship clients are looking for smaller vessels, and that leads them onto river cruising," Gary Murphy, senior vice president of sales and co-owner of AmaWaterways, said during a press event. "They're discovering it for the first time."
Rudi Schreiner, the president and co-owner of AmaWaterways, said the company had an all-time record booking month in June. One of the line's vessels, a new ship scheduled to debut in 2021 on the Nile in Egypt, already is 70% booked for the entire year, he said.
Schreiner said AmaWaterways had opened bookings for 2022 sailings about six months ahead of schedule to meet demand.
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"There's quite a lot of demand (for 2022), and charter and group business is doing very well," he said.
Alberto Aliberti, the president of Atlas Ocean Voyages, also reported strong bookings. The start-up luxury cruise brand, which is scheduled to debut in July, will operate vessels that hold just 196 passengers.
"The booking trend has been fantastic," he said. "We had to hire a number of new people in our reservations department to handle (the surge)."
The rosy booking reports from the small-ship cruise operators jibe with recently released data from Cruise Critic, the leading online site for cruise fans. Cruise Critic said interest in luxury and river cruising had spiked to 30% of their search requests since September. That compares to 9% of search requests this past January.
Luxury and river cruise lines typically operate far smaller vessels that mass-market ocean lines.
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“Our readers are showing renewed -- and expanded -- interest in small ships, particularly luxury and river cruises," Cruise Critic editor-in-chief Colleen McDaniel told The Points Guy this week. "For many, the lure of sailing with fewer people on well-appointed ships is appealing."
McDaniel noted that a recent survey of more than 4,600 Cruise Critic readers found that 19% of them considered ship size to be a top consideration for their next cruise, and they were looking to book on a smaller ship.
Like McDaniel, the small-ship cruise line executives suggested that the idea of sailing with fewer people is appealing right now as COVID-19 remains an issue. They suggested cruisers feel less at risk from COVID-19 in an environment with small numbers of people as opposed to an environment with large numbers of people. But there also are other factors at play.
AmaWaterways' Murphy said the line's small-ship river cruises also appear to be drawing ocean cruisers who are uncomfortable with the idea of being far out at sea during the pandemic.
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"We're discovering that travelers are concerned about being quarantined out in the ocean (and) not being allowed into the destination," he said. "With river cruising, you're already within the destination itself, so that is not an issue."
Executives at one of the small-ship lines, American Cruise Lines, said they thought they also were benefiting from the desire of travelers to remain closer-to-home during the pandemic.
American Cruise Lines offers Americans easy-to-reach itineraries in places like New England, the Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River and the Pacific Northwest.
"I think that a lot of people that have cruised (in) Europe before are now looking to do something closer-to-home," Shultz-Gelino said.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.