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CRUISE LINE MARKET SEGMENTATION
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The cruise industry is segmented into four types of cruises based on certain characteristics that define the on-board lifestyle and overall vacation experience.
The First-Class cruise lines, (also known as the mass market lines), and the Premium cruise lines are resort-style vacations offering a broad base of services, destinations and amenities that are affordable to most travelers.
Over the past few years these lines have mimicked one another’s successes so much that the two segments have merged in their “mass-clusivity” to create a large contemporary segment of the cruise market.
But there are still some definite differences as outlined below. It is best to focus on your client’s lifestyle when making recommendations rather than using the price or your client’s age as deciding factors.
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First Class Cruise Lines
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Premium Cruise Lines
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Carnival Cruise Line
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Celebrity Cruises
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Costa Cruise Line
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Holland America Line
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Disney Cruise Line
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Oceania Cruises
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Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
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Princess Cruises
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Norwegian Cruise Line
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Royal Caribbean International
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General Characteristics
Large ships
Pax capacity 2000-3500 people
Small cabins
Good food
Family friendly
Fitness/Sports-oriented
3-7 night itineraries
3-4 star service
Price point $-$$$
Key Word: Quantity
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General Characteristics
Medium-sized Ships
Pax capacity 1500-2000 people
Large cabins
Fine dining
Family friendly, but more adult-oriented
Spa-oriented
7-14 night itineraries
4-5 star service
Price point $$-$$$
Key Word: Quality
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CRUISE LINE MARKET SEGMENTATION
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All cruise lines provide a level of luxury, but a true luxury cruise is defined by the highest levels of quality and personalized service. Luxury cruisers are discerning travelers who desire the best of everything. Expensive when compared to the rest of the industry, luxury lines deliver great value by offering more inclusive pricing than other cruise lines and opportunities to travel to exotic destinations. They are also often surprisingly informal.
Each of the Speciality cruise lines focus on a destination niche or a special style of cruising including expedition-style cruises, sailing ships and a growing number of river cruises. The Speciality lines all offer a unique experience that guests find educational and adventurous, and may take them to some of the world’s most remote and unspoiled places.
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Luxury Cruise Lines
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Speciality Cruise Lines
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Crystal Cruises
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Amadeus Waterways
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Cunard Line
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Cruise West
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises
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Delta Queen Steamboat Co.
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Seabourn (The Yachts of)
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Discovery World Cruises
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Sea Dream Yacht Club
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Norwegian Coastal Voyages
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Silversea Cruises
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Orient Line
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Peter Deilmann
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Star Clippers
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Uniworld
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Viking River Cruises
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Windjammer Barefoot Cruises
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Windstar Cruises
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General Characteristics
Small Ships
Pax capacity 300-800 people
Huge cabins or all suites
Gourmet cuisine
Not family-friendly
Spa-oriented
10+ night itineraries
5-6 star service
Price point $$$$$
Key Word: Exclusivity
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General Characteristics
Very Small ships
Passenger capacity 100-300 people
Mixed cabin accommodations
Mixed dining options
Not suitable for most families
Few fitness or spa options
3-20 night itineraries
3-5 star service
Price point $$$$-$$$$$
Key Word: Adventure
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