Types of cruisers from Luxury to the bottom line, PRICES, FACILITIES.
Cruise ships vary in size and length from the gigantic Princess of the Seas to the smaller and more restricted ships used by Holland America and other lines. There are several famous routes operating all over the world although the most popular ones remain those in the Mediterranean and those in the Carribean. Cruises are deemed as extremely romantic and exciting to be on although the older generation also seem to take to it more. However the routes may appeal to different market segments when tackled properly.
What are the cruise brands, the famous ones by in Australia and the famous routes
There are several cruise brands which operate all over the world but there are also the major ones like P and O, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, MSC Crociere and Holland America. By far the most famous one is Royal Caribbean which operates all over the world and which is definitely the one with the most luxurious cabins and facilities, especially the food which is of an extremely high level.
Examples of operators in Australia (P&O) and international small and big operators.
Australia has a thriving cruise line market and this is consistently growing in every respect with several possibilities for the future. P and O are obviously the largest operator there and these are consistently growing in several respects with lots of potential for cruising around Australia and other countries such as New Zealand and Fiji. Other smaller operators such as Holland America also operate from the same ports of call in Australia and are rapidly spreading their wings accordingly making it a very competitive industry in every sense of the word.
Relate the demographics of each market to a particular cruise operator (target market), like seniors, families, couples, normally they don’t target, but the groups are divided by the price, and venues visited in cruise routes.
Target markets are an important part of the cruise liner industry as here the operator can diversify as much as possible in all departments. Larger cruise liner companies normally target the senior market more than others as these are free spending clients who have a lot of spare cash so this can be spent on ancillaries such as excursions, indoor drinking and the casino. Other cruise lines such as Norwegian Sun target younger couples for the romantic experience of the cruise especially the one in the Baltic sea which is obviously frequented by lots of persons from this younger generation. The destination issue is also very important as one may observe with several cruise lines specializing in particular destinations with Royal Caribbean for example very strong in places such as Florida and other Caribbean islands.
Why some Cruise lines they never try to mix different target markets and why another"??s do so, why?
Some cruise liners never mix target markets as they feel good with their particular sector in the industry. A typical example would be Royal Caribbean which targets the senior citizens market and they are extremely successful at doing that with the result that they do not go for the younger generation market. This is understandable as already indicated beforehand, this segment includes the largest number of cash rich persons and those with a much higher disposable income in this sector. Other cruise liners perhaps prefer to be selective towards younger generation clients as these can also be rather well off especially if they come from particular industries where the money is good.
Positive/negative to different target markets, is more about the customers ( negatives, stock in a boat with the same people), graphics of prices and different brands, plus the market segments
Target markets may seem to be a restrictive way to carry out certain research as this can always change according to the trend. Some opinionists and journalists comment that to be restricted to just one target market does not always work as it is good to spread one’s net as wide as possible. The different market segments could be compartmentalized into four: the younger generation, young married couples, middle aged persons and families and finally senior citizens. All four have certain aspects which can be viewed as successful with several areas being covered in this respect.
Cruise prices also vary considerably in the sense that one can make use of various offers in this respect. Several websites offer cruises at substantially reduced prices to attract different customers and it usually makes much more sense to book direct from the cruise line than to stay looking around for better prices. It is usually quite easy to get a cruise for the price of say USD 1,000 for a ten day cruise which takes you to the Baltic and other neighbouring Scandinavian countries although cruises to farther parts of the world can be more than extremely expensive. It is usually very important to book as early as possible as the price discounts one can get are pretty fantastic.
Conclusion: The Cruise liner industry is here to stay
The cruise liner industry will be continuously expanding over the years as larger and bigger ships are built and everything continues to diversify. The increase in the elderly generation population is also an important issue which will see the cruise liner industry continue to increase and diversify accordingly and this can only offer increased opportunities for the foreseeable future.
References:
Roughan, John (16 February 2007). "The ocean-going stretch limo". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
Queen Mary 2 Cruises Cunard Retrieved 12th December 2009
Cruise Market Watch Announces 2011 Cruise Line Market Share and Revenue Projections". Cruise Market Watch. 2010-12-11.
