WARWICK, RI – InsureMyTrip today announced the launch of the first-ever Cruise Guide. The Cruise Guide is a compilation of data-driven insights to help cruisers travel smarter in 2015.
To compile the research, a team of data scientists at InsureMyTrip analyzed online traffic and buying habits in order to identify trends. In addition to internal data, customer surveys and feedback from InsureMyTrip travel experts were also utilized to gauge insights on the cruise industry. Here are the results:
TRAVEL TRENDS FROM THE 2015 CRUISE GUIDE
TOP 5 CRUISE LINES
1.Carnival
2.Royal Caribbean
3.Norwegian
4.Celebrity
5.Princess
TOP 5 DESTINATIONS FOR CRUISERS
1.Caribbean
2.Bahamas
3.Alaska
4.Italy
5.Mexico
STATES WITH HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF TRAVELERS BOOKING A CRUISE
1.Alabama
2.Mississippi
3.Florida
4.South Carolina
5.Georgia
6.Delaware
7.Arkansas
As part of the Cruise Guide, InsureMyTrip also surveyed 800 travelers. The survey reveals that a vast majority of cruisers have experienced some kind of travel disruption during a trip. The most common frustrations included cruise itinerary changes and medical issues. Health reasons also led the majority of travel insurance claims with travelers listing “medical care during a trip” as a top issue.
“The customer survey results show that the majority of cruisers will experience some kind of travel inconvenience that is completely out of their control,” said CEO Jim Grace of InsureMyTrip. “Cruisers also clearly share unique healthcare concerns during a voyage; with medical issues resulting in many insurance claims. Despite these issues, most travelers appear to be pleased with their overall cruise experience and look forward to cruise vacation.”
CRUISE WOES
The poll reveals that most cruise passengers have experienced a travel disruption during a trip. Respondents could choose more than one answer:
56% Cruise itinerary change during a voyage
26% Seasickness
7% Quarantine
6% Stomach illness
TOP TRAVEL INSURANCE NEEDS FOR CRUISERS
Travelers, who voluntarily participated in this survey, had all researched or purchased travel insurance within the past 24 months. Out of those polled, 19% had filed a travel insurance claim for a cruise-related issue. Here are the top reasons for filing a claim:
1.Medical care required during cruise
2.Medical issue forced trip cancellation
3.Bad weather forced delay or cancellation of cruise
4.Missed flight led to delay or cancellation of cruise
5.Items stolen or lost during trip
MOST POPULAR CRUISE DESTINATIONS
Despite internal data showing most travelers booking cruises to the Caribbean, our customer survey results indicate that many travelers are very interested in the cruises that include European countries.
37% Caribbean
36% Europe
10% Alaska
17% Other
RIVER CRUISING GAINS SPEED
Seventy-seven percent of those polled have either been on a river cruise or would like to go on a river cruise. Twelve percent have no desire to go while 10% prefer larger cruise ships.
