Nile Cruises Gather Momentum As Cruise Market Diversifies

The cruise industry continues to ride the waves but the tastes of sophisticated cruise clientele keep changing with the regularity of the tides. Tropical cruises have been on top of the industry for twenty five years now, accompanied by a more general Caribbean tourism boom. The boom years of Caribbean cruising saw the number of passengers visiting the islands soar from 900,000 to 2.3 million between 1983 and 1993. But whilst passenger numbers there remain steady, experienced cruisers looking for something new are increasingly heading for different climates and new cruisers put off by the heat are joing them. One cruise industry seeing particular growth is the market for river-based cruises. Such cruises encourage disembarkation and transform the on-deck experience into a sightseeing one.

For Egypt cruises 2011 is expected to be another year of significant growth and market success. Deciphering the appeal of an Egyptian cruise doesn't exactly require a Rosetta Stone: The Nile is essentially the cradle of civilization, the longest river in the world and mostly navigable. From the fertile Nile delta in the north, a journey along the river takes in a great cross-section of African terrain, and this is not to mention obvious landmarks like Cairo, the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, all easily accessible by disembarking onto the fertile banks.

Whilst an European cruise has always meant a Mediterranean cruise, the move to more temperate or even colder areas of the Northern hemisphere has been made by lines fishing for new markets. The growth of the popularity of the temperate zones has been confirmed by Princess' plans to move two of their Caribbean cruise ships back to the UK for use in the Scandinavian Fjords. The nearby Baltic also enjoys travel from the same market, with increasing commitments made by operators. To some like silver seas cruises 2011 is expected to be a highly profitable year. Meanwhile, on the Pacific side of North America, cruises to Alaska are growing such as those operated by Crystal cruises, a line noted for its diverse on-board activities.