In a bid to investigate the reputation that cruise holidays have amongst 18 – 25 year olds, an independent online cruise travel agent has revealed that a third of young adults would like to embark on a cruise holiday, but many worry that other passengers would be ‘much older’ than them.

As part of ongoing research into the holiday habits of Britons, an independent online cruise travel agent has conducted research amongst 1,327 18 – 25 year olds across the UK who have never been on a cruise holiday; in a bid to discover their attitudes towards them.

The research, conducted by www.Bonvoyage.co.uk, was conducted with an aim of investigating the reputation that cruise holidays hold amongst holidaymakers of different age groups across the UK; particularly given the stereotype that often sees cruising as a favourite amongst older holidaymakers.

According to the research, just over a third, 34%, of the young adults asked said that they would like to embark upon a cruise holiday. In a bid to investigate further, these respondents were asked why they were yet to embark on a cruise. According to the results, the majority, 51%, were ‘concerned’ that other passengers would be ‘much older’ than themselves. In contrast, 28% of respondents believed that a cruise would be ‘much more expensive’ than an alternative beach holiday.

More than a fifth, 21%, of the respondents who took part in the study stated that they do plan to embark on a cruise holiday in the ‘near future’; whilst 38% said it is ‘unlikely’ they will be enjoying a cruise holiday any time soon.

When asked if they believed they had experienced a great variety of holidays, the majority, 86%, of the respondents said ‘no’.  Of the respondents who admitted to having not experienced a variety of holidays, a third, 34%, explained that they had ‘never had the opportunity’; whilst 35% said they were ‘worried’ that they wouldn’t ‘enjoy different holidays’ to the type they were used to.

A further 13% of the respondents who stated they hadn’t enjoyed a variety of holidays explained that they simply ‘lacked imagination’ when choosing a holiday.

Chris Brown, co-founder of bonvoyage.co.uk, spoke about the results of the study:

“It was really interesting conducting this research, as it gave it us insights into the perceptions non-cruisers have towards cruise holidays. It wasn’t too surprising to see that people think cruise holidays are expensive because they are often marketed as a luxury holiday, however, they certainly don’t all come with a luxury price tag.”

He continued:
“It can often be forgotten that cruise holidays offer the opportunity to visit a variety of countries, countless bars and restaurants and have beautiful scenic views; all of which I am sure would appeal to the younger generation. They’re certainly not just for older holidaymakers, and there are cruises available to suit all ages and tastes!”