Cruise ship travel bookings double for young travellers in New Zealand

The number of Gen Z and Millennials travellers booking cruise ship trips has doubled in the last year according to Flight Centre. Photo / 123rf

Cruise ship bookings for Kiwi Gen Z and Millennial travellers have doubled in the last year, according to travel agency Flight Centre.

Travellers aged 18-34 currently make up 16 per cent of total cruise ship bookings, up from 8 per cent in February 2022, the agency reported.

Cruise ships have been favoured amongst those in their “golden years” due to the convenience and comfort, said Flight Centre.

However, as the increasing cost of airfares prompts travellers to explore alternative styles of travel, the agency said these advantages are now being appreciated by younger age groups looking for cost and time-efficient holidays.

“Travellers want to know where the travel hacks are where I can cover the most ground, with less expenses” says Heidi Walker, GM of Flight Centre Brand New Zealand, who said the industry has noticed a trend of younger travellers.

“Cruise operators are reporting back to us saying they’ve seen an uplift in younger, Gen-X, demographic bookings, which we believe is driven by consumers wanting to treat themselves to a luxury getaway post-pandemic without worrying about airfares,” she said.

The ability to purchase all-inclusive packages also allows people to reliably budget for a trip, Walker added.

“You can better financially plan your trip. Your trip starts as soon as you board.”

This renewed interest can also be seen across social media, with cruise ship content trending on TikTok under hashtags such as #cruiseship, which has 3.6 billion views, and #cruising which has 1.3 billion views.

@jordentually

The newest @Royal Caribbean ship has everything, it’s INCREDIBLE! 🛳#WonderoftheSeas #RoyalPartner #cruise #travel #tiktoktravel #usa #uk #cruiseship

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Walker said cruise operators are aware of this growing market and know ships need to cater to this demographic’s needs.

One example of this is the Pacific Explorer, which arrives in June and will be the first ship to be based in Aotearoa since the pandemic.

“New features include a hidden bar called The Bonded Store, a glamourous speakeasy bar, where mixologists serve up fantastic cocktails,” Walker said.