680 0 Kommentare UK cruisers report spending same on fares in 2015 as 2011; Med stays top destination; Two thirds of cruisers are below average retirement age*, according to Cruise Critic findings - Seite 2

When planning a trip, cruise reviews remain the most important tool to help with the process, ahead of advice from family/friends and travel agents:

Almost all respondents (95%) rate reviews as very or somewhat important
89% regard advice from Cruise Critic members/forums as very or somewhat important
One quarter (26%) deem professional advice from travel agents as very important, while two thirds (66%) rate advice from non-professionals, such as family/friends and Cruise Critic members, as very important
Around half (52%) say that social media advice is important

"It's interesting to see cruisers reporting that spending is flat, most likely because cruise lines have looked to onboard costs and add-ons to increase revenues, to keep base fares competitive. To this end, it's important to make sure that when you are booking a cruise, you look at what the total cost of your holiday is likely to be, including shore excursions and onboard spending. As a rough measure, we advise budgeting for about a third of the base fare in additional costs," explained Cruise Critic, UK editor, Adam Coulter.

The survey, which ran on the Cruise Critic site in 2015, received responses from 5,814 people.

*Based on current UK state pension age for men.

About Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.co.uk)
Cruise Critic^® is an online cruise guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travellers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 100,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world's largest online cruise community where travellers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com and www.iens.nl), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

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