Cruises: It's anchors away as youngsters get ready to set sail

Once the preserve of wealthy retirees, cruises are set for a face lift, as younger Brits see the appeal of sailing the high seas. Indeed, latest exclusive consumer research from MINTEL shows that well over half (55%) of 19 – 24 year olds would like to go on a cruise in the future, compared to just one in four (26%) over 65s. What is more, the research shows that the cruise industry has successfully managed to shed its image of being just for older travellers, with less than one in ten (9%) adults believing that ‘cruises are just for old people’. Britain’s love affair with cruises is really hotting up, with ever more Brits walking the gangplank. This year alone we are set to take no less than 1.5 million cruises at sea and on rivers – one and a half times the number of 2002. Incredibly, this means that the world’s largest cruise liner, the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Sea (which can carry 3,634 passengers) could set sail every day of the year and still not accommodate all the British cruisers.