Cruise holidays are increasingly booked online according to the latest research from Travelzoo demonstrating a clear shift in consumer behaviour.
Although offline travel agencies have traditionally dominated cruise bookings, research from the travel deals specialist shows consumer attitudes are changing with 38% booking a cruise exclusively online - up 20% on last year.
The figures also show 78% of cruise passengers researching their holiday online while also seeking some information offline and 6% conducting their research exclusively online.
Price continues to be a decisive factor when booking a cruise with 26% saying it is the most important factor and 25% of passengers say they took their first cruise because they found a good deal.
The price also emerged as the biggest barrier to booking a cruise with 30% citing it as the reason for not considering this type of holiday.
The cost factor was topped in importance only by the itinerary at 27%.
The results were drawn from the answers to an online survey of 1,400 Travelzoo UK newsletter subscribers.
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