by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:50 AM ET, Fri December 1, 2023
Cruise lines are resting on their laurels after another record-breaking series of commercial holidays, in which travelers snagged cruise deals for travel into 2024 and 2025.
Holland America Line reported its highest Black Friday booking volumes for a second year in a row, with booking numbers 20 percent higher than last year on Black Friday alone. Booking numbers between Black Friday and Cyber Monday rose 23 percent year-over-year.
Many travelers chose to look ahead to the summer of 2024, booking Alaska, Europe and Canada and New England.
"While some see Black Friday as a sign that winter is coming, our guests were dreaming about exploring summer destinations like Alaska, Iceland and Greece," said Gus Antorcha, president, Holland America Line. "Breaking Black Friday records two years in a row tells us that not only are guests excited to plan ahead for travel, but that they value Holland America Line's award-winning service and carefully crafted itineraries that visit more than 100 countries."
Princess Cruise Line reported its highest sales period ever between November 20 and November 27 this year. The line’s Black Friday deals offered discounts on cruises across the globe, with included amenities like prepaid gratuities, WiFi, beverage packages and more.
"The extraordinary, all-inclusive appeal of a Princess cruise is something that is clearly very attractive to consumers, as is the exceptional value it offers compared to land-based vacations," said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. "The response has been remarkable and smart shoppers were able to reserve voyages at attractive prices and lock into preferred dates and accommodations they want in 2024 and 2025.”
Historic Cunard Line also reported its highest-ever number of guest bookings over the Black Friday commercial holiday, noting that 2024 and 2025 bookings were strong, especially so for European itineraries onboard the upcoming Queen Anne, the line's 249th ship.
"Following a record start to the year with our strongest Wave campaign in ten years, we have seen unparalleled bookings during the latest Black Friday period," said Cunard President Katie McAlister. "It's fantastic to see momentum for our newest ship Queen Anne gathering pace, and these results are testament to the enduring appeal of Cunard's commitment to unrivalled luxury, unique White Star Service, and unforgettable holiday experiences. We look forward to a bumper start to 2024 with ever-increasing demand for Queen Anne as we approach the final countdown to her maiden voyage in May."
It’s not just Black Friday deals that are prompting travelers to break booking records for cruise lines, despite the year’s trend of higher pricing for cruises.
Holland America reported its highest single-day booking record in the line’s 150-year history this past July. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the parent corporation of NCL, Oceania and Regent, reported the highest-ever earnings total in the company’s history during the third quarter of the year, before the commercial holiday even began.
In early October, Carnival Corporation’s CEO Josh Weinstein talked about how they were far ahead of historic expectations for booking numbers: "We're now significantly ahead of the same time last year by about 10 [percentage] points, and well ahead of where we were in 2019…Our booked position is as far out as we've ever seen it."
Sun Princess. (Photo Credit: Princess Cruises Media)
Carnival Corporation, like NCLH, reported a record-breaking third quarter, which ended at the end of September. The corporation oversees Holland and Princess, along with Carnival Cruise Line, Seabourn and more.
Despite higher pricing, travelers seem to be hopping onboard the cruise trend more than they were prior to the pandemic, likely spurred by the desire to visit more destinations each trip, the affordability of all-inclusive dining and experiences and a greater confidence in travel overall.
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