According to statistics revealed by the Cruise Lines International Association, the average age of cruise passengers has fallen to the lowest it has been for 20 years. Furthermore, in 2016, a record-breaking 1.7 million people from the UK opted for a cruise.

So, why is cruising becoming so popular, especially amongst the younger generations?

Cruises Appeal to People of All Ages

There are a number of reasons why people are choosing cruise holidays over any other type of vacation.

Firstly, there are a number of ships that appeal to youngsters as well as families, with lots of cruises now having small families, large birthday groups, multi-generational families and hen parties sailing along together.

There’s also been a rise in themed cruises, whether this is in the music its offering or a certain theme (i.e. a festival) that it adopts.

Add to this the fact that cruises are great value, and it’s not hard to see why more people than ever are opting for this type of holiday. For example, if you’ve got a family, all your entertainment and food, as well as kids’ entertainment, is included. And the quality of childcare on-board many cruise liners is exceptional, with the environment of the ship also being safe so parents can relax.

Finally, cruise liners have also made a lot of headway when it comes to Internet connectivity and technology, which definitely appeals to younger generations. Wi-Fi on ships is now quicker and cheaper because operators have realised their passengers want to be able to post pictures, Tweet and create hashtags about their on-board experience.

Plenty of Destinations to Explore

Another huge pull for cruise holidays is the variety of experiences that are on offer. A lot of cruise companies, like Bolsover Cruise Holidays, for example, provide a variety of destinations for holidaymakers.

Last year, the most popular cruise destination was, as it always is, the Mediterranean, with over 670,000 passengers from the UK and Ireland opting for this in 2016 (up 4,000 on 2015’s figures). However, instead of flying to the Mediterranean to start the cruise, many preferred to start their holiday in the UK.

There were also more people cruising to Western Europe from British ports, which made this area the second-highest favourite. River cruises also grew in popularity with an 11 per cent increase on the previous year.

With cruise liners continuing to invest in new ashore and on-board experiences, it’s clear cruising is going to grow in popularity, particularly as it starts to appeal to travelers of all ages.