Cruise-o-rama
Business is booming -- so is variety
February 18, 1999
Web posted at: 4:07 p.m. EST (2107 GMT)
From CNN Correspondent Carolyn O'Neil
(CNN) -- This year, an estimated 6 million people will go on a cruise -- 500,000 more than last year. Because February is National Cruise Vacation Month, it's a good time to look at what's fueling this big wave of popularity.
One passenger on the Viking Serenade out of San Diego explains it this way: "It starts from the cabin to dinner to after the shows... They pamper you 24 hours."
Her companion adds, "The food is incredible, just incredible."
Since the 1970s, the cruise industry has grown by more than 800 percent, said Erin Giblin, a spokeswoman for the Cruise Lines International Association.
"It's catering to all different demographics -- to families with children, to more mature cruisers, to singles, so everyone's cruising these days," Giblin said.
The idea of cruising from place to place instead of flying or driving -- and packing and unpacking -- appeals to vacationers who want to see a lot of things but desire a more relaxed pace.
Today's travelers have plenty of options, from cruising Hawaii's islands to sailing to Africa and coming face-to-face with nature on a shore excursion safari.
About half of all cruisers head to the Caribbean, but other hot (or cold) spots are catching up with the popularity of those islands.
"Right now, Alaska is very popular, everyone wants to go to Alaska and also the Mediterranean," Giblin said.
Nine new ships are set to sail in 1999 -- among them is the world's largest, Royal Caribbean's "Voyager of the Seas," which has about 3,100 berths. The ship will feature a full-sized basketball court, a rock-climbing wall and an ice-skating rink.
But choices won't be limited to which ship you take. Most cruise ships sail out of South Florida, but some will be using other ports of call, such as Charleston, South Carolina, and Houston, Texas.
Then there are the millennium cruises. Millions of travelers are expected to take to the seas to celebrate New Year's 2000.
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