President’s Message: Cruising: experiences you never imagined
I regularly meet with our Travel team to catch up on the latest and greatest travel trends, and I’m always amazed by what’s changing. As Colorado’s largest leisure travel agency, our agents truly have their finger on the pulse of the entire industry in a way that few others can claim.
An area that’s undergone the most meaningful change in travel might just surprise you—it’s cruising. In fact, in 2019, cruising was more popular than ever, and the forecast for 2020, is that more than 32 million guests will set sail, with a record 24 new ships making their debut this year. Change is the driving force behind these impressive numbers.
Linda Cavanagh
AAA Colorado President & CEO
A cruise experience used to be predictable. You’d select your route, choose your cabin size, and book your passage. Once on board, you’d enjoy world-class dining, Broadway-caliber shows, casinos, arcades, spas, and swimming pools. Cruises were a convenient getaway, ensuring everything that you needed for a little rest and relaxation was close at hand, as well as offering the occasional stopover at new destinations.
These days, you can still find these all-in-one vacation experiences; although, you’ll also find they’re filled with additional options, such as rock walls, interactive theaters, cooking classes, ziplines, go karts, and even planetariums.
The cruise industry’s record growth is the result of more highly personalized experiences. Interested in riding your bicycle across southeast Alaska? There is now a cruise that lets you do just that. Wine lovers can enjoy journeys to far-off ports with shore excursions to renowned wineries. History buffs can trace the history of Cambodia’s Khmer Empire and the dazzling cultures it left behind on an intimate, small-ship cruise along the Mekong River. There are even cruises organized around your favorite rock bands, sports teams, and movies.
The bottom line is, no matter who you are, what you enjoy, or what you want to do and see, there is a cruise that’s perfect for you. Cruises, today, are highly personalized, highly customizable travel experiences, ensuring every comfort you can imagine is never out of reach. If you want to take part in this year’s hottest travel trend, now is the perfect time to take to the seas—or rivers—of the world.
See you on board.
