UK cruise market 'booming'

The British cruise market is experiencing something of a boom over recent months, with the pace set to continue into 2008, according to reports.

Last year some 1.35 million Britons took to the seas, up 11 per cent on 2006, figures from the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) show.

Forecasts for this year put that number at 1.55 million, a 14 per cent increase, with many of 2008's passengers heading on a cruise for the first time.

"The British have a long tradition of cruising, as many great ships and shipping lines have British origins," said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of specialist website Cruise Critic.

"Despite this lengthy cruise history, just recently, the British cruise market has experienced an unprecedented boom."

Many people are enticed into cruising as a way of seeing more than just the resort they stay at on a normal holiday, while enjoying the luxuries of a top hotel.

Cruise travel insurance is vital for anyone considering a trip on the high seas this year, along with any activity insurance to cover people for anything they undertake in ports – such as horse riding, paragliding and waterskiing.