The North American cruise market and Australian tourism

The purpose of this paper is to propose new itineraries in Australia for cruise companies that market to North American passengers. The current status of the North American cruise market is explored to include discussions of the cruise lines, cruise ships, relevant passenger characteristics and specific market segments. The industry is strong and recovering from the events of 11th September, 2001. However, cruise lines have deployed their ships from Middle Eastern destinations into the Caribbean and Alaskan markets, which have become saturated. New itineraries and destinations have to be developed. Three recommendations are made for new Australian cruise itineraries. These recommendations are proffered with a discussion of the status of cruising in Australia.