Survey finds luxury cruise awareness low among affluent

A survey of affluent consumers has turned up low familiarity with luxury cruise brands among the wealthy.

The spring 2014 tracking study from the American Affluence Research Center defines affluent as a minimum net worth of $800,000 and an annual income of more than $260,000. Some 11.4 million U.S. individuals meet the definition, but only 46% have taken a cruise of 3 nights or longer in the past 10 years, the survey found.

Among those that have cruised, an average of 3.4 cruises were taken, or about 1 every three years.

The survey results suggest that over 6 million affluent consumers are prospects to be first time cruisers, said Ron Kurtz, director of the American Affluence Research Center.

But experience and familiarity with 19 cruise brands presented in the survey was “surprisingly low,” Kurtz said.

Accordingly, the respondents volunteered few opinions or perceptions of the attributes of the people each brand is attracting, a study summary said.

Among the luxury cruise brands included were Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and Silversea Cruises.

The report is based on results from 330 respondents who met the criteria and answered a questionnaire sent nationally to 4,500 randomly selected individuals in affluent households.
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Follow Tom Stieghorst on Twitter @tstravelweekly.