There was a huge 27% growth in Australian cruise passenger numbers last year, according to International Cruise Council Australasia figures just released.
A total of 466,692 Aussies took a cruise holiday in 2010 - up 100,000 on the previous year, representing the largest hike in passenger numbers since statistics began being compiled nine years ago.
ICCA chairman Gavin Smith said the surge reflected the increase in locally based ships, as well as the strong Australian dollar driving interest in cruising in Europe and the USA.
The top destination for Aussie cruisers was the South Pacific, accounting for 37% of the total, while about 19% cruised to Australian ports and 10% visited New Zealand.
Smith said the results equated to 2.1% of the Australian population taking a cruise - a big increase on the 2009 market penetration figure of 1.7%.
More information in today's Travel Daily and tomorrow's Cruise Weekly.
