Inside Cruising The Cruise Lines International Association and the International Council of Cruise Lines have developed a booklet --  Inside Cruising: A Guide with facts and figures about the cruise industry. We have shared this information with our staff,  and here on our web site with anyone interested in learning more about the cruise industry and how it cares . . . for its customers, for its employees, for its vendors and travel partners and for the world in which we all live. Below you will find excerpts from that booklet. Introduction  Everyone's Dream Vacation  Travel's Brightest Star  Vital part of America's Economy  Cruising Clean & Green  A Global Player  The Safest Way To Travel  Here's to Your Health Introduction There are so many great things you can say about cruising. It's the best vacation value.   It's the "hot" vacation - appealing to a wide range of tastes, lifestyles, pocketbooks and interests.   It's one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry.   Nine out of 10 people who cruise say they'll cruise again.   By sailing the seven seas, cruise ships visit - literally - all corners of the earth, calling at more than 1,800 ports worldwide.   More than 60 million people have enjoyed the safety, comfort and excitement of traveling on cruise ships over the past two decades.   According to the U.S. Coast Guard, cruise ships continue to be one of the safest forms of transportation.   Cruise lines are committed to protecting the ocean environment.   Cruise lines are investing substantial amounts of money and exercising worldwide leadership in developing state of the art waste treatment equipment and procedures, as well as educating passengers and crew in environmentally friendly practices.   Cruise companies contributed more than $18.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2010.   Travel agents and the cruise industry have forged a strong partnership over the years, with nearly 95 percent of cruises sold through travel agents.   The Safest Way to Travel During the past two decades, North American cruise lines have compiled the best safety record in the travel industry while transporting, entertaining and pampering more than 60 million people throughout the world. To preserve that exemplary performance, the cruise industry has established its own standards that go beyond the stringent international and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to cruise ships. All cruise ships must meet standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Ships operating from U.S. ports also are subject to U.S. federal and state regulations as well as quarterly safety inspections by the U.S. Coast Guard and periodic health inspections conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.   The U.S. Coast Guard has declared cruise ships to be one of the safest forms of transportation, noting that there have been no passenger deaths on ICCL member line vessels relating to a maritime accident in over 20 years.   The average cruise ship has more than 4,000 smoke alarms. The average response time in an emergency is a matter of minutes, as trained fire teams and emergency crews are stationed onboard only a few hundred feet away from any possible incident scene.   A cruise ship is comparable to a secure building with a 24-hour security guard.   A cruise ship is a controlled environment with limited access. All crew members and guests appear on an official manifest.   Passengers and crew may embark and disembark only after passing through security. Once a ship is underway, only documented employees and fare-paying passengers are onboard.   Cruise lines conduct background checks on prospective employees. In addition, U.S. embassy personnel conduct background checks before issuing work visas to non-U.S. citizens.   Highly trained security personnel are employed onboard every vessel. At U.S. cruise terminals, port security includes passenger screening procedures similar to those found at airports, including inspection of all carry-on baggage and the use of metal detectors for embarking passengers.   The majority of all cruise lines adhere to a unified industry standard - zero tolerance - for crime onboard cruise ships. These lines operate within a very strict legal framework that gives both federal and state authorities the right to investigate crimes aboard cruise ships.   According to FBI statistics, being on a cruise ship is safer than being virtually anywhere in the U.S. in terms of crimes of any type. Here's to Your Health Some cruise lines establish links to shoreside medical facilities via Internet or satellite based communication. Most people take a cruise in order to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit, and the need for health services never comes up. While cruise ships are not comprehensive medical facilities, the cruise lines understand that some people may have health needs during a cruise. Thus, they are committed to providing excellent first response and emergency care to passengers until they can be transferred to a shoreside medical facility.   Most of the cruise lines operating in the North American market have voluntarily worked to create standards for medical facilities onboard their vessels, even though neither international law nor U.S. law requires them to do so.   The medical standards were put in place to provide (1) reasonable emergency medical care for passengers and crew; (2) the capability to stabilize patients and/or initiate reasonable diagnostic and therapeutic intervention; and (3) evacuate seriously ill or injured patients when deemed necessary by a shipboard physician.   The medical facilities standards were developed in conjunction with American College of Emergency Physicians (AECP) requirements.   Included in the policies and procedures are 24-hour medical services and staff. Personnel are board certified or hold equivalent international certification or have general practice and emergency or critical care experience.   Personnel must also be conversant in English, must possess a current valid medical license, and must have three years of clinical experience, including minor surgical skills.   The cruise industry medical standards specify the type and quantity of equipment that must be available onboard, such as x-ray, defibrillators, EKG, wheelchairs, portable oxygen, to name a few, as well as medicines that must be maintained onboard.   A number of cruise lines have established links with shoreside medical institutions, which provide professional medical consultation, including in some cases, Internet or satellite based communication.   Cruise lines and travel agents encourage cruise vacationers to obtain travel medical insurance, to travel with extra supplies of prescription medications and devices and to fully disclose pre-existing medical conditions before sailing. They point out that many regular health insurance plans do not provide coverage when travelers are outside the United States.

Read more about it below...

Everyone's Dream Vacation

A recent study sponsored by Cruise Lines International Association found that more than 68 million Americans would like to take a cruise. Why do so many people find cruising so appealing?

• A cruise offers all the things most people want in a vacation - romance, excitement, relaxation, adventure, escape, discovery, luxury; value and more - without the hassles nobody wants. It's no surprise, then, that most people who have taken a cruise rate cruising above any other vacation choice.
  
   
• In a recent survey, well over 80 percent of cruisers said they were "extremely satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their cruise vacations. More than seven out of 10 first-time cruisers said the experience even exceeded their high expectations.
  
   
• With nearly all the components (accommodations, fabulous meals, entertainment, first-rate facilities and services and more) included in the cost of a vacation at sea, cruising ranks extremely high in affordability and value.
  
   
• Each year, roughly 40 percent of cruise vacationers are first-timers.
  
   
• The average cruiser is married; 50 years old and has a household income of $79,000. Surprisingly, though, almost one-fourth of cruisers are singles; 30 percent are age 39 or younger (not counting an estimated half-million children who cruise each year); and almost half earn less than $60,000 annually.
  
   
• The overwhelming majority of people who cruise, whether first-timers or regulars, cite the freedom to do as much or as little as they want, the fun and the value as the best qualities of a cruise vacation.
  
   
• Many ships today offer vacationers luxurious, full-service spas and health club facilities; specialty restaurants and dining options to satisfy any taste; professionally staffed children's facilities; sports activities from golf to rock climbing; Internet centers; and a host of other features designed to cater to vacationers of all ages.
  
   
• Today's cruise ships utilize technological innovations in power and propulsion systems, waste treatment and communications that make them more efficient, more environmentally friendly and safer than ever.
  
   
• Cruises allow travelers to sample sun-drenched islands, historic cities, remote wild places in every part of the world - safely, securely and comfortably.
  
   
• The cruise industry's investment in educating and supporting travel agents provides quality professional support to help consumers select and buy cruises that fit their individual lifestyles, tastes and budgets.
  
   
• To meet the expected consumer demand, cruise lines will add more than 50 new ships to their fleets during the first half of this decade. These new vessels promise to offer all the things that have made cruising the world's fastest-growing dream vacation.
   

Travel's Brightest Star

More than two decades of spectacular growth - averaging 8.4% per year - have made the cruise industry the brightest star on the vacation travel stage, not to mention one of the great success stories of any business. Nearly 7.5 million North Americans will vacation on cruise ships in 2001, yet cruising has barely tapped its potential.

• Almost 69 million Americans would like to take a cruise in the next five years, and more than 43 million say they definitely or probably will cruise in that period, according to CLIA market research. Those prospects represent a potential cruise vacation market of at least $57 billion and as much as $85 billion.
  
   
• Approximately 95% of cruise vacations are booked through travel agents. Last year, cruise lines paid over $1 billion in commissions to travel agencies in North America.
  
   
• Just 12.3% of the U.S. population have taken a cruise. Each year millions of first-timers discover cruising.
  
   
• Cruise vacations boast the highest satisfaction ratings among all types of vacation travel. Once people try cruising, they come back again and again.
  
   
• Cruise lines are investing over $15 billion to build at least 50 ships in the first half of this decade. Today's cruise industry comprises everything from adventure cruisers designed to explore the world's most remote areas to floating resorts that rival Las Vegas or the Riviera.
  
   
• Cruising appeals particularly to the Baby Boom generation, with shipboard facilities designed to satisfy their intellectual curiosity with college-level classes and computer centers, their health consciousness with top-notch spa, fitness and sports facilities, and their independence with a dazzling array of choices for everything from accommodations to dining and entertainment.
  
   
• With more ships, cruise lines are introducing new itineraries and expanding the choices of destinations, departures and cruise lengths available to people considering a cruise. Now vacation travelers can choose from cruises as short as two nights or as long as three months. Cruises depart from some of the most beautiful cities in the world; and these days, more and more depart from ports located within driving distance or a short flight away from nearly everyone in America.
  
   

Vital Part of America's Economy

Although cruise ships sail throughout the world, cruising as a business substantially benefits North America, and cruise lines make up a vital piece of the American economic picture. According to a study conducted by Business Research and Economic Advisors and WEFA, Inc. (formerly Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates), the cruise industry contributed some $15.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 1999, and it is projected to have an $18.8 billion positive impact on America's economic health in 2005.

• Cruise lines directly employ some 24,000 Americans in their U.S. headquarters offices, in field sales positions, in support and administrative positions worldwide and onboard their ships. During 1999, the cruise industry paid $678 million in wages, salaries, benefits and wage taxes.
  
   
• Most cruise industry purchases - from food and beverages served on the ships to crew uniforms - are made in the U.S. The combined direct spending of cruise lines and their passengers on American goods and services in 1999 totaled $8.1 billion
  
   
• Direct purchases by cruise lines benefited businesses representing virtually every segment of the U.S. economy, including airlines, travel agencies, ground transportation companies, business services, energy, finance, food and beverage and ship repair and maintenance.
  
   
• Those purchases supported an estimated 214,900 American jobs, putting the total wages generated by the cruise industry in the U.S. at $7 billion.
  
   
• The North American cruise industry invested another $627 million on domestic capital expenditures in 1999, including $498 million to U.S. shipyards for vessel maintenance and repairs.
  
   
• Three states - Florida, California and Alaska -- topped the list of economic beneficiaries from cruise lines purchasing and employment in 1999, but the industry's impact reached far beyond the seashore. In fact, all 50 states benefit from the positive economic contributions of the cruise industry.
  
   
• The growing popularity of cruising throughout the world has also provided a bonus for U.S. tourism. The number of tourists from other countries who travel to North America for a cruise vacation - and frequently an extended pre- or post-cruise visit -increased by some 50 percent in the last half of the past decade.
   

Cruising Clean & Green

Beautiful, clear waters and crystal clear skies are as much a part of the magic of cruising as the ships themselves. Cruise lines are committed to preserving and protecting the environment that is, after all, essential to their success and even survival. U.S. and international regulations and the industry's own voluntary standards place cruise ships at the forefront of environmental protection efforts in the travel and maritime industries.

• All cruise ships that operate in American waters must comply with U.S. environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Oil Pollution Act.
  
   
• Cruise lines must also meet international regulations that protect the environment, including SOLAS (the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) and MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) that were established by the International Maritime Organization.
  
   
• Most cruise lines have adopted aggressive programs of waste minimization, waste reuse and recycling, waste stream management and shoreside waste disposal. Numerous cruise lines and shipbuilders are working to identify and implement new technologies in order to continuously improve the environmental performance of cruise ships.
  
   
• The cruise industry is on the leading edge in the development of environmental technology and in establishing ground-breaking environmental policies.
  
   
• Currently, the majority of cruise lines have policies in place that meet or exceed the stringent standards set forth in international treaties and applicable U.S. laws.
  
   
• Strict environmental guidelines have been in place in the cruise industry for the past several years. In November 2000, the 16 members of the International Council of Cruise Lines voted to make environmental guidelines part of the mandatory standards for member lines' vessels.
  
   
• Individual ships have committed themselves to protecting the environment by instituting crew training programs and passenger information procedures. In addition, ships have implemented recycling programs, and have invested in extensive onboard systems, such as wastewater treatment facilities, state of the art grinding and incineration equipment, clean-air diesel and gas turbine engines and similar "green" environmental practices.
  
   
• Some cruise lines are joining forces with colleges, universities and institutes to fund and inaugurate ocean study programs. Many also participate in grassroots initiatives, such as beach cleanups in Florida and the Caribbean.

Cruise lines are committed to preserving and protecting
our waters - it is essential to our success and survival.

A Global Player By its nature, cruising is an enterprise that links the world. Cruise ships call at ports on every continent; their passengers and crews comprise people from every part of the world; and the industry benefits hundreds of countries and their citizens. One of the traditional appeals of a cruise is the opportunity it provides to visit several destinations in one excellent vacation experience. Frequent cruisers especially applaud cruises as a way to try out a vacation area to which they might want to return. A typical cruise ship of 2000 passengers generates over $250,000 in purchases during port call visits. In addition to local port user fees and head taxes and surcharges, cruise ships purchase supplies and services such as pilots, tugboats, waste disposal services and fuel and fresh water at ports of call worldwide.   Visits by cruise ships generate hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business to attractions, restaurants, retail shops, shore tour operators and other businesses at ports of call. A recent Business Research and Economic Forecasting study conducted for the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association found that the typical cruise passenger spends almost $90 at each port visited.   Cruise lines employ more than 100,000 shipboard crew, and these individuals also contribute to the economies of the ports they visit.   Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's survey showed that almost 80 percent of crew reported going ashore during a typical port-of-call visit. Crew expenditures during these calls averaged $72 per visit.   Crew expenditures while visiting a home port averaged almost $112.   The typical cruise ship carrying 2,000 passengers and 900 crew members generates $260,000 in passenger and crew expenditures during a port of call visit.   Many passengers express an interest in returning as air arrivals and/or resort guests to the ports of call they first visit by ship. In the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association study, 51 percent of passengers said they were "very likely" or "likely" to re-visit a cruise port.