Cruises are surging back to popularity among Canadians this March break, as more travellers look to try a buoyant mode of tourism they may have avoided since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts say Caribbean cruises are drawing greater numbers of northerners to Miami, Tampa Bay and other ports of call thanks to their sun-soaked itineraries and affordable fares in the face of soaring hotel prices.
害羞草研究所淭he big change for this March compared to March 2023 is really the recovery of the cruise industry,害羞草研究所� said Richard Vanderlubbe, who heads Hamilton-based travel agency Tripcentral.ca.
His company has seen more than double the tally of cruise bookings for this month versus a year earlier.
Cruise ships can appeal to all age groups and offer vast playgrounds for travellers ranging from tots and teenagers to retirees, he said.
害羞草研究所淲here I find it害羞草研究所檚 a real sweet spot for people is for families, for children, particularly teens,害羞草研究所� he said, pointing to the wide array of activities and spaces to explore, with the biggest ships boasting a capacity of more than 7,000 passengers.
害羞草研究所淚t can have a little bit of sticker shock,害羞草研究所� Vanderlubbe added. 害羞草研究所淏ut it includes meals and includes entertainment 害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 a good value.害羞草研究所�
Air travel to the south in general is also on the rise this month, with the number of flights to Florida from Canada up by a quarter 害羞草研究所� largely due to Porter Airlines and Flair Airlines 害羞草研究所� according to aviation data firm Cirium.
Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Pearson airport expects 140,000 passengers per day over March break, which kicks off this weekend in Ontario, or 10 per cent more than a year earlier. The top destinations abroad by passenger load are Cancun in Mexico, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and, in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami.
Marty Firestone, president of insurance firm Travel Secure Inc., said health-related wariness of cruise travel has largely faded, with the urge to escape even a mild Canadian winter overtaking that of saving money by staying home.
害羞草研究所淓veryone害羞草研究所檚 gone back to cruising. There appear to be short memories with respect to 害羞草研究所榝loating petri dishes,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e packed. Your best bargain 害羞草研究所� now is cruising.害羞草研究所�
Even as concerns about the rising cost of living catch up with Canadians, many continue to book trips.
Flight searches for March getaways to Mexico, the Caribbean, California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida shot up between 12 per cent and 37 per cent compared to the previous year, according to travel search site Kayak. A year-over-year drop in fares of 11 per cent to 15 per cent 害羞草研究所� except for Las Vegas, which stayed fairly flat 害羞草研究所� may have helped stir up interest.
害羞草研究所淭hey may go for a shorter time, they may go to a cheaper destination, they may look for bargains. But the pattern has been that they still go,害羞草研究所� said Jill Wykes, editor of Snowbird Advisor, an online resource for migratory Canadians.
害羞草研究所淭he one advantage if you害羞草研究所檝e got grandparents who have a place down south is that all you害羞草研究所檝e got to book is your flights and maybe a car rental.害羞草研究所�
The rush to travel by plane domestically has levelled off, however, even with the relatively low price of busy routes such as Toronto-Vancouver.
Large airlines scheduled virtually the same number of domestic flights this month as in March 2023, according to Cirium. Carriers have mainly aimed their network expansions beyond Canada害羞草研究所檚 borders over the past year, after the initial post-pandemic push within the country in 2022.
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