Hungarian Tourists Taking to the Seas: Cruises Becoming a Popular Choice
The number of Hungarians booking cruises has surpassed pre-Covid levels, with some weeks and months seeing four times as many bookings as in previous record years, according to reports from the World Economy. The cruise market in Hungary has fully recovered from the Covid-induced slowdown and is better than ever, with Hungarian passengers mostly opting for week to ten-day Mediterranean cruises.
Lilla Kobale, the owner of hajosutak.com, stated that cruises used to be popular among older individuals, but now an increasing number of young people are choosing this form of holiday. To meet the growing demand, new cruise ships are being launched almost every month, including by market leaders MSC, Costa, and Aida. Additionally, new ships are being built to minimize emissions.
The resurgence of the cruise market after the coronavirus outbreak has surprised everyone. The travel fever, a phenomenon prevalent throughout Europe, is also strong in Hungary, with more and more people opting for modern and comfortable sea holidays each year.
Venice and Trieste are the preferred departure points for Hungarians, as they are easily accessible by car. However, it’s worth noting that in Venice, due to the ban on cruise ships, passengers are taken by bus to the embarkation point. Milan is also a popular departure point, as it is accessible by low-cost flights from Budapest.
Cruises from Trieste and Venice mainly include Turkey and Greek islands, while trips starting from Genoa cover Italian and Spanish cities. Popular destinations also include Lisbon and Madeira, although these are longer trips with groups arriving and returning in 10-11 days, as stated by Kobale.
The cruise market offers different types of ships in terms of capacity and age, with typical ships accommodating two to five thousand people and providing the infrastructure of a complete city and the comfort of a luxury hotel. One of the main advantages of cruise tourism is that ships sail at night and dock for a day or two in the morning.
July and August are considered high season in the Mediterranean, with the best-priced and most conveniently located cabins selling out quickly. However, there are last-minute promotions and other discounts where cabins can be booked for half price.
According to Kobale, online booking for cruises is less common compared to traditional holidays, possibly because the booking system is complicated and it takes practice to find the best deals. As a result, package holidays are still the most popular option for cruises and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future.
In related news, Greece has become the most popular travel destination, with higher-than-expected bookings and the number of passengers exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
