The latest survey by cruise specialist Mundy Cruising paints a largely optimistic picture of the future of cruising, with 69% of respondents believing that the development of zero emission cruise ships is either fairly likely or very likely by the year 2050. By comparison, only 44% thought that zero emission air travel was possible on the same timescale. The survey also revealed that 67% believe Covid-19 will be eradicated worldwide within the next 30 years.
The findings were the latest from Mundy’s new Cruise Expert Panel, launched in October 2020 to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary, and provide some fascinating insights into where cruisers believe the travel industry is heading.
Although there was optimism about the roll-out of new sustainable technology, there was recognition of the fragility of habitats vulnerable to climate change, with 70% of the panel expecting cruise ships to be banned from Antarctica within the next 30 years. Change seems less likely when it comes to the onboard culinary offering – the overwhelming majority (74%) thought it was either fairly unlikely or very unlikely that there will be vegan-only cruise ships by 2050.
The survey wasn’t limited to travel by sea – just over half of the panel (54%) think that commercial space travel will become a reality within the next few decades, while 61% expect self-driving cars to become legal on all UK roads. Also of interest to small ship specialists such as Mundy was the fact that just 32% expect to see the world’s first 10,000-passenger cruise ship by 2050, which tallies with previous Mundy research indicating a shift towards smaller vessels in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Although some of these predictions may seem fanciful, it is perhaps under appreciated just how much the cruise industry is doing on sustainability,” commented Mundy Cruising managing director Edwina Lonsdale.
“We are already seeing the roll-out of hybrid-powered ships by the likes of Hurtigruten and Ponant, along with cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions such as Ulstein’s X-BOW design, which has been embraced by Aurora Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions and others. Here in the UK, we’ve also seen the recent announcement of a new cruise terminal at Southampton with shoreside power connectivity, allowing ships to ‘plug in’ while in port rather than running their engines. As for space travel, well, who knows? Given how well-travelled and adventurous our clients are, we’re not surprised that some of them are now eyeing the stars!”
