For Immediate Release

CruiseCompete releases May 2013 CruiseTrends™ report data

DETROIT (May 3, 2013) – CruiseCompete has released its CruiseTrends™ and Cruise Index™ reports for the month of May 2013.This report is sponsored by © EyeforTravel Ltd.

The CruiseTrends™ report for May 2013 is detailed below. To see more topics and data, please visit CruiseCompete’s Press Room or click here to see the entire May 2013 report.

The CruiseCompete Cruise Index™ for May 2013 was 145, up one point from April 2013, and one point higher than May 2012. Regional pricing indices saw an increase in all regions, except Alaska and Europe.

The CruiseCompete Cruise Index ™ is calculated based on the average daily per-passenger (double occupancy) cost for the lowest-priced oceanview cabin category on a seven-night cruise on the six largest North American cruise lines. See details and indices by region and Monthly Historical Cruise Prices.

Most Popular Cruise Lines
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each cruise line in the given month)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Carnival Cruises
2. Luxury: Oceania Cruises
3. River: Viking River

In second place is Royal Caribbean for premium/contemporary, Seabourn for luxury and AmaWaterways for river. More…

Most Popular Cruise Ships
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each ship)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Oasis of the Seas
2. Luxury: Queen Mary 2 (changed from Oceania Riviera last month)
3. River: MS AmaPrima (changed from Avalon Felicity last month)
Next in popularity are Allure of the Seas for premium/contemporary, Oceania Marina for luxury and the Ms AmaCello for river. More…

Most Popular Cruise Regions
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each region)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Caribbean
2. Luxury: Europe (changed from Mediterranean last month)
3. River: Europe

Next in popularity are North America for premium/contemporary, Mediterranean for luxury and Asia/Far East for river. More…

Most Popular Cruise Departure Ports
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each departure port)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
2. Luxury: Barcelona, Spain (changed from Istanbul, Turkey last month)
3. River: Budapest, Hungary (changed from Amsterdam, Netherlands last month)

Next in popularity are Port Canaveral, Fla. for premium/contemporary, Southampton, U.K. for luxury and Amsterdam, Netherlands for river. More…

Most Popular Cruise Ports Visited
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each port visited during cruise itineraries, excluding departure ports)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Nassau, Bahamas
2. Luxury: Kusadasi, Turkey
3. River: Vienna, Austria (changed from Cologne, Germany last month)

Next in popularity are Cozumel, Mexico, for premium/contemporary, Sorrento, Italy for luxury and Cologne, Germany for river. More…

Most Popular Countries Visited
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each country visited during cruise itineraries, excluding countries of departure)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Bahamas
2. Luxury: Greece
3. River: Germany

Second are United States for premium/contemporary, Italy for luxury and Austria for river. More…

Most Popular Cabin Types
(Based on the total number of quote requests for each cabin type)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Balcony (changed from Inside last month)
2. Luxury: Balcony
3. River: Balcony
More…

Hottest Months for Cruising
(Based on the most requested months)
1. Premium/Contemporary: June 2013
2. Luxury: July 2013 (changed from May 2013 last month)
3. River: August 2013 (changed from September 2013 last month

More…

Other data available at the May 2013 CruiseTrends™ report:
• Number of cabins requested
• Most popular cruise itinerary lengths
• Travel insurance requested
• Cruise line past passenger status requested
• Booking window of time

This cruise trend information is available monthly from CruiseCompete and can be insightful, especially for financial analysts and travel writers. To see 12-months’ of cruise trend data, please click here: Cruise Trends.

For purposes of the CruiseTrends™ report, cruise lines recognized as premium or contemporary are grouped together as premium/contemporary. The CruiseCompete CruiseTrends™ report is sponsored by EyeForTravel Ltd.

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Note to Editors:

CruiseCompete has been the premier online cruise marketplace since 2003 (see media praises). Consumers compare competing offers from trusted travel agents, are able to see consumer reviews of agents and agencies responding, and then contact travel agents directly for more information and to book a cruise.

CruiseCompete CruiseTrends™ offers monthly stats for an inside look at consumer trends and what consumers want in cruise vacations.
CruiseCompete takes top honors in Travel + Leisure Magazine's “Top 60 Best Apps and Websites for Travelers” (September 2012) with an honorable mention. The Wall Street Journal praised CruiseCompete as “Best Cruise Travel Site,” The New York Times says, “… independent travel agents compete to offer you the best deal," and follows similar praise from Travel + Leisure, Kiplinger’s and The Washington Post. The Street says, “Score luxury cruises at bargain prices.”

For more information, please visit CruiseCompete.com or Cruise Compete Groups.

CruiseCompete is an Iowa limited liability company and is not a travel agency or owned by a travel agency.

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