Backpackers thinking of joining the growing numbers of people taking a cruise trip could consider first buying
cheap travel insurance.
The Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) reports that the cruise industry has grown by 11 per cent for the second year in a row, while P&O Cruises and Cunard recently revealed that sales for their 2011 world voyage leapt nearly 50 per cent on the first day.
Penny Guy, PR director at the PSA, said that the cruise industry has fared better than other sectors of the travel industry, perhaps because it is seen to offer better prices.
Ms Guy said: "Cruising has been resilient and has held its own during this downturn in the economy in comparison with many other travel sectors. It continues to remain popular and I think that's driven by the value for money that cruising offers."
She added that many people - some of whom may have bought
online travel insurance - are attracted by the fact that all cruising costs are paid for upfront, meaning spending can be easier to monitor.
Over three per cent of all foreign holidays taken by Britons last year were cruises, according to an annual report from the PSA and Association of Cruise Experts.
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