Carnival boss says over-capacity claims are ‘absurd’
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Carnival UK CEO David Dingle has claimed it is ‘absurd’ to suggest that the cruise market is becoming saturated and over-capacity. Speaking at the launch of the Cruise Report 2011, Dingle said there was “still plenty of room for growth” and the continued popularity of cruising had justified the increase in itineraries and fleet. “[We are adding] extra capacity at a controlled rate so we can sell properly,” said Dingle. The majority of cruise lines have upped their itineraries to Europe and around the Med this year, which Carnival had recognised as a trend for the year. This has been the result of both consumer demand and the need to be more environmentally friendly. “We have been encouraged to feature more ports closer to home and these are becoming more and more popular,” explained Dingle. This was reflected by Carol Marlow, managing director of P&O Cruises, who said that it had seen a 25-27 percent rise in bookings for its shorter cruises. Andrew MacGowan, vice president Middle East and Africa at Seabourn added that several cruise lines had slowed down their ships and had more days at sea, which provided a more leisurely experience for guests. He and Lynn Narraway, managing director UK at Holland America Line agreed that incorporating overnight stays into a cruise holiday continued to be popular amongst customers. Meanwhile, Dingle called for the UK government to see the value of cruising, which is estimated to be worth
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