Room occupancies: cruise lines out-do the hotels

In 2003, with an average of more than 95% cabin occupancy rate, the North American cruise lines have out-performed the hotels, which have an average room occupancy rate of only 59%. The authors advance 13 reasons why the cruise lines have out-done the hotels in cabin/room occupancy rates, grouped into three categories: inherent structural advantages, idiosyncratic marketing conditions, and proactive management initiatives. But the most unexpected discovery of the study is that the cruise industry has made travel agents an important and essential arm of their cabin-inventory management strategy, from making individual as well as group reservations, collecting the deposits and full payments, tracking down late arrivals, and conducting silent auctions when the system breaks down and the cruise ships are oversold.