1 in 4 Avid Cruise Goers: 'I'll Never Go on a Cruise Again'

Travel has been one of the most profoundly impacted industries amid the global shutdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, coming to a near halt while people around the world have been sheltering in place. Just how long that impact will be felt remains to be seen. There have been various predictions floated by travel industry heavy hitters about the pandemic’s lasting effects. A new survey conducted by Azurite Consulting for Peak Prosperity found changes in sentiment and lifestyle shifts among 3,500 American respondents that suggest a recovery won't be coming anytime soon. Perhaps the most startling takeaway is that many seasoned cruisers have no intention of ever taking a cruise again. Here's a closer look at the various types of travel and sightseeing that respondents plan to avoid until there's a COVID-19 vaccine — or altogether.

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The Azurite Consulting survey reveals that 25% of so-called "avid" cruise goers say they’ll never take a cruise again. These are people who loved cruising enough to take at least three trips in the past five years and made up the industry’s base of hardcore fans. Meanwhile, 65% of all respondents say they will wait at least until there’s a vaccine, and 55% of those waiting will delay their next cruise until at least one year after the vaccine is out.

Many Americans are also not eager to jump on a plane again anytime soon. The survey found that 36% of respondents who took an international flight in 2019 say they will not fly internationally again until a vaccine is available.

Similar to the sentiments about international air travel, 30% of survey respondents say they don’t plan to fly domestically, either, until a vaccine is available.

Hotels also have a long haul ahead of them. The survey found that 26% of Americans, or about 1 in 4, will wait for a vaccine before they spend another night in a hotel — for business or leisure.

Remember the good old days of attending a baseball game with friends on a sunny day? Those days still may be a long way off. The survey found that 44% of American sports fans won’t attend a live game until a vaccine is available, and 63% of those people will wait at least another three months after the vaccine is out to attend one.

Dining out used to be so much fun. Now, however, Americans seem to view it with a great deal of trepidation and fear. The survey found 53% of Americans won’t be comfortable going to a sit-down restaurant for at least three months after social distancing ends, while 38% will wait at least five months. Meanwhile, 24% of Americans plan to wait for a vaccine before returning to a sit-down restaurant.

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Of those Americans who went to the theater, the opera, or a concert in 2019, 41% won’t go again until there’s a vaccine.

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Even the gamblers among us aren’t willing to take a risk just yet on returning to their old haunts. Of those respondents who went to a casino last year, 45% say they will not go again until there’s a vaccine.

It seems no part of the industry will go unscathed. Many of those who love theme parks and aquariums also plan to wait it out, with 38% of Americans who visited such a venue last year saying they won’t go again until a vaccine is available.

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If there’s one overall message from the survey, it’s that recovery for the travel industry on many levels — from flying to hotel stays and casino visits — is likely to take longer than many business leaders are expecting, says Eli Diament, founder and director of Azurite Consulting. “A significant number of leisure travelers intend to delay or cancel their travel plans and wait for a vaccine — some even longer,” Diament told Cheapism. “This will mean a large amount of travel spend will disappear for the industry for at least a year. Add to that how managers see video conferencing as a game changer for business travel, and there's going to be a lot of expensive business-class seats flying empty and vacant hotel rooms. All of the data points to a longer recovery ... and it will be a long time before we see travel volumes hit 2019 levels again.”