First P&O Cruises reported record sales for its long voyages for 2011 - 1,374 passengers booked on the first day on sale, July 1, and more than 1,000 of those for a full circumnavigation.
Now Cunard says first-day sales for its 2011 world cruise programme, also on July 1, were up a recession-defying 150% compared to last year.
It's terrific news given the experts tell us we are in the grip of a global economic crisis. I suspect people are just fed up with the bad news and determined to have some fun instead of sitting watching their money earn paltry interest.
Interestingly, P&O reports increased demand from first-timers. Now that's brave. Imagine booking a three-month cruise and discovering you didn't like cruising. My advice always would be to try a seven-nighter first just to make sure.
The record demand could, of course, also have something to do with the prices -book with P&O and you can see the world from £6,899 per person - and the fact P&O and Cunard have come out with something a bit different for world cruisers in 2011.
P&O has four long voyages, including an 84-night cruise on Oriana that sets sail in September 2010 instead of the usual post-New Year departure (OK, so it really shouldn't be in the 2011 programme, but they did that, not me).
Cunard will be offering its first circumavigation on new ship Queen Elizabeth, but also a veritable Queen cruise-fest - voyaging from Southampton to New York on Queen Victoria, New York to Sydney on Queen Elizabeth and Sydney to Southampton on Queen Mary 2.
Jane Archer
