Cruise traffic in South Florida off peaks, but still high

South Florida?s cruise-line industry suffered a major shock over the weekend when Carnival?s Costa Concordia capsized off the Italian coast, killing at least 11 people.

Will the fall-out discourage vacations on the high seas? That?s the major question analysts and writers are dissecting as details emerge from Friday?s capsizing. The general answer appears to be ?no,? since transportation tragedies (plane crashes, train wrecks, etc.) don?t seem to discourage travelers long term.

With cruise bookings made months in advance ? and port traffic figures often trailing by several months anyway ? it could be well into 2012 before we have much of an answer locally.

This year saw departures from South Florida ports back off previous highs, but still finishing well ahead of previous years? activity. The summer saw major drops as ships headed for other cities, reductions that brought down the average shown in the chart above.

Port officials note it just takes a few shifted itineraries to bring down the numbers temporarily. Winter is the most important cruising season in South Florida, so the major trends will really be set in the coming months. Thanks to the Concordia, it?s gotten a little bit harder to predict which way the lines are going to move.

The Economic Time Machine tracks South Florida?s recovery from the Great Recession by comparing current conditions to where they were before the downturn. The ETM?s latest reading shows the downturn ?landed? South Florida?s economy back into June 2002 ? that is, we have to go back 10 years to find a time when conditions best matched where they are today. For regular analysis of the latest economic reports, visit the ETM?s online headquarters at miamiherald.com/economic-time-machine.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/17/2593878/cruise-traffic-in-south-florida.html

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