LONDON, UK, 9 April, 2019 – TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site, today announced the launch of a new cruise experience in the UK and US. TripAdvisor Cruises expands its offering to both new and seasoned cruisers with the ability to consider a cruise holiday, as they read and write cruise ship reviews, share photos and shop for great deals. This addition expands the TripAdvisor travel ecosystem by exposing cruise to up to half a billion monthly users.

“We know our community demands the best options while travelling, and by adding awe-inspiring cruises to our platform, we’re excited to support the continued growth of the overall cruise industry by bringing cruise to the world’s largest travel audience,” said Bryan Saltzburg, president of TripAdvisor Flights, Cruise & Car. “The addition of Cruise will help solve the complexity of planning and booking a voyage, supported by the confidence of rich user generated content with reviews and photos from millions of TripAdvisor members. For example, cruisers can research and book their flight to the port, a hotel room for the night before departure, review ‘Ship-tinerary’ pages, compare cabin options, book excursions, and read reviews all in one place.”

According to data courtesy of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the cruise industry continues to grow at a steady pace, with 30 million passengers expected to cruise in 2019, which is an increase of more than 34 percent in the past five years. While this is the first time TripAdvisor will feature cruise reviews, TripAdvisor travellers are already passionate about this industry. Based on 2018 TripAdvisor data[i], 32 percent of TripAdvisor users have cruised before and 44 percent are cruise shoppers.

New TripAdvisor Cruise Features

Now with the following new features, it will be easy for travellers to find their perfect cruise experience. 

• User generated content – ability to read and write reviews, and share candid traveller photos.  
• Ship-tinerary pages – the most comprehensive tool in cruise planning. “Ship-tineraries” deliver robust ship profiles to help users quickly get a sense of “is this the right ship for me.” Featuring traveller reviews, advice and photos, as well as detailed amenities and itineraries, “Ship-tineraries” help travellers make a more informed decision about their trip with an unbiased, detailed view of ships across cruising options. 
• Price comparison – discover deals from partners for the lowest cruise prices globally.
• Sort and filter cruises by cabin type, itineraries, price and more.
• Large inventory – shop more than 70 thousand cruises – from ocean and luxury to river and adventure.

Cruise Industry Embraces Traveller Reviews

Cruise lines around the world have embraced TripAdvisor’s launch of cruise reviews, as a way for cruising to reach TripAdvisor’s massive community of travellers with a host of expert content.

Ben Bouldin, AVP and MD UK&I, Royal Caribbean International, the official partner for the UK launch of the new TripAdvisor cruise offering, said “We are thrilled to be partnering with TripAdvisor on the launch of its dedicated cruise hub, which we anticipate having a huge impact on the travel industry as a whole, introducing cruise to a completely new audience of travellers and holidaymakers.  

At Royal Caribbean International, we take a virtual sledge hammer to busting cruise myths and show people it’s a much richer experience than it’s given credit for. Our award-winning fleet of ships visit over 250 popular destinations around the world and offer guests of all ages a holiday to remember with an array of wow-inducing features and brag-worthy amenities only found on our ships, such as robotic bartenders, the tallest slide at sea and jaw-dropping entertainment. We have revolutionised the industry and look forward to working closely with TripAdvisor to showcase our awe-inducing holidays to a whole new audience”. 

For almost 15 years, TripAdvisor has been anchored by Cruise Critic, the world’s largest cruise site and credible place travellers turn to when they want to set sail, making TripAdvisor Cruise already an expert in the industry. Building upon this rich history, TripAdvisor will apply those learnings and expertise to its massive audience of 490 million unique monthly users who place their trust in user generated content. Cruise Critic will continue to operate independently of TripAdvisor.   

Starting today, TripAdvisor Cruise, including its reviews and functionalities, is available in the UK and US here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Cruises. This experience will continue to evolve with additional cruise lines, cruise ships, cruise ship deck plans, features and content, with expansion to other markets in the coming months.

Notes to editors

Royal Caribbean International is the official, UK sponsor for TripAdvisor’s cruise launch offering. Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 49-year history of innovation. The cruise line sails to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, enables travellers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 730 million reviews and opinions covering the world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 8.1 million accommodations, airlines, experiences, restaurants, and cruises – TripAdvisor provides travellers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do, where to eat and how to cruise. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travellers can find the lowest price on the hotel that's right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world's largest travel community of 490 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.

The subsidiaries and affiliates of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) own and operate a portfolio of websites and businesses, including the following travel media brands:

www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bokun.io, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, and www.restorando.com), www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com and www.viator.com.

*Source: Jumpshot for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2018

**Source: TripAdvisor internal log files, average monthly unique visitors during seasonal peak in Q3 2018

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