Record number of Britons going on cruises as 1.35 million take to the seas

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The latest statistics showing a surge in popularity for seaward vacations have been released just days after the Antarctic cruise ship MS Explorer crashed into an iceberg.

One hundred and fifty-four passengers were rescued from the ship on Friday before it sunk 15 hours later.

The Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) said Britons have enjoyed 1.35million cruise holidays in 2007 - an 11 per cent rise on the 2006 figure.

And the total is expected to climb even further in 2008 with ships such as the Queen Victoria - being officially named by the Duchess of Cornwall next month - coming into service.

The PSA predicts that numbers in 2008 will grow 14 per cent to 1.55million.

Next year, as well as the Queen Victoria, new ships will include P&O Cruises' giant Ventura, the largest ship ever to be built specifically for the UK market, and Fred Olsen's Balmoral.

It is thought that cruising has grown in popularity due to travellers getting increasingly fed up with airport delays and being tempted by some good offers.

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Cruise disaster: Most holidaymakers have a safe and enjoyable cruise, unlike the Explorer's passengers on Friday

The PSA predictions were made at the start of the three-day Association of British Travel Agents' (ABTA) convention in Tenerife, Spain.

PSA director Bill Gibbons said: "The cruise industry has been growing impressively for years and our predictions show that this growth is continuing."