The great European cruise migration of 2011 has run into headwinds.
North American cruise lines increased their presence in Europe this year hoping to charge higher fares and add passengers. Royal Caribbean International has 11 ships -- half its fleet -- in Europe this year, up from eight last year. And Carnival Corp. has 25 percent of its capacity for North American brands in Europe this summer, compared with 17 percent last year.
But the high cost of air travel and unrest in popular ports of call, including Egypt and Tunisia, have dampened demand, forcing cruise operators to turn to discounts to fill the ships.
For this summer, huge deals on European sailings are numerous -- for those who can afford to fly there.
Stewart Chiron, a Miami cruise expert and CEO of cruiseguy.com, said the new Carnival Magic has 12-night cruises available from $849. Celebrity's Solstice ship has 12-night sailings from $899.
The discounts, he said, are seen across all cruise companies. "It is the times."
Officials with Royal Caribbean Cruises said recently that they had managed to boost demand for cruises after a slump in Europe by lowering prices.
Mike Driscoll, editor of the weekly trade publication Cruise Week, said the European sailing season started strong before being derailed. U.S. travelers, he said, just don't want to shell out a bundle for air travel so they can take a cruise.
