Consideration of modernizations and native river cruise passenger ships fleet decommissioning while evaluation of perspectives of river cruise market

Abstract

When developing projects of new river cruise passenger ships (RCPS) and modernizing existing ones it is extremely important to have information of real situation with actual passenger capacity of RCPS. To solve this problem 113 RCPS with valid class for 2019 were researched. 43 cruise passenger ships (38,7 % of all working in navigation in 2019) were significantly upgraded with level of comfort increase. Modernization and re-equipment works are ongoing. In the last five years 34 vessels have been modernized (32 in Russia plus two Dnipro ships of 301 project). An average estimation of influence of modernization on passenger capacity of river cruise passenger ships was also executed. On significantly modernized RCPS from the first group (ships of 26-37, 588, 305, 646 projects) passenger capacity decreases at the mean by 52,3 %, on insignificantly modernized ships – by 32 %. On significantly modernized RCPS from the second group (301, 302, Q-040, Q-056, Q-065, 92-016 projects) passenger capacity decreases at the mean by 37 %, on insignificantly modernized ships – by 16,1 %. Total passenger capacity of river cruise passenger ships operating in 2019 was calculated, mean age of working ships was determined, passenger capacity forecast for mid-term perspective up to 2030 was given. By 2030 passenger capacity will be decreased by 52,72 % to 11631 people without taking in account possible decrease due to deep modernization of existing cruise ships and ships which can be ordered and built (or conversed from other ship types) in 2019-2030. To keep «river cruise» concept, and not only for foreign tourists, it is recommended for mid and long term to build new passenger ships that would most fully satisfy demands of the market. These can be cruise passenger ships both for classic river routes in European part of the country (PV300, PV500VB, PV09, PKS-180, etc.), as well as river-sea ships for work at coastal seas and on Eastern river routes (PV300VD, PV11, PV11M etc.)