Challenges Facing The Cruise Ship Industry - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Challenges facing the cruise ship industry
Problems with overtourism
• 31 is one of the worst problems.
• A tourist 32 is being introduced in some cities to reduce numbers, e.g. Barcelona.
• Bruges: action was taken to limit day trips from the nearby port because the city was becoming a 'theme park' (e.g. many shops were only stocking 33 and souvenirs).
• Dubrovnik: limits the number of tourists by managing the 34 of cruise ship arrivals.
Problems of perception
• Cruises are generally associated with the elderly.
• There is an assumption about the 35 of cruises.
• People think there may be too many 36.
Solutions
Cruise lines are attracting younger customers by:
• becoming more sustainable e.g. using hybrid engines.
• having a wide range of activities e.g. boxing, 37 and well-being programmes.
• offering a diverse selection of food including 38 options.
• providing reliable 39.
• improving marketing on social media with high quality 40.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | Pollution | Pollution, for example, is among the greatest threats to many popular tourist destinations | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that pollution is a very big danger for places that many tourists want to visit. Answer Explanation: The answer means that dirtying the air, water, or land is a main problem when too many tourists visit a place. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer relates to the part of the talk about 'overtourism,' which is when too many people visit a place. The speaker mentions that this causes 'significant problems' and then gives 'pollution' as a specific example of one of the 'greatest threats.' The word 'threat' is used here to describe a very bad problem. |
| Q32 | tax | Several cities, such as Barcelona, have responded by imposing a tax which all visitors to the city from cruise ships have to pay | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that Barcelona and other cities now require tourists from cruise ships to pay a tax to help with the problem of having too many people. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'tax'. A tax is money that people must pay to a city or government. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'tax' because the speaker says cities like Barcelona are using a fee to control the high number of visitors. The text uses the word 'tax' to describe this money that tourists have to pay when they enter the city. Keywords like 'Barcelona' and 'pay' help find the answer. |
| Q33 | chocolate | The city was becoming like a 'theme park', with shops only catering for tourists, selling chocolate, which Belgium is famous for, and other souvenirs | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that because there were so many tourists, the city of Bruges felt less like a real town and more like a theme park, where most shops focused on selling chocolate and gifts for visitors. Answer Explanation: The answer "chocolate" refers to a popular sweet treat that many shops in Bruges started selling specifically for tourists. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "chocolate" because the transcript describes how Bruges was becoming like a "theme park" due to the high volume of visitors. To cater to these tourists, local shops changed their business to focus on items foreigners want to buy, specifically mentioning chocolate and souvenirs. Using the word "chocolate" correctly fills the blank in the notes summarizing this part of the text. |
| Q34 | timing | What it does now is control the timing of all cruise ship entries to the city's port | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that Dubrovnik's method for handling too many tourists is to manage the specific times that cruise ships can enter the harbor. Answer Explanation: The answer 'timing' refers to the schedule or the specific time when something happens. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'timing' because the transcript explains how the city of Dubrovnik manages the excessive number of visitors. To prevent too many tourists from arriving at once, the local government has started to regulate or 'control' exactly when cruise ships are allowed to enter the city's port. The words 'control the timing' in the transcript match the idea of 'managing' the schedule in the notes. |
| Q35 | cost | A recent survey showed that cost is also a major factor in putting younger groups off going on a cruise | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that a study found that price is one of the main things that makes younger people decide not to go on a cruise. Answer Explanation: The answer 'cost' refers to the amount of money someone has to pay to go on a cruise holiday. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'cost' because the speaker mentions it as a primary reason why younger people avoid cruises. The transcript states that people have an image problem with cruises, thinking they are for older people, and also that the price makes younger groups think they shouldn't go. The word 'cost' is explicitly linked to the survey result about what 'puts off' (discourages) younger travelers. |
| Q36 | rules | And another perception is that cruises have lots of rules about what to wear and how to behave | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that many people believe cruises have many specific requirements for how a person should dress and act while on the ship. Answer Explanation: The answer is rules, which are instructions that tell you what you must do or what আপনি cannot do. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'rules' because the speaker mentions a common idea or 'perception' that people have about cruise holidays. Many people believe that cruises are very strict and formal, with many requirements about what passengers should wear and how they should act. The phrase 'lots of rules' in the transcript matches the note 'too many '. |
| Q37 | diving | There's even a boxing ring on one ship, and most offer diving expeditions. But there's also a huge focus on well-being with a variety of sessions of different kinds | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that new cruise ships provide specialized activities like boxing, diving, and well-being classes to appeal to younger passengers. Answer Explanation: The answer 'diving' refers to an underwater swimming activity that is now offered on cruise ships to attract younger travelers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'diving' because the transcript lists specific activities available on modern cruise ships aimed at people aged 21 to 45. It mentions a 'boxing ring' and 'diving expeditions' as examples of something you wouldn't find on traditional cruises, followed by a focus on 'well-being'. This perfectly matches the list format in the notes: 'boxing, diving and well-being programmes.' |
| Q38 | vegan | Food is always a very important part of any cruise and cruise ships have had to radically update their menus to suit the tastes of their younger customers. Vegan dishes are standard, for example | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that food is a major part of the cruise experience. To satisfy younger travelers, cruise ships updated their food choices, making vegan meals a standard option. Answer Explanation: The answer "vegan" means food that does not contain any animal products like meat, milk, or eggs. This type of food is now commonly served on cruise ships to attract younger passengers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "vegan" because the speaker mentions that cruise companies had to change their menus (the lists of food served) to please younger people. The text explicitly states that "vegan dishes" are now a normal or "standard" part of the food options provided to these customers. |
| Q39 | wifi | Many people going on longer cruises also spend time working, so companies have to guarantee wifi that can be relied upon at all times | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that because some guests work while traveling, cruise companies must promise to provide an internet connection that is always available and works correctly. Answer Explanation: The answer is the wireless internet connection that people use on their phones or computers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "wifi" because younger travelers want to stay in touch with friends or do work while they are on a trip. The speaker says that cruise companies must provide a strong and steady internet connection for these passengers. In the notes, the word "reliable" means the same as the phrase "can be relied upon" used in the text. |
| Q40 | videos | Leading cruise lines now employ top agencies to produce first rate videos for social media channels | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that major cruise companies are hiring experts to make very good videos for websites like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok to improve their advertising. Answer Explanation: The answer is the type of media (videos) that cruise companies are using on social sites to attract new customers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the final part of the talk, which discusses how cruise lines are changing their marketing to reach younger people. The speaker mentions that companies are now hiring professional agencies to create 'first rate videos' for 'social media channels'. In this context, 'first rate' is a synonym for the phrase 'high quality' used in the notes, and 'videos' is the specific content being produced. |
Transcript
For my presentation today I'm going to talk about some of the issues facing the cruise ship industry and then some ways these can be addressed. The cruise ship industry has partly been responsible for the effects of overtourism in recent decades. Overtourism occurs in places where excessive numbers of tourists cause significant problems. Pollution, for example, is among the greatest threats to many popular tourist destinations.
Of course, for many places it's a difficult balance to achieve. They want to promote their city or island as a desirable tourist destination, but at the same time, are unable to cope with thousands of cruise ship passengers on a daily basis. The trouble is, excessive tourism is destroying the beauty spots and places of interest that people come to visit. Several cities, such as Barcelona, have responded by imposing a tax which all visitors to the city from cruise ships have to pay. But as it's only a couple of euros, many green campaigners think it won't deter enough people to make any difference.
Bruges is another city which became impossible to navigate at times because of the huge numbers of cruise passengers arriving on day trips from the port of Zeebrugge. The city was becoming like a 'theme park', with shops only catering for tourists, selling chocolate, which Belgium is famous for, and other souvenirs. The local council took action to limit cruise passengers to a more manageable level.
Dubrovnik had to limit the numbers of cruise ships after it became extremely popular as a cruise ship destination when it featured in a hugely successful TV series. What it does now is control the timing of all cruise ship entries to the city's port. However, many people feel this measure does not go far enough.
Cruise ships may be unpopular in some of their destinations but they also have an image problem. They've always been perceived as a safe holiday for the elderly, with not much on offer for families or young couples. A recent survey showed that cost is also a major factor in putting younger groups off going on a cruise. But what they don't realise is that compared to other types of package holidays, cruises can actually be good value, as all activities and drinks are often included. And another perception is that cruises have lots of rules about what to wear and how to behave. But these days, most cruises are no longer very formal and behind the times.
So what solutions are there for cruise lines to overcome some of these problems? How can they appeal to younger customers? Well one selling point is that cruise ships are becoming more sustainable. New ships are built with hybrid engines with large batteries which means ships do not have to keep their engines running while docked.
Cruise lines are also designing ships specially for those in the age range of 21 to 45. The décor in these feels contemporary and there are a range of activities on board that you wouldn't find on a more traditional cruise. There's even a boxing ring on one ship, and most offer diving expeditions. But there's also a huge focus on well-being with a variety of sessions of different kinds.
Food is always a very important part of any cruise and cruise ships have had to radically update their menus to suit the tastes of their younger customers. Vegan dishes are standard, for example. The restaurants on board have also gone paperless with menus available on screen.
Unlike older generations who went on cruises largely to get away from everything, younger people expect to be able to keep in touch with friends and family. Many people going on longer cruises also spend time working, so companies have to guarantee wifi that can be relied upon at all times.
My grandparents used to love looking through cruise brochures, even when they weren't planning on going on a cruise. Until very recently TV ads for cruises always felt dated and aimed at retirees. Cruise lines have been slow to adopt the power of social media but that's all changing. Leading cruise lines now employ top agencies to produce first rate videos for social media channels.
It will be interesting to see whether ...