Recent cruise ship tragedies apparently aren?t deterring many people from travelling, the Miami Herald reported this week.

About 70 percent of respondents to a February survey by the Cruise Lines International Association said they plan to travel as much this year as last year. An additional 19 percent said they plan to travel more, while ten percent said they?ll travel less, according to results of the survey released on Monday.

Of those who plan to travel less, only 13 percent cited concerns about cruise-ship safety, down from 15 percent in 2004, the last time a similar survey was done. Concerns about personal finances were more commonly cited for reduced travel plans.

The Herald said that suggested cruise executives and travel agents are succeeding in countering negative publicity surrounding missing passengers, namely Connecticut honeymooner George Smith, whose disappearance from a Royal Caribbean ship last summer has become fodder for TV news shows.

But because the survey was done in February, it does not reflect more recent tragedies, such as the March 23 fire aboard the Star Princess off the Jamaican coast. That fire, which remains under investigation, killed one passenger and injured 11 others.

New York-based CLIA released the results of the survey during its second-annual gathering of cruise industry executives and travel agents at the Broward County Convention Centre.

??It seems like they can?t build ships fast enough,?? said Peter Ostrowski, vice president at market research firm TNS, which did the survey for CLIA.

Cruise ships also are attracting younger people. The average age now is 49, down from the mid-50s previously, according to the survey.

Cruise ships are also attracting a fairly well-heeled segment of the population. The average cruiser has an annual household income of $104,000 and spends $1,690 on his or her ticket and onboard expenses.