By Wallace Immen/ First-time cruisers are driving fast growth in cruising, with 31% of passengers in the last two years being new to cruise. But there’s also a rising tide in repeat cruising, the latest annual report of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) finds.
The ‘State of the Cruise Industry’ report highlights what the industry calls unprecedented demand driven by increasing choice, innovation and diversity of destinations. Cruise travel earns higher satisfaction ratings compared to other holiday choices and 25% of repeat cruisers sail two or more times per year; with 11% of cruisers taking three to five cruises a year, the study found.
A full 82% of those who have cruised plan to cruise again. Gen-X and Millennials are among the most enthusiastic cruisers, drawn to the variety of cruise experiences, the ability to visit multiple destinations and value of a cruise holiday. And multi-generational travel is a big draw as cruise holidays offer experiences for all ages. Nearly a third of cruise guests sail with three or more generations.
The global cruise industry welcomed 34.6 million cruise passengers in 2024, with 37.7 million expected in 2025.
“CLIA’s 2025 State of the Cruise Industry report shows that cruising continues to be one of the most dynamic and resilient sectors in tourism, growing in line with strong demand for cruise holidays, particularly among younger generations and new-to-cruise travellers,” said Bud Darr, president and CEO of CLIA.
Even though it still represents only 2% of global tourism, the cruise sector has a significant economic impact in communities around the world, CLIA says. North America remains the top source market for cruise, with a 13% increase in 2024 over 2023. In 2024, Caribbean/ Bahamas/ Bermuda itineraries remained the most popular, with 43% of all cruise passengers sailing to the Caribbean in 2024, followed by the Mediterranean and other European destinations
CLIA member lines will welcome 11 new ships to the global fleet in 2025 and 56 new CLIA member ocean-going ships are on order from 2025-2036, representing a $56.8 billion investment and proof of the confidence in cruising’s future. While some new ships can carry over 5,000 guests, at least 70% of current and coming cruise ships are small to mid-size.
CLIA points to the sustainability of cruising: Guests book their trips well in advance and companies reserve port calls a year or more in advance. The industry is investing in shore power connections and engines that can be adapted for use of low-to-zero-emissions fuels as they become available at scale. Many coming ships have engines that can run on LNG/methanol and are able to switch to bio- or synthetic-LNG.
In addition, cruising benefits communities around the world through local sourcing of goods and services, and spending before and after each cruise, with 69 percent of passengers staying one or more nights in a hotel.
(Wallace Immen is the editor of The Cruisington Time, https://cruisington.com/)