cruise tourism growth

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2024 state of the cruise industry report shows cruise tourism has surpassed historical levels, demonstrates its significant economic contribution and leadership in environmental sustainability and responsible tourism.

New  Oceans of Opportunities  publication highlights the global cruise workforce and the growth of careers in cruising.

WASHINGTON , April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise community, has released its annual State of the Cruise Industry report and a new publication,  Oceans of Opportunities workforce skills report.

The annual state of the industry report includes the release of 2023 passenger volume, which reached 31.7 million— surpassing 2019 by 7%. The report also shows continued demand for cruise holidays, noting intent to cruise at 82%. The forecast for cruise capacity shows an increase of 10% from 2024 through 2028, as cruise lines make ongoing, concrete progress in pursuit of net- zero emissions by 2050.

"Cruise continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most resilient sectors of tourism— rebounding faster than international tourist arrivals—and a strong contributor to local and national economies. In 2022, cruise tourism cruise generated 90% of economic impact compared to 2019, despite passenger volumes that year at 70% of 2019 levels. Over the past 50 years, cruise tourism has demonstrated its leadership in managed tourism and is an industry that has plenty of room for continued responsible growth given cruise travel comprises just 2% of overall travel and tourism," said Kelly Craighead , president and CEO of CLIA. "The industry also continues to lead the way in environmental sustainability and destination stewardship, with cruise lines making advancements in technology, infrastructure and operations, and in green skills training for crew."

Highlights from CLIA's 2024 State of the Industry report include:

Cruise is Thriving:

Cruise tourism reached 107% of 2019 levels in 2023, with 31.7 million passengers sailing – almost two million more than 2019.

2024 is forecast to see 35.7 cruise passengers sailing.

Intent to cruise is 6% higher than 2019, with Millennials being the most enthusiastic cruise travelers of the future.

Global cruise capacity is forecast to grow from 677K lower berths in 2024 to 745K lower berths in 2028.

Each year, the fleet becomes more efficient, as cruise lines invest in propulsion technologies with conversion capabilities for future alternative fuels and utilize a range of technologies and innovations to advance their sustainability initiatives.

2022 Global Economic Impact . In 2022, cruise generated:

$138 billion to the global economy

1.2 million jobs – up 4% compared to 2019.

$43 billion in wages

63% of those who have taken a cruise say that they have returned to a destination that they first visited via cruise ship for a longer stay, extending the economic impact.

For 2023, the economic impact is forecast to be even greater given the 50% increase in the number of passengers sailing in 2023 compared to 2022.

Trends in Cruise:

The number of new-to-cruise is increasing – 27% of cruisers over the past two years are new-to-cruise, an increase of 12% over the past year.

Cruises are a top choice for multi-generational travel – with more than 30% of families traveling by cruise with at least two generations and 28% of cruise travelers traveling with three to five generations.

Expedition and exploration are the fastest-growing sectors of cruise tourism, with a 71% increase in passengers traveling on expedition itineraries from 2019 to 2023.

Accessible tour excursions are on the rise—with 45% of cruise passengers booking an accessible tour for their most recent cruise.

73% of cruise travelers say that travel advisors have a meaningful influence on their decision to cruise.

"Cruise is the best vacation value there is, with incredible guest experiences delivered by a talented and dedicated multinational workforce of nearly 300,000 seafarers. To highlight the tremendous employment opportunities that cruise tourism supports around the world, CLIA has published a new skills and workforce publication, Oceans of Opportunity . With at least 56 new ships coming online between 2024 and 2028, there are vast opportunities for careers in cruise, which boasts an impressive employee retention rate upwards of 80%," said Craighead.

Highlights from CLIA's  Oceans of Opportunities  workforce report include:

In 2024, cruise lines will employ a multinational workforce of nearly 300,000 seafarers representing more than 150 countries, as well as tens of thousands of employees on land.

94% of women seafarers work in the cruise industry.

Around 40% of senior leadership roles at cruise companies are held by women.

Among current and future workforce needs are green skills.

To view the full  2024 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook  report, see here . To view the full Oceans of Opportunities publication, see here .

About the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)

CLIA is the world's largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice for the industry as the leading authority of the global cruise community. On behalf of its members, affiliates and partners, the organization supports policies and practices that foster a secure, healthy, and sustainable cruise ship environment, promoting positive travel experiences for millions of travelers who cruise annually. This year, CLIA forecasts that annual the number of passengers will reach 34.7 million passengers. The CLIA community includes the world's most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines; a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers, and business services; and a highly trained and certified travel agent members that represent the largest network of travel professionals specializing in cruise travel. The organization's global headquarters are in Washington, DC , with regional offices located in North and South America , Europe , and Australasia.

For more information, please visit  cruising.org  or follow us on  Facebook , Instagram,  Twitter , and  YouTube  with our handle @CLIAGlobal—or on LinkedIn .

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2024-state-of-the-cruise-industry-report-shows-cruise-tourism-has-surpassed-historical-levels-demonstrates-its-significant-economic-contribution-and-leadership-in-environmental-sustainability-and-responsible-tourism-302111983.html

SOURCE CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Bartlett Leads Jamaica’s Cruise Tourism Growth with Major Cruise Lines

• April 19, 2024

In an effort to drive cruise tourism, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett met with several leading cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC Cruises and Disney Cruise Line.

Bartlett said that Royal Caribbean maintains its target of bringing some 400,000 annual visitors to Falmouth.

Additionally, Minister Bartlett stressed the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with Carnival brands, adding that “plans are afoot to have discussions with Princess Cruises, another major player under their umbrella, regarding further collaboration.”

Bartlett also noted that Disney Cruise Line expressed satisfaction with their current operations in Falmouth and a willingness to consider Port Royal as a future destination. 

Commenting on his meeting with MSC Cruises representatives, Bartlett said: “Discussions with MSC Cruises were very positive as they revealed their interest in forging a larger strategic partnership involving investment in local infrastructure.”

Bartlett also revealed that Norwegian Cruise Line expressed interest in expanding their footprint in Jamaica, particularly impressed by the country’s alignment with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, a growing priority for cruise lines.

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Growth of the Ocean Cruise Line Industry

Worldwide, the ocean cruise industry experienced an annual passenger compound annual growth rate of 5.9% from 1990 to 2024.

While the COVID-19 pandemic brought the ocean passenger cruise industry to a standstill for nearly two years, it also prompted the accelerated retirement of numerous older ships. Simultaneously, new additions to fleets adopted a more modern and environmentally friendly approach. In 2024, passenger numbers are expected to surpass the pre-COVID levels of 2019.

Between 2023 and 2024, a total of 10 new ships, with a combined passenger capacity of 25,450, are set to be added (refer to the tables below). This influx will bring the worldwide ocean cruise passenger capacity to 673,000, spread across 360 ships. These vessels are projected to carry a total of 30.0 million passengers by the end of 2024, representing a 4.2% increase over 2023 and a 9.2% increase over 2019.

Shipbuilding Summary

Sources: Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., Carnival Corporation and plc, NCL Corporation Ltd., Thomson/First Call, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) , The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) , DVB Bank and proprietary Cruise Market Watch Cruise Pulse data.

Cruise Tourism Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecast (2024-2029)

The Cruise Tourism Market Report is Segmented by Type (River Cruise, Ocean Cruise, Expedition Cruise, Theme Cruise, Adventure Cruise, and Other Types), by Duration (1- 7 Days, 8 To 14 Days, 15-20 Days, and More Than 21 Days), by Passenger Age (Less Than 12 Years, 13-19 Years, 20-39 Years, 40-59 Years, and Above 60 Years), and by Geography (Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East). The Report Offers Market Size and Forecasts for the Cruise Tourism Market in Terms of Revenue (USD) for all the Above Segments.

• Cruise Tourism Market Size

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Cruise Tourism Market Analysis

The Cruise Tourism Market size is estimated at USD 9.44 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 14.31 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 8.67% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

• The cruise business has transformed tremendously in recent years, becoming the leading travel industry. It is widely regarded as the most popular recreational activity type and is a successful sector globally. Cruise lines offer various itineraries, from tropical getaways to cultural explorations. The industry has grown significantly due to rising disposable income and the desire for unique travel experiences.
• Cruise companies continuously innovate to attract more passengers and offer exciting features like themed cruises, luxury experiences, and onboard entertainment. Cruise ships visit various destinations, including popular tourist spots worldwide. Some destinations have developed specialized cruise terminals to accommodate large cruise ships and handle passenger arrivals efficiently.
• Cruise Tourism Market Trends

Increase in Number of Ocean Cruise Passengers in North America

• The increase in the number of ocean cruise passengers in North America is making waves in the cruise tourism market. More and more people are opting for cruises as their preferred vacation choice. 
• The convenience, variety of destinations, and onboard amenities offered by cruise lines are attracting a growing number of travelers, the industry is booming and expanding to meet the demand in North America. Cruise lines are constantly innovating and offering new and exciting experiences to attract passengers. 
• From luxurious accommodations to thrilling entertainment options, there's something for everyone. This surge in demand for ocean cruises is contributing to the overall growth of the cruise tourism market.

Increase in Online Sales of Cruises in Asia

• Cruises have been gaining popularity in Asia in recent years. With the convenience and accessibility of online platforms, more and more people in Asia are opting to book their cruises online. This shift in consumer behavior is driving the growth of the cruise tourism market in the region. 
• Online travel agencies and cruise line websites are providing a seamless booking experience, allowing travelers to easily compare options, explore different itineraries, and secure their dream cruise with just a few clicks. This trend not only benefits travelers by offering them more choices and flexibility, but it also presents new opportunities for cruise companies to reach a wider audience in the Asian market.

Cruise Tourism Industry Overview

The cruise tourism market is moderately competitive and has several major players. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market. The competitive landscape includes an analysis of a few international and local companies that hold market shares and are well-known, including Carnival Corporation & Plc, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, MSC Cruises, and Costa Cruises, among others.

Cruise Tourism Market Leaders

Carnival Corporation & Plc

Royal Caribbean Group

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd

MSC Cruises

Costa Cruises

*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

Cruise Tourism Market News

• November 2023: TravClan and Resorts World Cruises joined forces in a groundbreaking partnership aimed at revolutionizing cruise tourism in India. Through this collaboration, TravClan embarks on a transformative journey that promises to redefine the landscape of cruise vacations in India, ensuring accessibility and affordability for all.
• October 2023: Traveltek and Cruise Planners formed a strategic alliance, building on their longstanding relationship as Sabre clients. Traveltek is set to empower its agents' cruise technology solution on a national scale, marking a significant step forward in enhancing the cruise booking experience for travelers.

Cruise Tourism Market Report - Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition

1.2 Scope of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 Market Drivers

4.2.1 Increasing Disposable Income is Driving the Market

4.3 Market Restraints

4.3.1 High Costs is Restraining the Market

4.4 Market Opportunities

4.4.1 Increasing Popularity of Themed Cruises is Creating an Opportunity

4.5 Value Chain / Supply Chain Analysis

4.6 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.6.1 Threat of New Entrants

4.6.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers

4.6.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.6.4 Threat of Substitute Products

4.6.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

4.7 Insights on Technological Innovations in the Market

4.8 Impact of Covid-19 on the Market

5. MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 By Type

5.1.1 River Cruise

5.1.2 Ocean Cruise

5.1.3 Expedition Cruise

5.1.4 Theme Cruise

5.1.5 Adventure Cruise

5.1.6 Others

5.2 By Duration

5.2.1 1-7Days

5.2.2 8-14 Days

5.2.3 15-20 Days

5.2.4 More than 21 Days

5.3 By Passenger Age

5.3.1 Less than 12 years

5.3.2 13-19 Years

5.3.3 20-39 Years

5.3.4 40-59 Years

5.3.5 Above 60 Years

5.4 Geography

5.4.1 North America

5.4.1.2 Canada

5.4.1.3 Mexico

5.4.1.4 Rest of North America

5.4.2 Europe

5.4.2.1 Germany

5.4.2.3 France

5.4.2.4 Russia

5.4.2.5 Spain

5.4.2.6 Rest of Europe

5.4.3 Asia Pacific

5.4.3.1 India

5.4.3.2 China

5.4.3.3 Japan

5.4.3.4 Rest of Asia Pacific

5.4.4 South America

5.4.4.1 Brazil

5.4.4.2 Argentina

5.4.4.3 Rest of South America

5.4.5 Middle East

5.4.5.1 UAE

5.4.5.2 Saudi Arabia

5.4.5.3 Rest of Middle East

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Market Concentration

6.2 Company Profiles

6.2.1 Carnival Corporation & Plc

6.2.2 Royal Caribbean Group

6.2.3 Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd

6.2.4 MSC Cruises

6.2.5 Costa Cruises

6.2.6 Princess Cruises

6.2.7 Celebrity Cruises

6.2.8 Holland America Line

6.2.9 Disney Cruise Line

6.2.10 Cunard Line*

• *List Not Exhaustive

7. MARKET FUTURE TRENDS

8. DISCLAIMER AND ABOUT US

Cruise Tourism Industry Segmentation

Cruise tourism refers to holidays that are entirely or partly based on a cruise ship. 

The cruise tourism market is segmented by type which includes a river cruise, ocean cruise, expedition cruise, theme cruise, adventure cruise, and other types, by duration, including 1- 7 days, 8-14 days, 15-20 days, and more than 21 days, by passenger age includes less than 12 Years, 13-19 years, 20-39 years, 40-59 years, and above 60 years, and by geography includes Asia-pacific, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East. 

The report offers market size and forecasts for the cruise tourism market in terms of revenue (USD) for all the above segments.

Cruise Tourism Market Research FAQs

How big is the cruise tourism market.

The Cruise Tourism Market size is expected to reach USD 9.44 billion in 2024 and grow at a CAGR of 8.67% to reach USD 14.31 billion by 2029.

What is the current Cruise Tourism Market size?

In 2024, the Cruise Tourism Market size is expected to reach USD 9.44 billion.

Who are the key players in Cruise Tourism Market?

Carnival Corporation & Plc, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises are the major companies operating in the Cruise Tourism Market.

Which is the fastest growing region in Cruise Tourism Market?

Asia Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period (2024-2029).

Which region has the biggest share in Cruise Tourism Market?

In 2024, the North America accounts for the largest market share in Cruise Tourism Market.

What years does this Cruise Tourism Market cover, and what was the market size in 2023?

In 2023, the Cruise Tourism Market size was estimated at USD 8.62 billion. The report covers the Cruise Tourism Market historical market size for years: 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The report also forecasts the Cruise Tourism Market size for years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.

Cruise Tourism Industry Report

Statistics for the 2024 Cruise Tourism market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Cruise Tourism analysis includes a market forecast outlook to for 2024 to (2024to2029 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.

Cruise Tourism Market Report Snapshots

• Cruise Tourism Market Share
• Cruise Tourism Companies

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Cruises - Worldwide

• By 2024, the Cruises market is projected to generate a revenue of US$30.11bn worldwide.
• The revenue is expected to grow annually at a rate of 5.05% (CAGR 2024-2028), which will lead to a projected market volume of US$36.67bn by 2028.
• Moreover, the number of users in this market is expected to rise to 33.43m users by 2028.
• The user penetration, which is currently at 0.37%, is expected to increase to 0.42% by 2028.
• The average revenue per user (ARPU) is projected to reach US$1.05k .
• It is noteworthy that in the Cruises market, 25% of the total revenue is expected to be generated through online sales by 2028.
• In terms of revenue generated, United States will have the highest share, with a total of US$15,160m in 2024.
• Despite the challenging times for the cruise industry, the demand for luxury cruises in the United States remains strong.

Key regions: Germany , Singapore , Indonesia , India , Vietnam

Definition:

Additional Information:

The main performance indicators of the Cruises market are revenues, average revenue per user (ARPU), users and user penetration rates. Additionally, online and offline sales channel shares display the distribution of online and offline bookings. The ARPU refers to the average revenue one user generates per year while the revenue represents the total booking volume. Revenues are generated through both online and offline sales channels and include exclusively B2C revenues. Users represent the aggregated number of guests. Each user is only counted once per year.

The booking volume includes all booked travels made by users from the selected region, independent of the departure and arrival. The scope includes domestic and outbound travel.

For further information on the data displayed, refer to the info button right next to each box.

• Multi-day cruises
• Ocean cruises and river cruises

out-of-scope

• Trips by ferry (including trips with overnight stay)
• Trips by ferry mainly for transport purposes

Travel & Tourism

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• Package Holidays
• Analyst Opinion

The Cruises market worldwide continues to experience steady growth and evolution, driven by changing customer preferences, emerging trends, local special circumstances, and underlying macroeconomic factors. Customer preferences: Customers worldwide are increasingly seeking unique and personalized cruise experiences, leading to a rise in demand for themed cruises, expedition cruises, and luxury cruises. Passengers are looking for more than just a traditional cruise vacation, opting for immersive cultural experiences, adventure activities, and wellness offerings onboard. Additionally, there is a growing interest in sustainable and eco-friendly cruises, with passengers prioritizing environmentally conscious travel options. Trends in the market: In the United States, the Cruises market is witnessing a surge in demand for river cruises, particularly along the Mississippi River and Alaska's Inside Passage. These cruises offer passengers a chance to explore inland waterways and experience the natural beauty of these regions up close. Moreover, themed cruises centered around food and wine, music festivals, and wellness retreats are gaining popularity among American travelers, catering to diverse interests and preferences. Local special circumstances: In Europe, the Cruises market is influenced by the continent's rich history, diverse cultures, and scenic waterways. European cruises often include stops at iconic cities like Venice, Barcelona, and Amsterdam, allowing passengers to immerse themselves in the region's art, architecture, and culinary delights. The Mediterranean remains a top destination for cruise travelers, offering a blend of sun-soaked beaches, ancient ruins, and vibrant coastal towns along the way. Underlying macroeconomic factors: The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a boom in the Cruises market, driven by rising disposable incomes, expanding middle-class population, and increasing interest in luxury travel experiences. Countries like China, Japan, and Australia are seeing a growing number of cruise passengers, leading to investments in new cruise ship terminals, infrastructure development, and strategic partnerships with international cruise lines. The region's diverse landscapes, cultural heritage, and culinary offerings make it a compelling destination for both domestic and international cruisers.

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Cruise Tourism Market

An Analysis of the Cruise Tourism Market by Adventure Cruises, Classic Cruises, Luxury Cruises, River Cruises, and Others

Cruise tourism is becoming increasingly popular since it is an opulent mode of transportation that incorporates an all-inclusive vacation aboard a ship for at least 24 hours.

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Cruise Tourism Market Snapshot (2023 to 2033)

The cruise tourism industry held a market worth of US$ 5.3 billion in 2022, and it is anticipated that it will reach a market value of US$ 17.8 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2023 to 2033.

Cruise tourism is a huge business industry, according to a certain study, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; the cruise industry across the world hosted 29.7 billion passengers. This generated jobs for nearly 1.8 billion individuals across the globe and gave approximately US$ 150 billion to the world’s economy.

The cruise tourism market has become the swiftest growing segment in the entire travel industry across the globe and there is plenty of variety of cruises on offer these days. Cruise tourism is fundamentally a form of enclave tourism, and it incorporates all the aspects of the tourism industry such as transportation, accommodation, attractions, and hospitality

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Cruise Tourism Market Historical Analysis (2018 to 2022) Vs. Forecast Outlook (2023 to 2033)

The global demand for cruise tourism market is projected to increase at a CAGR over 12% during the forecast period between 2023 and 2033, reaching a total of US$ 4.6 billion in 2018, according to a report from Future Market Insights (FMI). From 2018 to 2022, sales witnessed significant growth in the global cruise tourism Market, registering a CAGR of 8.3%.

The global cruise tourism market is said to grow exponentially during the forecast period due to the increasing disposable income of individuals along with the latest development in the cruises’ facilities and offers onboard.

More pioneering services, themes, amenities, etc., that are offered in many cruise liners nowadays are anticipated to propel the demand for the cruise tourism market during the forecast period. Several cruise companies these days are offering services such as in-room spa treatments, skydiving simulators, adventurous activities, water coasters, etc., these activities are said to attract tourists and are anticipated to escalate the share of footfalls in the future.

What is primarily driving the Global Market for Cruise Tourism Market?

Remarkable Expansion of the Cruise Industry in Emerging Areas

One of the key aspects influencing the cruise tourism business is the expanding cruise industry. Several businesses are emerging, offering a range of amenities to draw clients to meet the need for maritime cross-border travel. The infographic claims that in December 2022, 239 ships entered commercial service, a 15-fold increase over December 2021.

The top 10 cruise brands account for 105 of the 239 cruise vessels that will depart in December. MSC Cruises, having 13 active ships along with 50,326 beds, is ranked first on the list, followed by Carnival Cruise Line having 17 ships along with 54,364 berths, and Royal Caribbean International having 20 sailing ships along with 71,800 berths. Immense growth in the sector as these is anticipated to open up new opportunities in the market in the years to come.

Others Factors that can have a Positive Impact on the Growth Curve

There is an increasing demand for cruise tours amongst individuals of all age groups, as there are multiple fun activities for every age group. New inventive ships are being launched with the latest technologies coupled with more onboard fun for travelers to attract larger crowd. These factors positively impact the cruise tourism market growth.

A sudden increase in the popularity of cruise tourism in emerging countries is anticipated to generate robust opportunities for all cruise service providers worldwide during the forecast period. Several cruise companies are planning to expand their business in these regions in order to capture untapped markets of developing economies. These companies launch exclusive offers and attractive discounts to drive the sales of their cruise businesses.

The cruise tourism sectors’ trends are significant as they are said to experience complete power go-ahead mode distinguished by trends such as group-oriented cruises, advancements in cruise ships, generating novel experiences, culinary delights, etc.

One of the largest growing sectors in the tourism industry is the cruise industry. Even during the time of economic recession in the 2000s, the cruise industry steadily grew. The demand for cruise tourism continues to expand and growth into new destinations. There is a considerable increase in repositioning cruises, meaning moving a cruise ship from one destination to another. The tourists’ interest in such repositioning inculcates exploration of new destinations and their price advantage as compared to regular cruising. Cruising is extremely popular across all generations, it is no longer meant just for the adult population.

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What can hinder the Growth of the Global Cruise Tourism Market?

Severe Weather Conditions may have a Serious Impact on the Market

The cruise tourism segment is inspired by several macroeconomic factors, i.e., the consumer’s sureness is affected by the financial crisis. There are many natural disasters that cannot be controlled by us, humans. These factors pose a threat to the global cruise tourism market. A possible reason which affects the growth of this market is the presence of pirates in the Gulf of Aden and several other areas.

Another crucial factor that affects the cruise tourism market is the condition of the crew members. Passengers are given best privileges and facilities at the crew members’ expense. This leads to low social security, and low salaries for the crew onboard a cruise ship.

Category-wise Insights

Which tourism type is likely to gain traction during the forecast period.

River Cruises are anticipated to hold a Significant Market Share in 2023

In 2022, the river cruises segment by tourism type was estimated to hold over 35% market share. It is projected that river cruising, which allows passengers to take in the landscape along the banks, would have a beneficial effect on the market during the course of the projection period.

Onboard features on river cruises are many. Staterooms are often river-facing and have hotel-style beds, private bathrooms, refrigerators, individual climate controls, safes, and TVs. Higher cabin grades may have French balconies, verandas, and separate bedroom and sitting rooms. A room can range in size from 150 to 600 square feet. The crew members onboard deliver exceptional, customized service to visitors. Additionally, ships provide free WiFi, eating options, pubs, and lounges. There are stores, sun decks, swimming pools, and libraries on certain ships. The aforementioned amenities draw a sizable number of visitors, fueling the market expansion of the river cruise segment.

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Comparative View of the Adjacent Markets

Cruise Tourism Market:

Alaskan Cruises Market:

European Cruises Market:

Region-wise Analysis

What is likely to drive the sales in the north american market for cruise tourism.

Rising Middle-Class Families to Boost the Sales in the Cruise Tourism Market

In the global cruise tourism market, North America is responsible for the dominant market share owing to the luxury taste of the population and the constantly increasing economy. The North American region is likely to hold a 33.5% market share of the global cruise tourism market.

Increasingly more people are choosing to cruise as a holiday choice in North America. The ease, comfort, and elegance of cruising have drawn a lot of interest, which has helped the sector expand. The baby boomer group is prevalent in North America, and they are more likely than younger generations to go on cruises. Demand has also been boosted by the increasing middle class families in North America, which has increased the number of individuals who can afford to go on cruises. Cruise ships can visit a variety of locations in North America, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, and Canada.

What can be expected from the European Market for Cruise Tourism from 2023 to 2033?

Rising Cases of River Cruising along with Increased Cruise Capacity to Boost Growth

In 2022, the European market cruise tourism was estimated to have acquired a 28.9% revenue share. Europe’s low market penetration strategy renders several opportunities for ship cruising. In Europe, countries like Ireland and the United Kingdom are the two biggest source markets for cruises. Spain, France, and Italy are also some of the other large source markets in Europe.

The cruise tourism market will be expanding at a considerable rate during the forecast period owing to the rise in river cruising in this region. The Netherlands has portrayed rising demand for cruise ships due to more interest in people. Every year, the river cruises segment is growing exponentially, especially in Germany. The capacity of the passengers on the main European rivers is also increasing, with the emergence of new operators while the existing operators regularly renovate or expand their fleets by constructing next-generation boats.

Market Competition

The key players in this market include:

• AmaWaterways LLC
• Ambassador Cruise Holidays Ltd.
• American Cruise Lines, Carnival Corp., and Plc
• Compagnie du Ponant
• Cosmos Tours Ltd.
• Genting Hong Kong Ltd.
• Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corp. Ltd.
• LaVista Travel
• MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Key players operating the cruise tourism market are adopting innovative growth strategies and some of the key developments in the cruise tourism market are:

• In March 2019, Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri launched the Costa Venezia, a massive new cruise ship with a capacity of over 5,200 guests. With 135,500 tons and 323 meters in length, the Costa Venezia will be the largest-ever ship introduced by Costa to the Chinese market.
• In June 2022, Carnival Corp.’s Carnival Cruise Line collaborated with Costa Cruises, which is Italy’s favorite cruise line by creating a novel concept for Carnival’s North American guests when COSTA® by CARNIVAL® debuts in the spring of 2023 and Costa Venezia TM joins the Carnival fleet sailing from New York. Costa Venezia will be followed by Costa Firenze TM arriving in the spring of 2024 to sail from Long Beach.
• In November 2022, the prestigious Ganga Vilas project in India was unveiled. It calls for the launch of a cruise service with a 4,000-kilometer travel route. Starting in 2023, the luxury vessel will travel from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh via Dibrugarh in Assam through Bangladesh.
• In 2022, the India-based business Cordelia Cruises said that it would spend more than US$ 1 billion by 2025 to buy at least three cruise ships in order to focus on the Indian market, which boasts the third-longest coastline in the world at 7,500 km. The government's prediction of a 10-fold increase in the sector over the following ten years is consistent with Cordelia Brand's optimistic view.

Report Scope

Key segments profiled in the cruise tourism market, by cruise type:.

• Adventure Cruises
• Classic Cruises
• Luxury Cruises
• River Cruises

By Tourist Type:

• Independent Traveller
• Package Traveller
• North America
• Latin America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• South Asia and Pacific
• Middle East and Africa

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is the cruise tourism market.

The market is valued at US$ 7.1 billion in 2023.

Who are the Key Cruise Tourism Market Players?

Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and MSC Cruises are key market players.

Which are the Key Asian Countries in the Cruise Tourism Market?

India, Japan, and China dominate the Asian market.

How Big Will the Cruise Tourism Market by 2033?

The market is estimated to reach US$ 17.8 billion by 2033.

Which Region holds high Lucrativeness?

North America is projected to emerge as a lucrative market.

Table of Content

List of tables, list of charts.

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Cruise Tourism Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Type, by Duration, by Passenger Age : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

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Cruise Tourism Market Research, 2031

The global cruise tourism market size was valued at $5.3 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $13.6 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 10.4% from 2022 to 2031.  Cruise tourism is one of the popular forms of tourism that encompasses all the faces of tourism sector namely transportation, hospitality, accommodation, and others. Cruising has become one of the popular activities among the travelers. Cruise tourism includes various types of cruises majorly river cruise, ocean cruise, expedition cruise, and others.

Cruise tourism refers to the holidays that are entirely or partly based on a cruise ship. In addition, during cruise tourism, the travelers can experience multi-center holidays by visiting various destinations throughout their trip. Cruise ships come in various sizes ranging from small yachts to megaships and cruising can take place on rivers or in oceans. Some of the popular destinations preferred by travelers for cruise tourism are Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Arctic.

Cruise tourism is gaining significant popularity as it is a luxurious form of traveling that involves all-in-one inclusive holiday on a cruise at least for 24 hours. Cruise tourism involves large number of travelers that visit a particular destination at a same time. Cruise tourism has a popular and long history that can be dated back to 1822. Cruise tourism plays a vital role in boosting the economic stability of any nation. For instance, the Caribbean region is one of the popular ocean cruise destinations with lucrative spaces for travelers. Cruise tourism offers quality food & beverage, luxurious accommodation, with recreational activities, casino, and other services. These factors are anticipated to drive the cruise tourism market demand during the analysis timeframe.

The environmental concerns associated with cruise tourism is anticipated to restrain the market growth. For instance, the cruise ship generates large amounts of waste that can lead to graywater, deposition of solid waste, sewage, and other factors that can cause oily bilge on water. Such wastes pollute the marine environment thereby putting the life of aquatic animals in danger. Also, the amount of carbon dioxide released by these ships can lead to environmental pollution.

The growing popularity of cruise destinations across the world is anticipated to drive the cruise tourism sales and generate excellent opportunities in the coming years. The world-famous cruise destinations are Glacier Bay, Alaska, Bora Bora, Avignon, France, Vienna, Austria, and others. For instance, Glacier Bay is a popular cruise tourist destination during which the cruise sails through the Glacier Bay National Park. During the visit, the travelers can experience an incredible view of wildlife, glaciers, fjords, and others.

Vienna, Austria is another popular spot for cruising. Vienna has been popular cruising spot along the Danube River. While cruising at Vienna, the travelers can enjoy the views of historic places, vibrant nightlife, and incredible architectures. AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, and Emerald Waterways are the well-known cruise lines that travel to Vienna, Austria. Additionally, Flam, Norway, is another exciting destination for cruising which is a quaint village located in Norway. This place is known for its scenic views of snow-capped mountains, gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, and river views. The cruises namely Marella Cruises, P&O Cruises, and Viking Ocean Cruises travel to this destination. These factors are anticipated to drive cruise tourism market opportunities during the forecast period.

The key players profiled in this report are Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited., AmaWaterways, Carnival Corporation & plc, PONANT, Cosmos Tours Ltd., Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation Ltd, Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, and Seabourn Cruise Line.

The cruise tourism market is segmented on the basis of type, duration, passenger age, and region. By type, the market is divided into river cruise, ocean cruise, expedition cruise, theme cruise, adventure cruise, and others. Based on the duration, the market is classified into 1-3 days, 4-6 days, 7 days, 8 to 13 days, 14 days, 15-20 days, and more than 21 days. By passenger age, the market is divided into less than 12 years, 13-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, and above 60 years. By region, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

The cruise tourism market is segmented into Type, Duration and Passenger Age.

By type, the ocean cruise sub-segment dominated the market in 2021 and is projected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. Ocean cruise offers ultra-luxury cruising experience to the travelers with spacious and stylish amenities. The ocean cruises are equipped with state-of-art amenities, elegant furnishings, separate sleep zone, lounge area, butler services for ultimate retreat. The ocean cruise features finest toiletries, ambient lighting options, private verandah for making the most of fresh ocean air experience. Ocean cruise offers exotic dining experiences with multi-cultural culinary adventure, in-suite beverage & dining service, advanced heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC). The ocean cruise also has entertainment system, luxury king size scenic slumber bed. These factors are anticipated to drive the growth of ocean cruise segment during the forecast period.

By duration, the 7 days segment dominated the global cruise tourism market  in 2021 and it is estimated to show the fastest growth during the forecast period. 7 days segment of cruise tourism is quite popular and some of the popular cruises include Caribbean-Western Cruise, Eastern Caribbean-Miami, Western Caribbean Cruise, Mediterranean-Eastern Cruise, Southern Caribbean-San Juan, Hawaii Cruise, 7 Nt Western Caribbean & Perfect Day, Bermuda-Boston, and others. For instance, Norwegian Pearl is a popular cruise ship that offers 7 days cruise tourism by visiting various ports Boston, Cruising, King’s Wharf, and Boston.

By passenger age, the 40-49 years segment dominated the global cruise tourism market in 2021 and 20-29 years segment is anticipated to show the fastest growth during the forecast period. The passengers between age group of 40-49 years are majorly involved in cruise tourism are avid form of travelers as most of the people in this age group prefers to a career break or a gap from their professional life in order to rejuvenate their mind by indulging in exotic cruising activities.

By region, North America dominated the market in 2021. Cruise tourism is highly popular in the North America region with West Coast, Pacific Coast, Mexico, and California being the popular cruising destinations. According to the estimates by Cruise Industry News, the leading cruise industry news provider platform, the number of cruise passengers in North America is estimated to account for 5% of the total cruise passengers across the globe. The most visited cruise tourism destinations in North America are Key West, Florida, Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cozumel, Mexico, St. Maarten/Martin, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Additionally, the U.S. has some of the world’s best cruise lines such as Virgin Voyages, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and others. These factors are anticipated to drive the North America cruise tourism market share during the analysis timeframe.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Cruise Tourism Industry

• The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted several businesses including travel and tourism sector. Cruise tourism was one of the worst hit sector during the pandemic. This is because the cruise tourism industry is capital intensive owing to its enormous supply chain that significantly contributes to the substantial economic contribution
• The on-set of COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the financial performance of cruise tourism sector owing to complete shutdown of ports and ban on travel. The social-distancing norms, complete lockdown imposed across several countries have led to decline in the number of travelers globally
• Many countries had announced the ban on entry of cruise ships that negatively impacted the development of cruise tourism sector. Travel bans led to a decline in number of travelers due to the fear of spread of COVID-19 virus, therefore, the cruise tourism companies have suffered heavy operating losses
• For instance, Royal Caribbean Cruises reported an operating loss of around $5.8 billion in 2020. Similarly, the Carnival Cruises had reported an operating loss of around $9.5 billion and Norwegian Holiday Cruise reported an operating loss of around $4.5 billion in 2020
• Additionally, the global cruise passenger numbers declined by whopping 80.6% during the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in huge revenue losses for the companies operating in the cruise tourism sector. All these factors have negatively impacted cruise tourism sector during the pandemic

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• The report provides an exclusive and comprehensive analysis of the global cruise tourism market trends along with the cruise tourism market forecast.
• The report elucidates the cruise tourism market opportunity along with key drivers and restraints of the market. It is a compilation of detailed information, inputs from industry participants and industry experts across the value chain, and quantitative and qualitative assessment by industry analysts.
• Porter’s five forces analysis helps analyze the potential of the buyers & suppliers and the competitive scenario of the market for strategy building
• The report entailing the cruise tourism market analysis maps the qualitative sway of various industry factors on market segments as well as geographies
• The data in this report aims at market dynamics, trends, and developments affecting the cruise tourism market growth

  Cruise Tourism Market Report Highlights

Analyst Review

Cruise tourism industry is becoming quite popular owing to increase in the number of travelers globally. Cruise tourism is an all-inclusive form of tourism that incorporates dining & beverages, entertainment, onboard spaces, submarine, health & wellbeing, and suites. Some of the popular cruise tourism destinations across the world are Antarctica, Caribbean, Australia, Europe, Greenland, Baltics, & Fjords, Central America, and others. Cruise tourism includes indulgent and spacious suites that includes in-suite beverage and dining service, butler service, highest sound insulation as per marine class, en-suite bathroom with shower and sanity, full mini-bar stocked with wines, a private terrace and verandah, and others. These factors are anticipated to drive the cruise tourism market growth during the forecast period.

The cruise tourism market is negatively impacted by environmental impact such as air pollution owing to the release of harmful gases caused by combustion of fuel. However, in the coming years, the market is estimated to witness growth at a rapid pace owing to increase in the number of cruise tourism destinations. For instance, Glacier Bay, Alaska, Avignon, France, Bora Bora, and Vienna, Austria are among the world's most famous cruise destinations. Glacier Bay, for example, is a popular cruise tourist destination where the visitors can see wildlife, glaciers, fjords, and other natural wonders. These aspects are anticipated to provide significant growth opportunities for the cruise tourism market players in the future.

Among the analyzed regions, North America has accounted for dominant market size in 2021, followed by Europe, LAMEA, and Asia-Pacific. Rapid infrastructural developments in cruise tourism industry, increase in the number of travelers, and rise in disposable income are some of the major factors contributing to the market growth.

• Travel Destinations
• Luxury Accommodations
• Travel Packages
• Travel Experiences
• Travel Safety
• Adventure Destinations
• Sustainable Travel
• Travel Retail
• Outdoor Activities

The upcoming trends in the cruise tourism market are the growing popularity of distinct forms of cruise tourism, namely expedition cruises, theme cruises, sea cruises, charter cruises, river cruises, and others.

Cruise tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors which is a major driver of economic growth that attracts a large number of travelers globally. Cruise tourism supports the infrastructural development of a country and generates a sense of cultural exchange between travelers and citizens. These aspects are anticipated to boost the adoption of cruise tourism during the analysis period.

North America is the largest regional market for the cruise tourism industry.

Cruise tourism is anticipated to reach $13,641.4 million by 2031.

Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited., AmaWaterways, Carnival Corporation & plc, and PONANT are the major players that hold the highest market share in cruise tourism industry.

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Cruise Tourism Market

Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

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What does sustainability mean for the cruise industry and how can this be achieved in light of the impact the pandemic continues to have on the cruise industry? What is the future of cruise tourism?

Following the COVID-19 caused shutdown in early 2020, the cruise industry began a return in early 2022 and over-optimistically expects to be back to normal in 2023. The restart was slow, and not without difficulties caused by the lingering effects of the pandemic. However, as requirements loosened for cross-border and international travel, passengers returned and cruise tourism gained momentum. The challenge now for cruise tourism post-pandemic is for all industry partners to benefit from the return of cruise ships and cruise passengers.

The resumption of cruise tourism coincides with cruise corporations’ renewing their commitment to sustainability. It is difficult to guess what this means, given that it was 2002 when the corporations first proclaimed their commitment to sustainability. But what does this word mean for the cruise industry? Answering this question requires a broader view. Cruise corporations (and the lines and ships they operate) are just one partner in the creation of cruise tourism. Others include governments, non-governmental organisations (including those representing cruise industry interests), ports, businesses and vendors. The list could go on, but it is of greater value to realise the complexity of each of these groups or segments. A port of call, for example, includes diverse interests, each with its own view of sustainability. The port authority, which collects port fees and operates the physical port, may have a different view of sustainability than citizens concerned with preserving the destination’s environment or sociocultural elements. The sustainability of bringing 10,000 or more passengers to a port will be viewed quite differently by a cruise line than by diverse segments comprising the port of call.

One way of disentangling the differences is to use the term responsible tourism . Responsible tourism brings to the forefront the question ‘Sustainable for whom?’ Sustainability for a cruise corporation emphasises the balance sheet. The goal is to increase revenue while reducing costs. The losses during the pandemic were obviously not sustainable. But there is more than the balance sheet. Carnival Corporation, as one, has historically performed poorly when it comes to social responsibility and labour. The London Times [1] , in a 2004 corporate profile of Carnival Corporation, rated the company relatively high on share performance (9/10), fat-cat quotient (8/10), future prospects (8/10) and strength of brand and innovation (7/10), but relatively low on social responsibility (3/10) and attitude towards employees (4/10). Being responsible would likely be reflected in a more balanced profile. For a start, they could increase wages, be more vigilant in reducing emissions and treat ports more equitably.

Responsible tourism introduces a moral component [2] . It is a question not just of cruise line revenues and costs but also of the revenue and costs to the community and its constituents. The costs and benefits to a port of call may be economic, sociocultural or environmental. Responsibility asks whether the core of cruise tourism—the port of call—is treat fairly and equitably. Sadly, no exemplars stand out, although some companies (e.g. expedition cruise ships, small operators) are more sensitive and responsive to local communities than the large corporate operators, which together constitute more than 95 percent of cruise ships. On the flip side, the state of Alaska has been proactive in regulating environmental practices, as well as economic relationships with ports.

Responsibility and health

The post-pandemic era provides a good illustration of divergent views of sustainability. Fewer restrictions on cruise passengers and on onboard labour is good for the cruise operator’s bottom line but does not necessarily demonstrate responsibility to ports of call. Prior to a cruise ship visit, a port should be informed of the vaccination status of all passengers and crew, and a full account of all illness reports recorded in each of the previous 10 days. That allows the port of call to be informed of potential risks posed by the visit. It is notable that the first cruise ship scheduled to visit Canada in 2022 had its port calls at Vancouver and Victoria cancelled because of a Centers for Disease Control investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak [3] . The ship, Ruby Princess , reported 253 cases of COVID-19 in five weeks [4] .

The flip side is the cruise industry’s perspective. Though transparency may be the moral thing to do, responsibility to stockholders requires a public relations machine that makes invisible the scale of COVID-19 on cruise ships. They want to reassure passengers of the safety of cruise ships. This tact was taken when waves of Norovirus undercut the perceived safety of cruise vacations; the strategy was described in detail at the 2003 World Cruise Tourism Summit [5] . Bad publicity is bad for business. At the same time, transparency to passengers and to communities can have positive public relations value. Online reports as recent as May 2022 reveal that passengers are unable to receive full information about COVID patients onboard.

Another illustration is revealed around medical emergencies on cruise ships. Medical facilities are limited, so medical emergencies must be debarked in a port or have a medical evacuation. This is sustainable for the cruise line—it offloads responsibility for the ill passenger, including liability, and it minimally impacts the ship’s itinerary. From another perspective, the question is where these ill passengers end up and at whose expense. Is there cost to the port where passengers are left? Yakutat, Alaska, sought to charge cruise lines because of the demand on the town’s emergency services—its only ambulance was often used for cruise ship emergencies, which made it unavailable for local emergencies. Ships never made a port call at Yakutat—passengers were transferred by tender and left behind. The cruise lines refused to pay the levy, and subsequently an amendment was added to the Maritime Security Act prohibiting the levy [6] . While this may be a unique situation, it draws attention to the need for cruise lines to be more sensitive to the communities on which they depend.

Responsibility and labour

Cruise ship labour illustrates another way sustainability may diverge from responsibility. It is cost-effective for cruise lines to employ workers, often from developing countries. They are immersed into a hierarchy with clear lines around race, culture, gender and authority (sexual harassment and sexual assault are long-standing and persistent problems [7] ). The standard employee contract requires a 77-hour workweek and can continue for 10 months without a day off (the length often varies with skin colour or country of origin). The salary for many is less than $2 an hour. Though mandatory gratuities and service charges have increased significantly over the past 20 years, the incomes received by workers have not. Pay scales need to be more equitable and fair, and workers should be represented by a traditional-style labour union (with grievance rights). If wages kept pace with the Consumer Price Index, a worker earning $500 a month should earn $850 today. That is not that case.

Cruise lines have also limited worker rights of grievance and their protection of health and welfare through arbitration clauses inserted in employment contracts [8] . This followed a period where most major cruise lines were sued by workers for unpaid overtime—discovery in the Princess Cruises case revealed a baker working 19 hours a day—8 hours unpaid overtime every day. It also showed different pay scales for workers from different countries, even when filling the same work role.

These labour practices are sustainable for the cruise line. If asked, the industry unapologetically says workers take their jobs freely and can leave anytime they want. That may be true, but the situation appears quite different through a lens of responsibility. Take one example told to me by a musician who had just lost his job with Norwegian Cruise Line. The cruise line fired all Hawaiian musicians playing Hawaiian music on ships in Hawai‘i, replacing them with Filipino musicians playing Hawaiian music. The Filipino musicians cost less, worked more hours and appear Hawaiian when dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Most passengers knew no different, but to the native Hawaiians the cruise line was not behaving responsibly. Similarly, Princess Cruises in 2019 apologised for cultural insensitivity after cruise ship employees posed in New Zealand as Maori performers with careless scribbles on their faces and wearing skirts not reflecting Maori culture [9] .

Responsibility and the environment

The cruise industry says its ships meet or exceed all international environmental regulations. This is meant to be reassuring, but there are two problems. First, though Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has mandatory environmental regulations for member cruise lines, it has never punished or fined a cruise line for violating these regulations (even those found guilty of felony offenses). A CLIA vice president was asked about this in a community meeting in Rockland, Maine; his response was that they had ‘pull[ed] the company aside and given them a stern talking’. That attitude did not further the industry’s desire to be viewed as leaders in sustainability. The local community was not reassured.

The second problem is ambiguity as to what it means to ‘meet or exceed international regulations’. That there are no international regulations around greywater (4,000-passenger ships produce more than 1.5 million litres of greywater every day) should raise concerns for ports since greywater can be legally discharged virtually anywhere in most jurisdictions. Incinerators are similarly not regulated when at sea, even though incinerators onshore are regulated. And though many cruise ships have advanced wastewater treatment systems, the systems do not always operate as promised and their discharges are often exempt from limitations or regulation [10] .

The Ocean Ranger Program in Alaska was a good strategy for ensuring that cruise ship practices and promises correspond, and that discharges into coastal waters meet water quality standards. Alaska’s experience, as the only jurisdiction worldwide to monitor cruise ship discharges and enforce regulations, demonstrates that cruise ships often fail to meet water quality standards. Violations of air quality standards are also enforced through local observers. Enforcement positively impacts cruise ship behaviour.

Another approach is reflected is a recent port-led initiative in the Pacific Northwest. Ports, governments and cruise lines are working to form a ‘green corridor’ where cruise ships traversing the coastal waters of British Columbia and Alaska would operate without fossil fuels by 2050 [11] .

Responsibility and ports of call

Ports of call are a critical element in cruise tourism. Ports significantly contribute to passenger satisfaction. They are also a huge source of cruise lines’ income and profits through shore excursions, shopping programs, ownership of cruise terminals and much more. The responsible cruise tourism lens asks whether economic benefits are equitably distributed to all segments of a tourist destination and whether negative sociocultural and environmental impacts have been minimised. The perception of sustainability or responsibility is vested with stakeholders involved in and impacted by the development of tourism products. Thus, when considering the economic benefits of cruise tourism the focus may not be on income derived from cruise tourism but instead on the degree to which economic benefits are distributed equitably between the cruise line and port and among the stakeholders and segments of society in the port. The cruise line’s goal is to retain as much of the income as possible.

Belize provides an illustration. Passengers arrive by tender at Fort Street Village in the centre of Belize City. The village is contained by a wall and security fence and has within a range of shops, eateries and bars, many of which are found in other Caribbean ports. The retail space is expensive, so few local merchants can afford it; there is a small crafts market for them in another area, but the rents again are significant. The merchants have some income, despite heavy overhead costs; they do better than merchants outside given that few cruise passengers venture independently from the village. Most passengers take shore excursions from which the cruise ship takes 50 percent or more of the price paid by a passenger. A passenger expects a $50 product, but the shore excursion provider receives less than $25. The excursion provider is challenged to provide a quality product while still retaining a small profit. It is of mutual benefit for shore excursion providers to receive a higher payment—they can upgrade their product and elevate passenger satisfaction, but pressure from cruise lines is usually to reduce costs.

Cruise lines similarly pressure ports to keep port fees low. Many ports have been unable to significantly increase head taxes for decades. That doesn’t serve the port. A port fee in 1990, keeping pace with the Consumer Price Index, should have more than doubled by 2022. A $10 port charge in 1990 would equitably be $22.69 in 2022. Cruise lines and ports have divergent interests in seeing these fees increase.

People pollution is another concern for ports of call. This refers to situations where the number of tourists or visitors exceeds the comfortable carrying capacity of a port community, such as when cruise ships collectively disgorge tens of thousands of passengers in a port at one time. Overcrowding has implications for the community and for the experience of passengers. As regards the latter, visitors don’t have an opportunity to interact with and to experience local culture; local cultures may be treated disrespectfully. The sheer volume of cruise passengers compromises the experience of all. On ‘cruise days’ in Belize, for example, locals warn land-based visitors to avoid Xunantunich, one of the country’s main Mayan sites visited by cruise passengers. Passengers’ experience of the sacred site is limited by the short time spent and by the overwhelming number of other cruise passengers sharing the small site. Cruise days are especially busy for the operator of the hand-cranked bridge that crosses the river to get to the Mayan site (quaint when crossing in a single vehicle on a lazy day), and for some craftspeople selling wares at the crossing point, but most passengers stay in safety on their air-conditioned bus and are whisked someplace else. Ideally, cruise lines would work with port communities (and with each other) in itinerary development. Rather than force a port to be proactive and place daily limits on cruise passengers (as has been done in Key West) or on cruise ship size (as in Venice), it would better for cruise lines and communities to find mutually agreeable solutions.

The challenge for cruise tourism post-pandemic will be for all industry partners to benefit from the return of cruise ships and cruise passengers. Cruise corporations want to return to profitability; the major lines all increased service fees (gratuities) and bar prices in 2022, and they are likely to put more pressure on ports of call. The challenge for ports and their constituents is to treat cruise tourism as a business, the way the cruise corporations do. They need to not only get their fair share but also enough benefits to make cruise tourism worth it. A clear business model is needed with targets for income and methods to offset costs.

Ports need to maintain self-esteem [12] . They may benefit from working cooperatively with one another [13] , a strategy the cruise industry has thwarted in past. In any case, they need to meet cruise lines (and those who speak for them) as equals. A cruise ship needs a port to fill its itineraries, which gives the port a degree of power. The port needs to know its value to a cruise line before it begins negotiations. Too often ports (and their constituents) rely on cruise lines and cruise line representatives for data on such things as passenger spending even though these industry-supported experts often overstate the economic benefits of cruise tourism. A study of cruise passenger spending in Halifax, Nova Scotia, revealed that the cruise industry had significantly and systematically overstated passenger spending [14] . The lesson is that port communities need to do their own independent research, and to enter negotiations from a position of strength, based on facts and realistic expectations. Ports also need to engage in inclusive consultation with all involved with and/or impacted by cruise ship visits—this is often the case in smaller communities in Alaska and the Canadian North.

—–

[1] London Times , Corporate Profile no. 104, 16 February 2004, 22.

[2] R.A. Klein, “Responsible Cruise Tourism: Issues of Cruise Tourism and Sustainability,” in “Cruise Tourism: Emerging Issues and Implications for a Maturing Industry,” special issue of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 18 (2011): 103–12.

[3] S. Little, “Start of Cruise Season Delayed as First Planned Arrival in Victoria Is Scrapped,” Global News , 2 April 2022, https://globalnews.ca/news/8730681/vancouver-cruise-cancelled-covid-19/.

[4] N. Diller, “Princess Cruise Ship Has 253 Coronavirus Cases in 5 Weeks,” Washington Post , 27 April 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/04/27/ruby-princess-coronavirus-outbreaks/.

[5] R.A. Klein, Cruise Ship Squeeze: The New Pirates of the Seven Seas (Gabriola Island, BC: New Society, 2005).

[6] Klein, Cruise Ship Squeeze .

[7] R.A. Klein and J. Poulston, “Sex at Sea: Sexual Crimes on Cruise Ships,” Journal of Tourism in Marine Environments 7, no. 2 (2011): 67–80.

[8] R.A. Klein, “Are Current Regulations Sufficient to Protect Passengers and the Environment?,” Testimony before US Senate, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Hearings on Oversight of the Cruise Ship Industry, 1 March 2012.

[9] D. Jones, “Princess Cruises Apologizes for ‘Cultural Insensitivity’ after Employees Pose as Maori Performers in New Zealand,” Washington Post , 3 December 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/12/03/princes-cruises-apologizes-cultural-insensitivity-after-employees-pose-maori-performers-new-zealand/.

[10] R.A. Klein, Getting a Grip on Cruise Ship Pollution (Washington, DC: Friends of the Earth, 2009).

[11] H. Bernton, “A Cruise Ship ‘Green Corridor’ in the PNW? Ports Make Pact over Carbon Emission Goals,” Seattle Times , 20 May 2022, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/a-cruise-ship-green-corridor-in-the-pnw-ports-make-pact-over-carbon-emission-goals/.

[12] R.A. Klein, “Playing Off the Ports: BC and the Cruise Tourism Industry” (Vancouver, BC: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2005).

[13] Klein, “Playing Off the Ports.”

[14] B. Kayahan, R.A. Klein and B. VanBlarcom, “Overstating Cruise Passenger Spending: Sources of Error in Cruise Industry Studies of Economic Impact,” Journal of Tourism in Marine Environments 13, no. 4 (2018): 193–203.

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Caribbean Cruise Ports Lead Segment Surge

T he Caribbean, the cruise industry’s largest deployment region, is driving its post-pandemic resurgence. Several regional destinations are reporting robust 2024 cruise arrivals following similarly positive results in 2023.

The region’s cruise ship surge lies behind a global passenger increase. A total of 31.7 million travelers cruised in 2023, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)’s 2024 State of the Cruise Industry report. The total represents a seven percent increase over pre-pandemic 2019.

Of that number according to CLIA, 44.2 percent of 2023 cruise passengers traveled to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda, far outpacing the 18.5 percent who sailed to the Mediterranean, the next-highest global region.

In all, 12.9 million cruise passengers traveled to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda in 2023, a 7.3 percent increase over 2019. “The Caribbean gained almost one million new cruise visitors in 2023 compared to 2019,” CLIA officials stated in the report.

The cruise growth trend is evident, said destination officials. The Bahamas will host 5.6 million cruise passengers at its Nassau Cruise Port in 2024, said Chester Cooper, minister of tourism.

The figure will exceed the 5.4 million the port hosted in pre-pandemic 2019, said Cooper. “We are about 40 percent higher on cruise passengers at the Nassau cruise port,” he said.

In Barbados, government officials say 392 cruise calls carrying 715,527 passengers are confirmed for the 2024 winter season. The figures represent an 18 percent increase compared with the 358 calls and 608,583 passengers hosted in 2023.

Overall, Barbados’ 2024 cruise passenger arrivals are poised to exceed its 2023 numbers, with 826,338 passengers expected to arrive at the country’s Bridgetown port this year, arriving on 338 calls. Last winter, Barbados hosted 661,635 passengers arriving on 373 calls, said Ian Gooding-Edghill, minister of tourism.

Curaçao Ports Authority (CPA) officials quoted in a Curaçao Chronicle article anticipates 300 cruise calls with an average occupancy of 90 percent in 2024. The ships will deliver 800,000 cruise passengers to the destination this year, a 13 percent increase over 2023 totals.

Cruising High

The dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is also among the Caribbean’s 2024 cruise visitation leaders. The destination is expected to host 800,000 cruise ship visitors in 2024 according to government tourism officials quoted in a WICNews.com report.

On March 12, Antigua and Barbuda hosted 15,808 passengers aboard six cruise ships, a record for the dual-island destination. The vessels included ships from Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Aida Cruises and Sea Dream Yacht Club.

Antigua and Barbuda followed its record March with a five-ship day on April 1, as vessels from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Emerald Cruises carrying 10,820 visitors called at the destination, according to government tourism officials.

Caribbean tourism officials attending last week’s Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach detailed the cruise segment’s resurgence in their countries.

Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s tourism minister, said Royal Caribbean Group officials “reaffirmed their commitment to Jamaica,” during the conference, maintaining a target of 400,000 annual visitors at Jamaica’s Falmouth cruise port.

The country hosted 389,319 cruise passengers in 2023, a 29.7 percent increase compared with 2022.

Saying “Seatrade 2024 signaled the returning strength of the cruise sector,” Bartlett held discussions with Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruises during the event.

The Jamaica minister also held “very positive” discussions with MSC Cruises officials regarding “their interest in forging a larger strategic partnership involving investment in local infrastructure.”

Regional Resurgence

Other Caribbean nations reporting recent cruise visitation growth include the Turks and Caicos, where Experience Turks and Caicos officials reported 98,161 cruise ship visitors in March, the year’s highest total.

The Dominican Republic’s cruise ports hosted 52 cruise ships in April said Atahualpa Paulino, northern regional director of tourism, in a DominicanToday.com report.

The higher 2024 Caribbean arrivals follow similar success across 2023. The twin-island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis hosted 774,512 cruise ship visitors in 2023, a 61 percent increase over the 481,077 arrivals in 2022.

British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA) officials said the territory hosted 720,392 cruise ship visitors in 2023, a 110 percent increase over the 343, 571 visitors hosted in 2022. The 2023 total “also surpasses the highest recorded arrivals” of 699,105 passengers in 2016, according to BVIPA.

Significant room for growth remains for the Caribbean cruising despite the increased arrivals in 2023 and 2024.

St. Kitts and Nevis’ 2023 cruise arrivals growth still trails the 1,053,388 cruise visitors the destination hosted in 2019, according to statistics from Tourism Analytics.

Bermuda hosted 525,413 visitors on 183 cruise ship calls in 2023, up 30.5 percent and 11.6 percent respectively from 2022, according to the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s 2023 Visitors Arrivals Report. Yet the total still trails the 535,561 cruise visitors Bermuda hosted in 2019.

The Cayman Islands hosted 937,000 cruise ship visitors in 2023, according to Economics and Statistics office data quoted in a Cayman Compass article. The figure represents a year-over-year increase of 118.1 percent but is about half of the 2019 total of 1.83 million cruise visitors.

“We are seeing the huge [cruise] growth, but if we haven’t yet reached the numbers before COVID,” Hugo Clarinda, Curaçao’s deputy tourism director, said earlier this year.

The Caribbean nation hosted “around 700,000 cruise visitors” in 2023, said Clarinda. “We will surpass 800,000 for sure,” he predicted.  “Cruise continues to be important part of the mix [that] contributes to [our] economic impact.”

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American Airlines Adding More Flights as Cayman Islands Travel Demand Surges

Dominican Republic Cruise Tourism Keeps Growing 

It’s no secret that the Dominican Republic is the most popular destination in the Caribbean , as measured by air visitors. 

But the country’s cruise industry has quietly been seeing rapid growth, too. 

Indeed, the Dominican Republic welcomed just under 867,000 cruise passengers in the first quarter of 2024 across 275 different ships, according to data from the country’s government. 

The fast-growing Puerto Plata cruise port led the way, joined by strong numbers in La Romana and Santo Domingo. 

That included Taino Bay in Puerto Plata, which saw 101 cruise calls and around 332,000 tourists; and Amber Cove, with 71 ships cramming in just under 318,000 travelers. 

Taino Bay is visited by a number of cruise lines, including Norwegian, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean, among others. 

The first-quarter total represents an increase of about 8 percent over the same period in 2023. 

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WestJet Is Coming Back to Bonaire for a Second Season

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Cruise tourism is one of the leading industries suffering from covid-19 recently. Cruise tourism uses cruise ships with elegant services and various entertainment facilities as a means of transportation for scenic coastal tourist destinations. In particular, in accordance with the recent trend of increasing the size of ships, cruise lines have expanded the size and facilities of ships, and have continued to increase the maximum number of boarding ships. The cruise travel process and intensive entertainment system turned out to be a tourism structure vulnerable to the covid-19 pandemic. Will cruise tourism be extinguished? Should we prepare for the post-Pandermic cruise tourism era?

1. Introduction

Cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism segments, and it has undergone significant transformation, especially in the last few decades [ 1 ] [ 2 ] . Since 1990, the average annual passenger growth has reached about 6.63%, with cruise tourists increasing from 7.21 million in 2000 to 26.86 million in 2019 [ 3 ] . The number of passengers originating from Asia hit a record high in 2017, with 4.052 million taking ocean cruises (up 20.6%), and Asian cruise passenger numbers hit another record high in 2018 with 4.24 million (up 4.6%). In 2018, there were 28.5 million global ocean passengers, 14.8% of which were from Asia (versus 15.1% in 2017) [ 4 ] . The five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of Asian port calls from 2014 to 2019 was 14%, and the five-year growth during that time was 88%, continuing an upward growth trajectory. Destinations such as Japan, mainland China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and India will show a stronger five-year CAGR and five-year growth than Asia’s average [ 5 ] . It is time to learn more about the rapidly growing Asian cruise market.

Some believe that the expansion of disposable income and increased interest in quality of life have contributed to the steep growth of the cruise industry. Most cruise tourists are repeat customers who have had a satisfactory cruise experience and become loyal to a specific cruise brand [ 6 ] [ 7 ] . The continued expansion of cruise passengers is also due to the provision of high-value cruising through the newest ships, world-class destinations, innovative ship facilities, and various onboard activities. Cruise lines design various services to meet changing customer needs [ 8 ] [ 9 ] . High-value cruising refers to various special services, including cabins with excellent amenities, restaurants with various dining options, spas and wellness programs, sports and fitness, meeting rooms, Kids Zones, and wedding packages. Cruise ship service innovation has made cruise vacations more attractive and available to more target markets [ 8 ] . Cruise lines should create sustainable demand and loyal customers by differentiating the service quality of the onboard experience. Research by Li and Petrick [ 10 ] demonstrated that customer retention should be improved by providing excellent service quality and unique experiences.

Academic research in the cruise field has led to quantitative and qualitative growth since 2010 [ 11 ] . Papatnassis and Bekmann analysed papers published in a total of 56 overseas academic journals from 1983 to 2009 and divided them into four categories according to their research subjects. They found that despite the diversity of research methods and topics, scholars tend to focus on business, management, and economics. Vega-Muñoz et al. [ 12 ] analysed 320 papers in 142 journals between 1980 and 2018 and determined that the cruise industry is a subject of research worthy of various approaches. Cruise tourism research has been fragmented because of its multidisciplinary nature and its relatively young status [ 12 ] . Moreover, quantitative studies covering quality of service, service attributes, and perceived value [ 8 ] [ 10 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] have been conducted, and a qualitative approach to these variables has also been taken. In addition, qualitative research into cruise lines has been conducted on limited topics such as brands, crisis management, and corporate sustainability [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] .

The sustainability of the cruise industry has attracted strong scepticism, with discussions centred on its corporate social responsibility, environmental issues, economic contributions, and adverse effects on the port of call [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] [ 24 ] . As customers are increasingly interested in the ethical and environmental aspects of products and services [ 25 ] , many scholars believe that the future challenges of the cruise industry are related to sustainable development [ 22 ] [ 26 ] . The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) [ 27 ] is committed to contributing to the port of call in the form of ‘partnerships with the local governments, staggered arrivals and departures, excursion diversification, shoreside power, and local passenger spending’. It is encouraging cruise lines to invest more than USD 22 billion in energy-efficient ships and technologies in order to achieve the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by the year 2030, as compared to 2008 emission levels. In particular, the cruise industry [ 24 ] , which is already in a crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, must ‘improve its service process to improve its reputation’ [ 28 ] ; accordingly, it should seek to enhance its image through improved service quality, develop innovative management systems and strategies, and promote sustainability.

2. Cruise Service Quality

Service quality is recognized as a key determinant of business success and a major method of gaining competitive edge. With the rapid increase in the capacity of the cruise industry, cruise lines should reconsider differentiation [ 23 ] , and as service quality is an important variable in creating customer loyalty, it is important to derive a service improvement strategy by measuring service quality.

According to Parasuraman et al., service quality is defined as a ‘the consumer’s judgment about an entity’s overall excellence or superiority’ of the service; the authors use the concept of ‘perceived service quality’, which differs from objective quality [ 29 ] . Perceived quality, unlike objective or practical quality, is more abstract than specific product properties and similar to attitude; it is an overall evaluation by the customer. Parasuraman et al. [ 29 ] proposed SERVQUAL (see Table 1 ) as a perceived service quality measurement tool. Their SERVQUAL model adopts a disconfirmation paradigm in which the quality of service consists of five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangibles. Many researchers have tried to transform service quality to suit the hospitality and tourism environment [ 30 ] , testing the SERVQUAL framework in restaurants [ 31 ] , lodging [ 32 ] , destinations [ 33 ] , and outbound guide package tours [ 34 ] . Industry-adjusted measures include HISTOQUAL for historic houses [ 35 ] , ECOSERV for eco-tourism service quality [ 36 ] , and Cruse’s SERV-PERVAL [ 14 ] to measure holiday experience satisfaction (HOLSAT) [ 37 ] .

Table 1. SERVQUAL Model.

In an empirical study of Caribbean cruise passengers by Petrick, four measurement items (excellent quality, reliability, dependencies, and consistency) of SERV-PERVAL, a concept that emphasizes the reliability items in the SERVQUAL model, were used. The most suitable model for predicting behaviour was the quality model, rather than the satisfaction model or perceived value model [ 14 ] .

Kwortnik [ 20 ] expanded ‘Bitner’s service scope framework’ [ 38 ] by analysing customer data on an online cruise discussion board (CruiseCritic.com) to investigate the impact of cruise line service environments, specifically considering passengers’ emotions, meaning-making, and onboard behaviours. The physical environment of a ship, called the shipscape, was divided into (a) ambient environmental factors (scents, sounds, cleanliness, lighting, music, temperature, etc.); (b) design elements (decoration, colour, furnishings, layout, size, entertainment architecture, etc.); and (c) social factors (crowding, queues, cruise cues, crew co-working production, and friendship). Cruise customers who primarily pursue emotional enjoyment are consciously and unconsciously observing the environmental factors of cruise ships [ 20 ] , and these physical environments will be important determinants of customer psychology and behaviour [ 39 ] .

Lobo used the SERVQUAL scale of [ 29 ] for luxury cruise line passengers to measure the difference between expectation and performance of service quality and to explore the relationship between overall satisfaction and behaviour [ 40 ] . Li and Petrick empirically verified the impact relationships among quality, value, satisfaction, investment size, and alternatives on online panels of cruise experiences that affect customer loyalty [ 13 ] . Petrick analysed differences in cruise experiences, price sensitivity, monetary price, behavioural price, perceived quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction, word of mouth, and repurchase intention by segmenting Caribbean cruise passengers according to their perceptions of the cruise line’s reputation [ 41 ] . Yi et al. [ 42 ] explored Asian cruise travellers’ perceived value, in terms of satisfaction and behavioural intention, of the travel experience. The perceived value was measured on a SERV-PERVAL scale, and the results of the study showed that the perceived value of the cruise experience affects travel satisfaction and behavioural intention [ 42 ] . Chua et al. [ 8 ] used the three dimensions of service quality form developed by Brady and Cronin [ 43 ] , where cruise service quality is divided into three dimensions: physical environment (physical surroundings of cruise ships), interaction (employee service), and outcome quality (benefits given to customers at a service encounter). They analysed the relationship between novelty, perceived value and satisfaction, and loyalty [ 8 ] .

The quality of an interaction represents the customer’s perception of crew service in service delivery [ 44 ] , and the interaction between the customer and the crew is reflected in ‘Service Performance’, in which the customer evaluates the service experience [ 45 ] . Interactional quality can be measured with assurance (knowledge, employee courtesy, and ability to build customer trust), responsiveness (service delivery and willingness to help customers), reliability (employee’s ability to accurately perform promised services), and empathy [ 29 ] [ 43 ] [ 44 ] [ 46 ] . Outcome quality is the technical quality that determines the perceived service quality by what cruise customers received during service delivery [ 43 ] . Even though SERV-PERVAL [ 14 ] applies SERVQUAL to the cruise industry and emphasizes perceived value, this study focuses on SERVQUAL [ 29 ] because it is more commonly used.

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