If you’d like to learn about the cruise industry, you’ve come to the right place.
In this roundup, I’ve compiled the most relevant and up-to-date cruise industry statistics to help you catch the essence.
Let’s make a start:
Top Cruise Industry Statistics
- In 2024, the global cruise industry generated $71B in revenue, and it’s on track to reach approximately $78B by 2026.
- The total number of cruise ship passengers climbed to 34.6M in 2024, and this figure is expected to increase to 41.9M by 2028.
- The cruise industry supports more than 1.6M jobs.
- In 2025, cruise passengers spent an estimated $286.05 per day, comprising a $193.46 ticket and $92.59 in onboard purchases.
- By the end of 2025, global ocean cruise capacity was projected to reach 704,200 passengers across 370 ships.
- Six in 10 people return to the destinations they visited during a cruise.
- The cruise industry seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.
- Cruise passengers generate about eight times more CO₂ per day than travelers on land-based trips.
Global Market Size, Revenue, and Capacity
- In 2024, the US led global cruise revenue at $25.50B. Germany followed at $3.46B, and the UK ranked third at $3.32B.
- Royal Caribbean Cruises generated a net income of nearly $2.9B in 2024.
- Carnival Corporation & plc returned to profitability in 2024, posting about $1.9B in net income after incurring substantial pandemic-era losses.
- Cruises comprise only 2.7% of the international travel and tourism sector.
Passenger Volume, Demand, and Source Markets
- The number of passengers sailing on CLIA-member oceangoing cruise lines reached 34.6M in 2024, and this figure is expected to grow to 41.9M by 2028.
| Year | Passengers Sailing on CLIA-Member Oceangoing Cruise Lines |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 21.6M |
| 2016 | 25.2M |
| 2017 | 26.7M |
| 2018 | 28.5M |
| 2019 | 29.7M |
| 2020 | 5.8M |
| 2021 | 4.8M |
| 2022 | 20.4M |
| 2023 | 31.7M |
| 2024 | 34.6M |
- In 2024, North America was the top cruise source market with 20.53M passengers.
| Source Region | 2024 | 2023 | % Change (2023–2024) | 2019 | % Change (2019–2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global | 34.64M | 31.69M | +9.3% | 29.67M | +6.8% |
| North America | 20.53M | 18.10M | +13.4% | 15.41M | +17.5% |
| Europe | 8.44M | 8.21M | +2.8% | 7.71M | +6.5% |
| Asia & Oceania | 4.03M | 3.67M | +9.8% | 5.09M | -20.8% |
| South America | 1.17M | 997,000 | +7.8% | 1.04M | +3.8% |
- By 2028, approximately 1.5M travelers are expected to choose luxury cruises.
| Year | Passengers Choosing Luxury Cruises |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 355,000 |
| 2015 | 392,000 |
| 2020 | 114,000 |
| 2021 | 310,000 |
| 2022 | 767,000 |
| 2023 | 1.012M |
| 2024 | 1.110M |
| 2025* | 1.207M |
| 2026* | 1.290M |
| 2027* | 1.391M |
| 2028* | 1.52M |
Traveler Demographics and Behavior
- During a typical cruise, passengers spend an average of $750 per person in port cities.
- Cruise passengers are, on average, 46.5 years old.
- Approximately 67% of cruise travelers belong to Generation X or younger.
| Age Group | Share of Cruise Travelers |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | 16% |
| 20–39 | 20% |
| 40–49 | 14% |
| 50–59 | 17% |
| 60–69 | 18% |
| 70+ | 15% |
- 30% of cruise passengers travel mainly with underage children.
- 82% of past cruisers say they plan to sail again.
- In 2025, 68% of international travelers reported considering their first cruise.
- In 2025, one in three international travelers said they’d already taken a cruise.
- 31% of cruisers over the past two years were new to cruising, up from 27% in 2023 and 24% in 2019.
- In 2024, only 12% of cruise travelers sailed solo, double the 6% reported in 2023.
- The majority (63%) sail with one other person.
- 31% travel with three to five generations.
- 11% book their trips a year or more in advance.
| Booking Window | Increasing | Steady | Decreasing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 3 months | 21% | 36% | 43% |
| 3–6 months | 26% | 55% | 19% |
| 6–9 months | 29% | 62% | 9% |
| 9–12 months | 41% | 51% | 8% |
| 12–18 months | 42% | 38% | 20% |
| More than 18 months | 30% | 40% | 31% |
- 14% cruise twice a year.
- 11% take three to five cruises a year.
- 25% of repeat cruisers sail two or more times a year.
- The average cruise lasts about 7.1 days.
Destinations and Itineraries
- In 2024, 43% of cruise passengers sailed to the Caribbean, making it the most popular destination.
| Destination Region | 2023 Volume | 2024 Volume | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean / Bahamas / Bermuda | 12.80M | 14.98M | +17.1% |
| Mediterranean | 5.46M | 5.77M | +5.8% |
| Non-Med Europe | 2.98M | 3.04M | +2.0% |
| Asia + China | 2.56M | 2.60M | +1.5% |
| Alaska | 1.65M | 1.71M | +3.8% |
| NA West Coast / Mexico / California / Pacific Coast | 1.45M | 1.33M | -7.7% |
| Australia / NZ / Pacific | 1.28M | 1.33M | +3.8% |
| South America / Panama Canal | 1.08M | 1.05M | -2.8% |
| Africa / Middle East | 539,000 | 517,900 | -3.9% |
| Exploration (Antarctic / Arctic / Galapagos / Greenland / Iceland / North Cape) | 318,700 | 387,500 | +21.6% |
- From 2023 to 2024, passenger counts on expedition and exploration cruises rose by 22%.
Cruise Lines and Fleet Characteristics
- Icon of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean Group, is the world’s largest cruise ship.
- The largest cruise companies by revenue are Carnival ($26.23B), Royal Caribbean ($17.44B), and Norwegian ($9.69B).
- The average age of a cruise ship as of 2024 is 17.5.
- Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was the priciest cruise ship built in 2024, costing about $2B.
- Cruise ships make up 1% of the world’s commercial fleet.
| Ship Type (2025) | Share of Global Fleet |
|---|---|
| General cargo ships | 25% |
| Bulk carriers | 23% |
| Ferry/ro-ro passenger ships | 20% |
| Oil and LNG tankers | 13% |
| Container ships | 10% |
| Cruise ships | <1% |
- More than 70% of ships in the global fleet are small or mid-size.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- A 3,000-person cruise ship generates an average of 150,000 gallons (567 liters) of sewage per week.
- The cruise line industry dumps 285,000 gallons (1M liters) of wastewater into the sea every day.
- 24% of the solid waste generated by all ships comes from cruise ships.
- Cruise ships recycle 60% more waste daily than people on land.
- Cruise lines recycle approximately 80,000 tons of paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass annually.
Spending, Sales Channels, and Booking Trends
- 79% of cruise travelers say travel agents strongly influence their decision to cruise.
- Friends and family have the most significant impact on a decision to cruise, cited by 87% of travelers.
Workforce and Economic Impact
- It takes 24 passengers to support one full-time job on a cruise ship.
- Crime rates on cruise ships are 95% lower than on land.
- Over 75% of jobs tied to cruise activity come from onshore operations, especially at ports.
Learn More
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Sources
- Bullfincher, “Largest Cruise Companies in the world by Revenue”
- Comparably, “Cruise Ship Salary”
- Cruise Industry News, “31.7 Million Cruise Passengers Possible”
- Cruise Market Watch, “Financial Breakdown of Typical Cruiser”
- Cruise Market Watch, “Passenger Origins”
- Cruise Lines International Association, “State of the Cruise Industry Report”
- Cruise Lines International Association, “North America”
- Friends of the Earth, “Cruising Versus Land Vacationing: An Analysis of Vacation Carbon Footprints in Seattle”
- Grand View Research, “Cruise Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type, By Region, And Segment Forecasts”
- Indeed, “How Much Do Cruise Ship Workers Make?”
- Scherb M., “Improving Employee Retention Rates in Cruise Industry by Assessing Living and Working Conditions”
- Ship Technology, “Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship”
- Statista, “Cruise Passenger Volume Index Worldwide”
- Statista, “Gross Tonnage of Cruise Ships in the Global Order Book, by Region”
- Statista, “Largest Cruise Ships Worldwide, by Length”
- Statista, “Leading Countries in the Cruise Industry Revenue Worldwide”
- Statista, “Most Expensive Cruise Ships Worldwide, by Building Cost”
- Statista, “Net Income of Carnival Corporation & Plc Worldwide”
- Statista, “Net Income of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Worldwide”
- Statista, “Net Income of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Worldwide”
- Statista, “Number of Ocean Cruise Passengers Worldwide”
- Statista, “Number of Ocean Cruise Passengers Worldwide, by Region”
- Statista, “Percentage Change in Revenue of Leading Cruise Companies Worldwide”
- Statista, “Revenue Growth of the Cruise Industry Worldwide”
- Statista, “Revenue of the Cruise Industry Worldwide”
- Statista, “Revenue Share of Sales Channels of the Global Cruise Industry”
- Statista, “Worldwide Market Share of Leading Cruise Companies”
- Statista, “Year-Over-Year Percentage Change in Cruise Passengers, by Source Region”
- Skift, “Global Cruise Sector Market Estimates”
- Wander Eat Write, “What Working on Cruise Ships Is Really Like: Pros & Cons”
- Wikipedia, “Environmental Effects of Shipping”
- Wikipedia, “List of Cruise Lines”
- Wikipedia, “List of Largest Cruise Ships”
- Wikipedia, “Wonder of the Seas”
As a Digital PR specialist and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Max has 5+ years of writing experience.
Over the course of his career, Max’s work has garnered significant attention, with features in numerous prominent publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, BBC, TechRepublic, Glassdoor, and G2.
