The cruise industry continues to experience growth, reaching a record high of 37.2 million passengers last year, according to figures from the international trade organisation CLIA.
This marks a 7.5% increase compared to the previous year. However, it slightly missed the projected figure of 37.7 million passengers originally forecast for 2025 in the “State of the Cruise Industry Report.”
North America remains the largest market, accounting for 22.1 million passengers in 2025. Europe saw nearly 8.9 million people opting for a holiday aboard a cruise ship.
While Asia is still a smaller market with 3 million passengers, it recorded a significant growth rate of 15%.
The Caribbean and the Bahamas continued to dominate as the most popular cruise destinations, attracting more than 16 million visitors. Following closely behind, the Mediterranean drew nearly 6 million passengers.
