43+ Cruise Industry Statistics [Ships, Passengers, Capacity, Revenue & More]

Welcome to our curated and vetted list of 43+ cruise industry statistics for 2024.

Top Cruise Industry Statistics

• In 2024, approximately 36M passengers globally are anticipated to embark on cruises.
• The global cruise market is expected to expand by 9.29% from 2023 to 2027, reaching $35.87B in 2027.

• In 2024, the worldwide cruise sector will produce $30.11B in revenue.
• How many cruise ships are there in the world? The number of cruise ships in the world is currently 323 (ships in operation).
• How many cruise lines are there? There are 51 ocean and 27 river cruise lines in the world.
• On average, a cruise ship can host around 3,000 passengers.
• There were 12,592 cruise guests from North America in 2022.
• A cruise ship earns an estimated net profit of $291 per passenger.
• The typical age of a cruise tourist is 46.5.

Passenger Volumes and Forecasts

01. In 2024, cruise passenger volume is expected to hit 120% of 2019’s levels, with 36M passengers setting sail.

02. There were 12,592 cruise guests from North America in 2022.

03. In 2022, Celebrity Cruises, a luxury brand under Royal Caribbean Cruises, led selected cruise brands in passenger capacity, boasting a combined vessel capacity of about 32,500.

Sources: CLIA #1, CLIA #2, Statista

Revenue and Market Growth

04. The global cruise market is expected to expand by 9.29% from 2023 to 2027, reaching $35.87B in 2027.

05. In 2024, the worldwide cruise sector will produce $30.11B in revenue.

06. The US is projected to lead the cruise industry in terms of revenue, reaching $18.36B.

07. Offline sales channels are expected to account for 76% of global cruise industry revenue in 2027, surpassing online sales, which are projected to constitute 24%.

08. A cruise ship earns an estimated net profit of $291 per passenger. Consequently, a fully booked 7-day trip on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas could generate $9.8M in revenue, with profits of $1.7M.

09. In 2023, Carnival Corporation & plc’s global revenue reached $20.036B, a 108.38% surge from the previous year.

10. In 2023, Royal Caribbean Cruises reported a revenue of $13.173B, an 82.48% increase from the previous year.

11. In 2022, the number of businesses in the US cruise and travel agency franchise sector rose to 38 from 27 the previous year, with 42 expected to operate in 2023.

Sources: LoveTheMaldives, Statista #1, Statista #2, Statista #3, MacroTrends #1, MacroTrends #2

Cruise Ship Characteristics

12. A total of 323 cruise ships are currently in operation globally.

13. There are 51 ocean and 27 river cruise lines in the world.

14. According to industry statistics, cruise ships can host an average of 3,000 passengers. The largest ships can accommodate 5,412 passengers in double occupancy, with a maximum cruise ship capacity of 6,318 if all berths are filled.

15. Larger river cruise ships accommodate ~150 guests.

16. In 2023, the worldwide cruise industry’s ocean-going vessels had an average passenger capacity of ~701,490, with projections indicating a rise to over 764,000 by 2025.

17. The average age of ships in the fleet of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) members is 14.1 years.

18. As of April 2023, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship, with a gross tonnage of 236,860.

19. In February 2023, Royal Caribbean was home to the world’s longest cruise ships, with Harmony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas, each exceeding 1,180 feet (360 meters) in length.

20. As of November 2022, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas was the world’s most expensive cruise ship, with a construction cost of ~$1.43B. It’s the fourth-largest cruise ship globally, with a gross tonnage of 225,000.

Based on the table above, building a cruise ship can cost between $900,000—$1,4 billion dollars. The cost, of course, depends on the factors like the ship’s size and luxury status.

Sources: Cruise Market Watch, LM&W, PA, CruiseMapper, Carnival, CLIA, Marine Insight, The Telegraph, Cruise Fever

Cruise Destinations and Ports

21. In 2022, the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda topped the list of global cruise destinations, attracting approximately 9M passengers.

22. Port Canaveral in Florida, US, was the world’s busiest cruise port in 2022, recording approximately 4.1M passenger movements.

23. In August 2023, Tripadvisor’s most expensive luxury cruise was a 125-night global tour with Silversea Cruises’ Silver Wind, costing nearly $132,000 per person.

Sources: CLIA, Statista, Travel Weekly

Cruise Demographics and Preferences

24. The typical age of a cruise tourist is 46.5.

25. The average age of a Norwegian Cruise Line passenger is 52.5 years.

26. Royal Caribbean cruise passengers have a median age in the low 40s, skewing younger on 3–4 night cruises and older on cruises of 10+ nights.

27. Cruise trips typically last about seven days on average.

28. Of those who have cruised, 85% plan to cruise again.

29. Cruise vacations are gaining popularity among Millennials and Gen Xers, with 73% of those who haven’t cruised yet open to considering it.

30. Most travelers (73%) cruise with family from at least two generations.

31. Solo travelers typically book their cruises 1–12 months before departure.

32. In 2022, Carnival Corporation & plc carried 7.7M passengers worldwide.

33. In 2022, Royal Caribbean Cruises served over 5.5M passengers worldwide.

34. In 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line served roughly 1.66M passengers.

35. Norwegian Cruise Line was the highest-rated mega-ship operator in Condé Nast Traveler’s June 2023 survey, scoring 86.72.

36. Virgin Voyages was the highest-rated large-ship cruise operator in Condé Nast Traveler’s June 2023 survey, scoring 94.07.

37. Viking led June 2023’s midsize-ship cruise line ratings by Condé Nast Traveler with a score of 94.98.

38. Emerald Cruises led the June 2023 Condé Nast Traveler small-ship cruise line ratings with a 95.27 score.

39. Viking led the June 2023 Condé Nast Traveler river cruise line ratings with a 97.32 score.

Sources: Carnival Corp., CLIA, Condé Nast Traveler, Cruise1st Blog, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Caribbean Press Center

Environmental and Sustainability Practices

40. Low-friction hull coatings are used on 96% of ships.

41. Cruise ships generate up to 90% of their freshwater onboard. They use advanced systems to conserve and repurpose water, avoiding reliance on resource-scarce areas.

42. A significant 60% of ships set to launch from 2023 to 2028 will use LNG fuel as their main propulsion source.

43. New ship classes are typically 20% more efficient than their predecessors.

Sources: CLIA

Stacking It All Up

That concludes our deep dive into cruise industry statistics.

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