US travel service provider, AAA has predicted that 19 mill Americans will go on an ocean cruise this year, a 4.5% increase over 2024, when 18.2 mill Americans took a cruise vacation.
This year is expected to be the third consecutive year of record cruise passenger volume. The cruise industry has rebounded post-pandemic more strongly than other travel segments, and cruise demand growth has exceeded hotel demand growth for the past two years.
“What we’re witnessing in the cruise industry is nothing short of amazing, but it’s no surprise,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President, AAA Travel.
“There’s a reason most first-time cruise passengers become repeat cruisers. Cruise vacations offer something for everyone, no matter their age. And because most of the vacation is already paid for, travellers can focus on enjoying themselves and making lifelong memories with loved ones,” she said.
The cruise industry, which was impacted more severely than other travel segments by the 2020 pandemic, has experienced a remarkable rebound. In 2022, cruise volume rebounded to 84% of 2019’s level, then surged to a new high in 2023, nearly 20% above the pre-pandemic benchmark. That number has continued to climb since, with 2025 projected to surpass 2019 by 34%, AAA Travel said.
Around 72% of US cruise passengers will head for the Caribbean, making the region by far the most popular destination. About 6% will take an Alaskan cruise and 5% will cruise in the Mediterranean.
This year, the Caribbean’s dominance will be on a par with pre-pandemic numbers in 2018 and 2019. The Caribbean’s share dipped to 68% in 2022/23 as cruises to Alaska and the Mediterranean surged, but destination shares have returned to pre-pandemic norms over the past year.
Shorter Caribbean cruises are rising in popularity. Even though most cruise itineraries are six to eight days in length, 18% of Caribbean cruise itineraries this year are between two to five days, compared to only 2% in 2023.
The world’s three busiest cruise ports are located in the same state – Florida. Miami, Port Canaveral, and Fort Lauderdale are the busiest ports based on embarkation and debarkation numbers.
Miami played host to the world’s largest cruise ship last year with the debut of Royal Caribbean’s ’Icon of the Seas’ last year, and this summer, Port Canaveral will welcome her sistership, the ‘Star of the Seas’.
Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads in America and advocate for safe mobility, AAA has transformed into one of North America’s largest membership organisations.
Tourism Economics, who researched the report, is an Oxford Economics company with the objective of combining an understanding of the travel sector with proven economic tools to answer the most important questions facing clients.
More than 500 companies, associations, and destinations work with Tourism Economics each year as a research partner.
The company operates out of regional headquarters in Philadelphia and Oxford, with offices in Belfast, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Frankfurt, and Ontario.
Oxford Economics is one of the world’s foremost independent global advisory firms, providing reports, forecasts and analytical tools on 200 countries, 100 industrial sectors, and over 3,000 cities.
