Cruise Industry Trends- 2025
Cruising continues to be the vacation of choice for many travelers worldwide, and the industry continues to enjoy unbelievable growth fueled by innovation and changing passenger demographics. Here are some Cruise Industry facts and projections, all courtesy of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
Quick Stats on the Cruise Industry
Worldwide Cruise Ship fleet reached 310 Vessels this year with 11 new vessels setting sail in 2025. The big ticket vessels were Norwegian Aqua ($1B), MSC World America ($1.2B), Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas ($1.6B), Princess Star Princess ($1B), Celebrity Xcel ($1B) and Disney Adventure ($1.8B)
Cruise Demand continues to follow a yearly seasonal pattern with lowest demand in Q1 growing to peak demand in Q3, with small reduction of demand in Q4 each year
Gen X and Millenials are making up the majority of passengers with 60% of cruisers being aged 49 years of younger. Over 30% of cruisers in 2025 were first time cruisers. Cruising remains the top vacation choice for multi-generation travelers.
Ocean and River Cruises get the highest traveler satisfaction scores compared to other vacation choices such as All Inclusive Resorts, Resort/Hotel packages and other choices.
82% of people that have cruised plan to cruise again. The top reasons cruisers love to cruise are multiple destinations in one trip and the value they get for the money spent.
Solo cruising is rapidly increasing in popularity with the numbers of solo cruisers doubling from 6% of cruisers in 2023 to over 12% last year. Cruise Lines are responding to this trend by introducing more solo cabins on their ships.
Luxury Cruise market has tripled since 2020 based on fleet size and will continue to be a strong growth segment through the end of the decade.
Midsize Ships (1000-3000 passengers) will see steady decline over next decade and will be replaced by small luxury/destination ships (less than 1000) and Large Vessels (Greater than 3000).
It is worth noting that cruise lines are dedicating themselves to responsible tourism and sustainability with heavy investments in propulsion technologies, alternative fuels like LNG, emission reduction initiatives like shore power supply at ports, and onboard environmental technologies.
When you are ready to book your next unforgettable Cruise Vacation, call or text us at Silverlake Travel and let us put our industry knowledge to work for you!
