cruise industry passenger statistics

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• Number of global ocean cruise passengers 2009-2027

The number of global ocean cruise passengers increased significantly in 2023 over the previous year, totaling 31.7 million and recovering from the impact of COVID-19. This figure was forecast to rise steadily in the following years, reaching an estimated 39.4 million in 2027.

Where are cruise passengers traveling?

Cruises travel to nearly all parts of the world, from local coastal destinations to remote places such as Antarctica. Some cruises may last only a few days, but others may last weeks or months as they travel across entire oceans or even take a trip around the world. In 2023, the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda were the  most popular cruise destinations worldwide . That year, Central and Western Mediterranean countries reported the second-highest passenger volume.

Which are the leading cruise companies?

Two of the largest cruise companies worldwide are Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, both based in the United States. In 2023,  Carnival Corporation & plc's global revenue exceeded 21 billion U.S. dollars, the highest figure reported by the company to date. Meanwhile,  Royal Caribbean’s global revenue also surpassed pre-pandemic levels, amounting to just under 14 billion U.S. dollars.

Number of ocean cruise passengers worldwide from 2009 to 2023, with a forecast until 2027 (in millions)

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2009 to 2023

Figures have been rounded. Data prior to 2019 were previously published by the source.

Other statistics on the topic Cruise industry worldwide

• Largest cruise ships worldwide 2024, by gross tonnage
• Number of passengers carried by Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 2007-2023
• Number of Carnival Corporation & plc passengers worldwide 2007-2023
• Number of global ocean cruise passengers 2019-2023, by source market

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Statistics on " Cruise industry worldwide "

• Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2020-2029, by segment
• Revenue of the cruises industry worldwide 2020-2029
• Revenue growth of cruises worldwide 2020-2029
• Countries with the highest revenue in the cruise industry worldwide 2025-2029
• Share of sales channels of the global cruise industry revenue 2019-2029
• Longest cruise ships worldwide 2024, by length
• Gross tonnage of new cruise ship orders worldwide 2015-2023
• Gross tonnage of new cruise ship orders worldwide by region 2023
• Gross tonnage of cruise ship deliveries worldwide by region 2023
• Gross tonnage of cruise ships in the global order book by region 2023
• Average passenger capacity of ocean-going cruise vessels worldwide 2018-2026
• Annual growth rate of the global cruise passenger volume 2017-2023
• COVID-19 impact on cruise passenger volume worldwide 2020-2023, by source market
• Main global cruise destinations 2019-2023, by number of passengers
• Cruise passenger movements at leading ports worldwide 2019-2023
• Worldwide cruise company market share 2022
• Revenue of Carnival Corporation & plc worldwide 2008-2023, by segment
• Net income of Carnival Corporation & plc 2008-2023
• Revenue of Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 2009-2023, by segment
• Net income of Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 2007-2023
• Revenue of Norwegian Cruise Line worldwide 2013-2023, by segment
• Net income of Norwegian Cruise Line worldwide 2011-2023
• TUI cruise brand revenue worldwide 2015-2023, by brand
• Leading forecast food trends in the cruise industry worldwide 2023
• Leading forecast drink trends in the cruise industry worldwide 2023
• Main food and drink technological innovations in the cruise industry worldwide 2023

Other statistics that may interest you Cruise industry worldwide

• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2020-2029, by segment
• Premium Statistic Revenue of the cruises industry worldwide 2020-2029
• Premium Statistic Revenue growth of cruises worldwide 2020-2029
• Premium Statistic Countries with the highest revenue in the cruise industry worldwide 2025-2029
• Premium Statistic Share of sales channels of the global cruise industry revenue 2019-2029

Cruise ships

• Basic Statistic Longest cruise ships worldwide 2024, by length
• Basic Statistic Largest cruise ships worldwide 2024, by gross tonnage
• Premium Statistic Gross tonnage of new cruise ship orders worldwide 2015-2023
• Premium Statistic Gross tonnage of new cruise ship orders worldwide by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Gross tonnage of cruise ship deliveries worldwide by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Gross tonnage of cruise ships in the global order book by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Average passenger capacity of ocean-going cruise vessels worldwide 2018-2026

Cruise passengers

• Premium Statistic Number of global ocean cruise passengers 2009-2027
• Premium Statistic Annual growth rate of the global cruise passenger volume 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of global ocean cruise passengers 2019-2023, by source market
• Premium Statistic COVID-19 impact on cruise passenger volume worldwide 2020-2023, by source market
• Premium Statistic Main global cruise destinations 2019-2023, by number of passengers
• Premium Statistic Cruise passenger movements at leading ports worldwide 2019-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of Carnival Corporation & plc passengers worldwide 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of passengers carried by Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 2007-2023

Cruise companies

• Premium Statistic Worldwide cruise company market share 2022
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Carnival Corporation & plc worldwide 2008-2023, by segment
• Premium Statistic Net income of Carnival Corporation & plc 2008-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 2009-2023, by segment
• Premium Statistic Net income of Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Norwegian Cruise Line worldwide 2013-2023, by segment
• Premium Statistic Net income of Norwegian Cruise Line worldwide 2011-2023
• Premium Statistic TUI cruise brand revenue worldwide 2015-2023, by brand

Food and drink trends on cruises

• Premium Statistic Leading forecast food trends in the cruise industry worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Leading forecast drink trends in the cruise industry worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Main food and drink technological innovations in the cruise industry worldwide 2023

Further related statistics

• Premium Statistic Cruise passenger arrivals in Canada in 2016, by region
• Premium Statistic Average cruise passenger spend in Canada in 2016, by region
• Premium Statistic Total number of jobs created by the cruise industry in Canada in 2016, by job sector
• Premium Statistic Age distribution of cruise passengers in Canada 2016
• Premium Statistic Number of Canadian residents purchasing cruise trips, by province 2016
• Premium Statistic Cruise passenger expenditures in Canada, by destination 2016
• Premium Statistic Cruise passenger arrivals in Canada 2003-2016
• Premium Statistic Direct cruise-related expenditures in Canada in 2016, by source
• Premium Statistic Number of guests of the global cruise industry 2007-2016, by source region
• Premium Statistic Growth rate of the cruise passenger volume from the UK and Ireland 2011-2022
• Basic Statistic Benefits of cruise travel according to cruise travelers in North America 2014
• Premium Statistic North America: cruise class most commonly used as of August 2017
• Basic Statistic Economic contribution of the cruise industry in Australia in 2013, by type
• Basic Statistic Direct expenditures of cruise lines, passengers and crew in Australia 2013
• Basic Statistic Daily cruise passenger spending in Australia in 2013, by type
• Premium Statistic North American cruise line industry gross revenue 2010
• Premium Statistic South & Central America: cruise tourism volume 2016-2019
• Premium Statistic North American cruise passenger volume 2019-2023, by source country
• Premium Statistic International cruise departure passenger volume from Australia 2018

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

• Cruise passenger arrivals in Canada in 2016, by region
• Average cruise passenger spend in Canada in 2016, by region
• Total number of jobs created by the cruise industry in Canada in 2016, by job sector
• Age distribution of cruise passengers in Canada 2016
• Number of Canadian residents purchasing cruise trips, by province 2016
• Cruise passenger expenditures in Canada, by destination 2016
• Cruise passenger arrivals in Canada 2003-2016
• Direct cruise-related expenditures in Canada in 2016, by source
• Number of guests of the global cruise industry 2007-2016, by source region
• Growth rate of the cruise passenger volume from the UK and Ireland 2011-2022
• Benefits of cruise travel according to cruise travelers in North America 2014
• North America: cruise class most commonly used as of August 2017
• Economic contribution of the cruise industry in Australia in 2013, by type
• Direct expenditures of cruise lines, passengers and crew in Australia 2013
• Daily cruise passenger spending in Australia in 2013, by type
• North American cruise line industry gross revenue 2010
• South & Central America: cruise tourism volume 2016-2019
• North American cruise passenger volume 2019-2023, by source country
• International cruise departure passenger volume from Australia 2018

100+ Cruise Industry Statistics [Market, Passengers & Demographics More]

Top 10 Cruise Industry Stats and Facts to Know in 2023   

General cruise industry statistics & facts, wonder of the seas, working onboard a cruise ship, cruise ships: a general overview, cruise industry demographics, cruise ships pollute but are good at recycling, covid-19 impact on cruise tourism, stacking it all up, fair use statement.

Over 32M passengers were expected to go cruising in 2020. 

Only a handful of 400 cruise ships ready to hit the water could take passengers onboard due to COVID-19.

The result? Over $60B in losses. 

So if you’d like to learn more about the cruise industry, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this data-driven roundup, we’ve compiled the most relevant and up-to-date stats and facts on the topic to help you catch the essence.

Let’s dive right in:

• The cruise industry made $18B in revenue in 2022.
• The total number of cruise ship passengers stood at 13M+ as of 2021.
• The cruise industry is expected to reach $25.1B in revenue by the end of 2023.
• The cruise industry supports over 1M jobs.
• A cruise costs an average of $214 per passenger daily. 
• The world’s fleet of cruise ships totals 430.
• US nationals made up the majority (43%) of all cruise passengers in 2021.
• US nationals made up 43% of all cruise passengers in 2021.
• The cruise industry seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.
• A cruise ship emits more greenhouse gasses daily than 13M cars.
• The global revenue of cruises is set to reach $30B by 2024.
• Only 22% of cruise tickets are purchased online. Instead, 78% of the sales come from offline channels (e.g., ticket offices).
• Wonder of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean Group., is the world’s largest cruise ship.
• 1.7M passengers cruised to the Caribbean region in 2021.
• The US, Canada, and Mexico make up half of all cruise passengers.
• Crime rates on cruise ships are 95% lower than on land.
• Wonder of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world. It’s 1,188 feet long and 209 feet wide (362 x 64m).
• Wonder of the Seas can take up to 7K passengers and 2.3K crew members onboard.
• The Wonder of the Seas ship was ordered in 2016 and completed in 2022, with a construction cost of $1.3B.
• Wonder of the Seas has a Central Park (the first ever park at sea) with over 20K natural plants.
• The Wonder of the Seas ship has four thrusters with 7.5K horsepower each, which help it reach the cruising speed of 22 knots (25 mph).
• Wonder of the Seas has 24 bars and dining facilities.
• There are eight specially designed neighborhoods on the Wonder of the Seas ship.

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• The cruise industry provided 1.7M jobs in 2019.
• It takes 24 passengers to support one full-time job on a cruise ship.
• The cruise industry has average employee turnover rates: 25–35%.
• A cruise ship may require over 2K crew members.
• Cruise ships have a strict, military-like chain of command: officers > staff > crew members.
• 70% of cruise ship crew work in the hotel division.
• Most cruise companies (70%) hire employees via foreign agencies.
• A typical cruise ship employment form is a 6-month-long contract.
• Cruise ship crew are on call around the clock.
• An average cruise ship member in the US makes $29K annually.
• 72 new ships were manufactured in 2021.
• The average cost of building a cruise ship is $600M.
• There were 65 ocean cruise lines as of 2022.
• The three leading cruise companies made 85% of the global revenue in 2021.
• Only 11% of cruise ships can accommodate more than 4K passengers.
• Most cruise ships (32%) can take 2–3K tourists onboard.
• 371 out of 430 cruise ships operated in 2022.
• Here’s a look at the highest-rated cruise lines:
• The cruise ship’s passenger capacity is projected to reach over 38M in 2027.
• The average age of a cruise ship is 14.
• The world’s longest cruise ship (~1,188 ft or 362m) is just 6.5 ft (2m) longer than the fifth longest ship (853 ft or 260m).
• Royal Caribbean has all five longest cruise ships in its fleet.
• The most expensive cruise ships are Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. The former cost 1.5B to build, and the latter’s price tag was 1.4B.
• Here’s a breakdown of the world’s largest cruise ships:
• 57% of cruisers are college graduates.
• 83% of cruise passengers are married. 
• Cruisers spend around $385 in the port city before boarding a ship.
• During a typical cruise, passengers spend an average of $750 per person in port cities.
• Cruise passengers are 47 years old, on average.
• 85% of Millennials plan to cruise in the future, compared to 82% of Gen Xers and 79% of Gen Zers.
• Eight in 10 cruisers are likely to book their next vacation on a cruise ship.
• ~70% of cruisers are willing to board a cruise ship next year.
• Almost 60% of people who have never cruised say they are likely to cruise in the next few years.
• 70% of cruisers have an annual household income greater than $80K.
• 17% of Americans have cruised at least once.
• Most cruisers (77%) travel with a spouse.
• 30% of cruise passengers travel mainly with under-aged children.
• A quarter of cruisers generally travel with friends.
• A 3K-person cruise ship generates an average of 150K gallons (567 liters) of sewage per week.
• Cruise ships dump as much as 1B gallons (3.7B liters) of bacteria, heavy metals, and nutrients into the sea yearly.
• Here’s an overview of the waste produced by a 3K-passenger cruise ship during one week voyage:
• The cruise line industry dumps 285K gallons (1M liters) of wastewater into the sea every day.
• 75% of solid waste is incinerated on cruise ships, and the ash is typically discharged at sea.
• 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 80K tons of paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass each year.
• The global revenue from cruises dropped by 88% in 2020.
• The cruise industry made just $3B in 2020 compared to 27B in 2019.
• The revenue growth in the cruise market is expected to plateau at 3% by 2026.
• The number of cruise passengers globally dropped by 84% in 2020.
• The cruise industry expected to carry 32M passengers in 2020.
• The number of ocean cruise passengers stood at 7M in 2020.
• Only 5M people went ocean cruising in 2021.
• The number of cruise passengers from North America dropped from 15M in 2019 to 3M in 2020.
• In 2021, the cruise industry declined by 25% compared to 2020.
• In the Middle East, the number of cruise passengers declined by 92% in 2020, followed by a 160% increase in 2021. 
• In North America, the number of cruise passengers dropped by 80% in 2020 and continued to decline by another 25% in 2021.
• Leading cruise companies saw a 90% drop in revenue in 2021 compared to 2019.
• Here’s a look at the net income of the largest cruise companies between 2019 and 2021:
• The cruise industry’s economic contribution in 2019 was $154B.
• In 2020, the economic contribution of the cruise industry dropped by 59% to $63B.
• Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, cruise industry-supported jobs shrank by 50%.
• The number of cruise passengers will surpass the 2019 levels by 2024.

There you have it.

A comprehensive list of cruise industry statistics, facts, and trends to help you better understand the market and its direction.

Was there a statistic you found particularly surprising? Or maybe there are other cruising stats you’d like to see?

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• Bureau of Transportation Statistics, “Summary of Cruise Ship Waste Streams”
• Comparably, “Cruise Ship Salary”
• Condé Nast Traveler, “Top Cruise Lines: Readers’ Choice Awards 2022”
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• Statista, “Leading Countries in the Cruise Industry Revenue Worldwide from 2019 to 2022”
• Statista, “Most Expensive Cruise Ships Worldwide in 2022, by Building Cost”
• Statista, “Net Income of Carnival Corporation & Plc Worldwide from 2008 to 2021”
• Statista, “Net Income of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Worldwide from 2011 to 2021”
• Statista, “Net Income of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Worldwide from 2007 to 2021”
• Statista, “Number of Ocean Cruise Passengers Worldwide from 2009 to 2021”
• Statista, “Number of Ocean Cruise Passengers Worldwide from 2019 to 2021, by Region”
• Statista, “Percentage Change in Revenue of Leading Cruise Companies Worldwide during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in 2020 and 2021”
• Statista, “Revenue Growth of the Cruise Industry Worldwide from 2018 to 2026”
• Statista, “Revenue of the Cruise Industry Worldwide from 2017 to 2026”
• Statista, “Revenue Share of Sales Channels of the Global Cruise Industry from 2017 to 2026”
• Statista, “Worldwide Market Share of Leading Cruise Companies in 2021”
• Statista, “Year-Over-Year Percentage Change in Cruise Passengers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Worldwide in 2020 and 2021, by Source Region”
• 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”

Adam is an SEO & Digital PR writer with a child’s curiosity about the surrounding world. His superpower to dig out juicy facts got him citations in Forbes, Social Media Today, and 90+ other news outlets. Adam enjoys snapping pictures and won the national Huawei Next Image Award.