With 19 million Americans set to set sail in 2025, the cruise industry continues to soar to new heights after the near-standstill that occurred when the world was gripped by the covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
AAA, which published its annual cruise forecast this week, predicts a 4.5% spike from the 18.2 million Americans who cruised in 2024 and further growth from 16.9 million in 2023. These numbers are in large part influenced by travelers who decided to come back from their first cruise.
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Miami is by far the busiest cruise port in the world (here are the others in the top five)
"The cruise industry has rebounded post-pandemic more strongly than other travel segments, and cruise demand growth has exceeded hotel demand growth the last two years," the car association writes of the findings while Travel Vice President Stacey Barber added that there is "a reason most first-time cruise passengers become repeat cruisers" (the reason is that most have a great time and want to come back.)
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AAA report also looked at the ports that saw the highest numbers of cruise dockings in 2024 — Miami predictably took first place with 10.3% of all cruise embarkations and debarkations while fellow Florida stops Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale rounded out the top three with a respective 8.3% and 5.2%.
Galveston in Texas came fourth with 4.2% while Barcelona was the only non-U.S. destination in the top five with 3.9% of all embarkations. Reports from other agencies looking at total passengers show that, while Miami and Port Canaveral were also the busiest ports by far in 2024, Barcelona was only in sixth place.
Image source: Pixabay.
Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean are still the cruise industry standouts
Cozumel in Mexico, Nassau in the Bahamas and Civitavecchia in Italy came in a respective third, fourth and fifth places when it comes to total number of cruise passengers last year.
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Based on the AAA numbers, the Caribbean saw 72% of all cruise ship visitors while Alaska and the Mediterranean were the only places large enough to stand as separate categories with a respective 6% and 5% (the rest of the world was combined into a separate category taking up 17%.)
"The Caribbean’s dominance this year is on par with its pre-pandemic numbers in 2018 and 2019," the AAA writes. "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.
A cruising behemoth, Miami also holds the title as being the home of the world's largest cruise ship after Royal Caribbean (RCL) debuted its Icon of the Seas ship at the start of 2024. The 20-deck and 1,198 feet-long ship can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members at peak capacity. Similarly-sized Star of the Seas is set to start running from Port Canaveral in the summer of 2025.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Have questions about booking a cruise? Schedule a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner Postcard Travel Planning or call or text Amy Post at 386-383-2472.
The report is also showing a spike in demand for shorter cruises around the Caribbean with 18% of itineraries leaving for the region from Florida now between two and five days (in 2023, that number was only at 2%.)
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