With dozens of new ships, more cruise lines in the market and a shift towards a younger demographic, a positive outlook for the cruise industry seemed almost unfathomable in the darkest depths of the pandemic, when cruise was the hardest-hit sector among an already-beleaguered travel industry.
While there is still a way to go in recovering to pre-2020 levels, the signs are promising: more than 10 million people have cruised since sailings restarted worldwide, most lines have their full fleets back in service, testing requirements are easing and demand is booming for hotspots including the Med, Caribbean and Norwegian fjords.
Kelly Craighead, president and chief executive of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), said: “As the industry resumes operations, passenger volume is expected to recover and surpass 2019 levels by the end of 2023, and is projected to recover 12% above pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2026.
“With the support of an incredibly resilient community, the future of the cruise industry is bright.”
Royal Caribbean Group – owner of brands including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea – saw a 30% jump in bookings from April to June for travel in the second half of 2022, compared with the same periods in 2019, and says reservations for next year are rolling in ever-faster each week.
Meanwhile Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises are among the lines that have reported record-breaking days of new bookings. Norwegian Prima, being christened by pop superstar Katy Perry in August, became NCL’s most in-demand ship ever in its first week on sale.
Katy Perry christened the new Norwegian Prima, which quickly became the cruise line’s most in-demand ship ever
(NCL & Dimitrije Curcic)
This positivity is borne out not only by cruise lines themselves but also by agencies that sell across the sector. Tony Andrews, deputy managing director at cruise.co.uk, said: “We’re very encouraged by our booking numbers this year, which are now on a par with those from 2019. Most cruise passengers are clearly keen to get back on the water.”
The company has seen growth among younger age groups, with under-20s now making up 8% of passengers compared to 6% in 2019. While those aged 60-plus still account for the majority of customers, 44% are now under 60, a jump from 37% pre-pandemic.
Perhaps the clearest indicator of a healthy future is the level of investment in the sector, with 22 new…
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