The luxury cruise travel market has tripled since 2010 based on the number of ships offering high-end experiences, a new Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) report has revealed, as it confirmed significant growth is set to continue in that space.
CLIA’s State of the Industry report for 2025 revealed that, while there were just 28 vessels operating in the luxury space in 2010, that number rose to 97 in 2024.
It coincides with a trend away from the larger vessels that were once mainly associated with cruise, more than 70% of ships sailing now and through to 2036 are either small or medium-sized.
The growth at the luxury end of the spectrum looks set to continue, driven by demand from increasingly discerning travellers. “By 2028, 1.5 million cruise travellers are forecast to choose a luxury cruise experience,” the report said. That represents an increase from 2024’s 1.1 million, and means luxury cruise will account for 4% of total passenger volume as compared with today’s 3%.
Indeed, travel agents are seeing the highest growth in cruise bookings from the premium, luxury, and expedition segments, the report said, referring to the CLIA North American Travel Agent Survey from February 2025.
The overall cruise market also continues to perform well, with a record 34.6 million people taking an ocean cruise worldwide during 2024 – a 9.3% increase on 2023 figures. Those passenger numbers are forecast to keep on growing, with projections to hit 37.7 million in 2025 and 41.9 million by 2028.
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“Cruising is more popular than ever and the diversity of experiences now available to cruise guests is phenomenal,” CLIA Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz said.
“Cruise lines have been investing billions of dollars in new ships, new innovations and new experiences, allowing them to cater to increasingly diverse tastes among their guests. The outlook for cruising remains strong and cruise lines are preparing to enhance their fleets with a further 56 new ships to be launched into the next decade. At the same time, they are making huge investments in the technologies and propulsion systems that are taking our industry towards its net-zero emission goals.”
This commitment to evolution could be one of the factors fuelling the demographic shift that is evidently underway, with the report showing that younger travellers are increasingly yearning for a holiday at sea.
Generation X and Millennials were found to be the “most enthusiastic” cruisers. Of the Gen X travellers who have taken a cruise, 84% said they will cruise again.
And of the Millennials who have holidayed at sea, 83% said they will cruise again.
These numbers slightly outpace the average of 82% of international travellers who have cruise in the past who indicated that they would take another cruise.
This rising popularity of cruise among younger travellers comes as more people try cruising out for the first time. The figures revealed that 31% of cruisers over the last two years were new to cruise – up from 24% in 2019.
