The Covid-19 pandemic changed many aspects of life, but hopping aboard a cruise ship doesn't appear to be one of them. The cruise industry is booming at record highs in 2024, representing a jewel in a tourism sector that was largely shut down during the pandemic.Â
How much bigger is it getting? An estimated 35.7 million people will embark on a cruise by the end of 2024, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). This continues a marked jump in cruising from pre-pandemic numbers. Last year, 31.7 million took a cruise, which represented 107% of the cruise volumes in 2019, and the cruise industry is "forecast to grow to nearly 40 million passengers" by 2027, said the CLIA.Â
These numbers will continue to increase as cruise availability soars, with the CLIA estimating that there will be 745,000 cruise ship berths globally by 2028. Ships are also continuing to be built as big as possible.Â
Why is it surging despite controversies? Part of the answer is the increasing ubiquity of destinations and the ships themselves. Cruise companies are "investing in new hardware, notably megaships and private destinations," Matt Boss, the head of leisure and retailing at J.P. Morgan, said on the banking company’s website.
Demographic shifts have also been working to lure in younger generations to cruises. Millennials and Gen Zers "love the fact that everything is included. Think meals foodies would love, tips covered, Wi-Fi to stay connected, and a ton of fitness classes," Nathan Rosenberg, the chief brand officer at Virgin Voyages, said to NBC.Â
But environmental concerns remain, and more cruising means "more negative impacts" and a "rise in carbon dioxide emissions," Toronto Metropolitan University Hospitality Professor Frédéric Dimanche and Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Teacher Kelley A. McClinchey said at The Conversation. Cruise lines are responding by "creating a move toward smaller vessels and luxury liners, river cruises and expedition cruising." Implementing these "lesser-known ports that can only be accessed via compact luxury ships offers more mission-driven, catered experiences for the eco-minded traveler." |