A projected 28 million passengers are expected to take a cruise in 2018 and 30 million in 2019. Cruise lines are enticing travelers with nearly 1,000 ports of call, with the Caribbean hosting 34.4 percent of the traffic; followed by the Mediterranean with 17.3 percent; Europe 11.1 percent; China, 4.9 percent; Australia/NZ/Pacific, 4.8 percent; Asia without China, 4.3 percent and Alaska with 4.7 percent. CLIA’s member lines are scheduled to debuts 27 new ocean, river and specialty ships in 2018.
The cruise ship industry has been the fastest growing segment in the travel industry around the world. Cruises are especially popular in the United States and in 2018, 14 million Americans took a cruise vacation. Nowadays, there are about 278 liners sailing the world’s seas.
The cruise industry continues to make a positive impact on communities around the globe by sustaining 1,177,000 jobs equaling $50.2 billion in wages and salaries and $150 billion total output worldwide in 2018.
Average passenger growth 1980-2019
*2020 estimated