For the first time since the pandemic, demand for cruise travel is growing, next year could be a record year for global operators
Kyiv • UNN
Cruise travel will grow significantly in the coming years. Travelers of all income levels and budgets are already booking more trips than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on available booking data, U.S. cruise operators and travel agents are forecasting an increase in in demand for cruise travel next year. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
Travelers are actively book cruises for 2024 as they are still cheaper than land-based alternatives. As occupancy rates approach pre-pandemic levels, operators plan to raise prices in the coming months, especially in the upper of the market.
The only exceptions to the only cruises to the Middle East, where the risks are high due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), in 2024, about 35.7 million passengers will take cruises in 2014. For comparison, in 2023 there were 31.5 million. And this is 6% more than the number of passengers who set sail in 2019.
The number of of bookings is limited only by sufficient capacity of the companies. The CEO of Carnival (CCL.N) Josh Weinstein said in September that the volume of bookings for 2024 will decline as the company may run out of inventory for sale to sell, despite increasing capacity since 2023.
Smaller operators say that the volumes are overcrowded. Private cruise company SeaDream Yacht Club Ltd, based in Oslo, said that bookings for 2024 and 2025 are so high that they have already opened reservations for the fall of 2026.
Online travel companies are also paying attention to cruise companies are also paying attention to the cruise boom. The largest brand Booking Holdings' (BKNG.O) Booking.com launched a cruise vertical in November to to meet the growing demand for cruises.
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