The cruise market is growing out of Ireland by 17pc, well above the 10pc experienced elsewhere in Europe.
Andy Harmer from the Lindon office of the Cruise Line International Association, CLIA, told the annual conference of Travel Centres outbound agents in Naas that 60,000 Irish customers booked a cruise in 2023.
January to June bookings were up 17pc on this (separate figures are not available for the six counties but is believed to be around 18,000).
He told delegates that, while the average age of a cruise passenger is down to 55 years old in Europe, it is even lower in Ireland at 47 years. Other insights offered to delegates include:
- There are 300 cruise ships on the oceans in 2024, offering 635k lower berths, up from 250 ships and 506k berths six years ago.
- Ships with fewer than 1000 berths make up 34pc of the total, those with 1000 to 3000 berths 36pc and those with more than 3000 berths 30pc, as Mr Harmer put it “an industry of thirds.”
- The 11 ship deliveries in 2025 included seven using LNG “the cleanest fuel available to the industry at present.”
- There are 42 ships on the order book poised to deliver 143k lower berths. Of these, five are expedition ships, reflecting the growth in adventure cruises to places like the Galapagos and Antarctica.
- Passenger numbers returned to pre pandemic levels in 2023 and are set to grow from 31.7pc to 34.7m next year and 40m by 2028.
- Among European passengers, the Mediterranean is the choice of 3.75m people, Northern Europe 2.6m, the Caribbean 747k, Africa & Middle East 339k and trans Atlantic & world cruise 193k. Mr Harmer noted that Alaska does not feature in the top five.
When asked why they choose to cruise, passenger’s showed more interest in destinations than ships:
- 1 Ability to visit multiple destinations on a single holiday
- 2 Shore excursion offerings in multiple ports
- 3 Value for money
- 4 Multigeneration & family options
- 5 Onboard dining options
Mr Harmer told delegates: Much of my presentation is about ocean cruise. By the way, we know much more about ocean cruise. Ocean cruise, I hate to say, is the sexy part of cruise. Ocean cruise is hot right now. River cruise is warm, maybe, or tepid? I don’t know. No, river cruise is also very hot. It’s one of the fastest-growing segments of travel, and that’s because there’s a real demand amongst a certain demographic in the world to travel on small ships with great service through the heart of the destination and so on.
There are just 304 ocean ships operating in the world at any hour, any minute, today. And that’s a new record. But that’s only 300 ships, and they’re all beautiful. They’re all lovely in their own way and very different, which is great because we have customers with different demands and needs. We know that they like different hotels, different places to stay. What’s also great about cruising is this is managed growth. We are restricted by shipyards and the number of new ships that we can launch, meaning our growth is around 3.5pc to 5pc each year. When we talk about sustainable and responsible growth, the cruise industry really fits into that because we can only grow a certain amount—about 3.5pc to 5pc each year.
The other interesting thing about cruise is that we are very much an industry of thirds. About a third of the current ocean fleet—about 100 of those ships—are smaller than a thousand guests. That’s been growing but fairly stable over the last 10 years. There has been that increase in small ship operations, whether it’s Explorer Journeys, sea cruising, or some of the other brands that offer that luxury experience, expedition experience, or yacht and sail experience. That third has stayed fairly stable.
When people tell you that all the ocean ships operating are these big ships with lots of great facilities, that’s not true. A third are under a thousand guests, a third are in that midsize range between a thousand and 3,000 guests, and a third are in that larger category—so, Icon of the Seas f territory.
Really exciting ships, great shipbuilding techniques, and a great way of delivering that huge choice of dining and entertainment. .activities, as well as the destination experience. So, what does that order book look like? Just this year, 11 new ocean ships have launched. Seven of those are LNG-powered—again, returning to that sustainability theme from earlier. LNG is the cleanest fuel we can use that’s available in the locations we need at the moment. So, seven of those ships are LNG-powered, representing an increase in lower berths of about 3.5pc.
If you take our clear order book all the way through to 2028, we had 41 new ships with 140,000 lower berths on order, and five of those are expedition ships. We hear a lot more about expedition cruising these days because we take people to places they could only dream of going. There’s an increase in interest in destinations like the polar regions, Galapagos, and the Kimberley region of Australia. These destinations really stand out as opportunities that you can only truly enjoy on a cruise, which is why we’ve seen an increase in expedition ships.
The year 2019 was our last peak year for cruise passengers at around 29.7m. Last year, we surpassed that, reaching 31.7m. This year, we forecast 34.7m, and by the time we get to 2027, we’re forecasting just under 40m. Now, this is only 40m guests from around the world—not a huge industry with 300 ships and 40m guests. But what it is, is hot. It’s hot because we are delivering holiday choices for people that they’ve never thought they could have.
Let me bring this back to Ireland. Last year, there were just under 60,000 cruisers from Ireland. In the first half of this year, we are already up by about 17pc. In terms of Irish cruisers, we had about 27,000, which is a new record for the first half of the year.
We conduct consumer research three times a year. We ask people who have never cruised, who have never stepped foot on a cruise, and who have never considered a cruise whether they would think about taking one. An impressive 71pc of those respondents said yes; they would consider taking a cruise. So, there’s clearly awareness and interest in the cruise holiday. We just need to get them through the door; the door is half open.
So, where are these international cruises going? Our biggest destination for European cruisers is the Mediterranean. Just under 4m Europeans traveled to the Mediterranean, which is also Ireland’s biggest destination. About 50pc of all Irish cruisers will cruise in the Mediterranean, so it’s really key.
The second most popular destination is Northern Europe, including places like the Norwegian fjords, Iceland, Great Britain, and parts of the northern coast of Europe. That’s also very popular for Irish cruisers. The Caribbean ranks third—who doesn’t love a bit of Caribbean? It offers the opportunity to enjoy winter sun and a different beach every day.
So, you can see that for Irish cruisers, the Caribbean is about the third most popular destination. Surprisingly, Africa and the Middle East are number four. We’ve seen many ships, particularly some of the smaller ones, positioned there ..job of providing diverse experiences at each destination.
In Africa, there are actually a lot of ships heading into that Middle East area, while the fifth most popular destination is transatlantic and world cruises. What’s interesting is that some of the destinations we often talk about, such as Alaska, don’t even make the top five. This is largely because many of their guests are sourced from North America.
The interesting thing for those selling cruises is that most people will stay pre- and post-cruise. If you’re selling a cruise and you’re not offering your customer a pre-night stay in the port city or a post-night stay wherever they debark, then you’re missing out. The majority of people extend their stay, allowing for additional opportunities to add value.
Now, you’ll notice that I’m focusing a lot on destinations so far, and that’s because destination is the key driver for people to take a cruise holiday. I’ve spoken about the 300 or so ships—they’re all beautiful in their own way—but the destination is the main reason people choose to cruise.
We asked UK and Irish cruisers why they took a cruise, and it feels like I’m on a game show as I share the top six answers. If we start at the bottom, number six is entertainment. There’s been a big focus on entertainment recently; people either love the shows or hate them. So, how many people love the shows on board ships? A few? Thank you! And how many people hate them? I can’t put my hand up. It’s lovely.
That choice of entertainment is not just about the shows, of course; it also includes the entertainment available in the bars and venues onboard.
Number five: dining options. You’ll hear cruise lines talk a lot about the dining options onboard, as it’s the fifth most popular reason people choose to cruise. The dining experience is incredible at any time of day.
Number four: multigenerational and family options. One of the bigger trends as we came out of COVID was the opportunity to travel with family. I can’t think of anything worse, but some people enjoy it!
Number three is value for money. We know that cruising is one of the most inclusive types of holidays you can experience. It’s not just the price you pay when you book the holiday; it’s the price you pay when you get back. Cruises excel at offering great value, so it’s no surprise that it ranks at number three.
Now, the top two reasons why people reported enjoying cruises: number two is excursion offerings, and number one is the ability to visit multiple destinations in a single holiday. This is something we’ve been talking about since I entered the cruise industry: unpack once and see multiple destinations.
Moreover, those shore excursions are a critical part of the experience because it’s not just about the places we take people; it’s the experiences we offer when we arrive. For example, if we focus on the Mediterranean—since it’s our most popular destination—you can cruise the Mediterranean multiple times and have a different holiday each time. That’s not just because there are numerous ports, including many smaller and different ones, but also because the cruise lines do a great job of providing varied experiences at each location .of curating the experiences they offer in those ports, so you really can have a different port experience every time you go. Whether that involves shopping, culture, food and wine, adventure, soft adventure, kayaking, or helicopter trips, there is something for everyone. The cruise lines excel at this in a way that hotels and other operators often don’t, because they have a much closer relationship with their customers.
Cruise lines know what their customers want. They are with them during the day and in the evenings; they understand what they like to do and can offer an array of destination experiences that are second to none. It’s the destinations that draw people to cruise, delivering amazing places along with incredible experiences while they are ashore, which keeps them coming back. They know they can get something different each time they visit a new location.
Destination experiences are also great because we curate that information effectively. For example, our members have access to 24 different destination factories that outline what experiences customers can expect. We also have an itinerary factory that takes common itinerary types and explains those different options clearly.
Now, let’s move on to some of the big cruise trends. Not only is cruise travel hot, but there are several trends we should be aware of—things happening in the cruise industry that can help us identify customers who may easily switch to cruising.
The first trend is that longer-haul cruising is back. It took a little longer than some of the other cruising options, but longer-haul cruising is definitely making a comeback. The Caribbean is performing very well, and Alaska is also doing great. Longer-haul river cruising is thriving, with fantastic options that allow customers to experience longer trips while still staying within the cruising family.
The second trend is that warmer expedition destinations are growing. When we think of expedition cruising, we often picture Antarctica or the Arctic, focusing on polar region cruising. However, one of the larger growth areas in expedition cruising is actually to warmer water destinations. That includes places like the Kimberley region in Australia and Galapagos, for example. Some expedition cruise lines are even taking their ships through the Mediterranean, traversing traditional cruising areas while offering a different experience.
The third trend is that longer voyages are becoming increasingly popular in both ocean and river cruising. People are flying less and taking fewer trips, but they are staying away for longer periods. You will see many cruise lines offering longer voyages, especially as we approach the start of 2025.
Similarly, on river cruises, there are options for longer trips as well ..that allow you to head off on your holiday once but see more. It gives you the opportunity to see more while doing it in a relaxing way, which is proving to be very popular. Conversely, shorter trips are also gaining popularity. For those with less time, cruising offers the chance to take shorter trips as well. For example, in places like Florida, you can do a short trip of three or four nights, see the new ship, explore new destinations, and then head back to Florida. There are great options for those who are a bit more time-poor.
Additionally, multi-river cruising seems to be increasing in popularity, meaning travellers are jumping from river to river within Europe while on the same holiday. Some new rivers are being marketed; however, I should mention that river cruise lines are not discovering new rivers—they’re just placing ships on rivers that were already there, unless you consider some rivers for which I don’t have specific information. For instance, in South America, The Amazon is now a popular river cruise destination, and we’re seeing many options in Asia, like the Ganges in India. These options are growing because they are introducing holidaymakers to experiences they didn’t know existed, enabling them to see India or Asia in that unique way.
We talked this morning about some of the challenges in Europe regarding tourism and the number of tourists visiting during the summer. One positive outcome seems to be that those shoulder seasons—early and late season cruises—are growing in popularity, offering the chance to see Europe when it might be a bit cooler and less crowded. All-year-round cruising in the Mediterranean is becoming more common, and even river cruising, which typically slowed down in January, February, and March, is now starting earlier to give river cruise holidaymakers an opportunity to explore Europe during those shoulder seasons.
Interestingly, England, Scotland and Ireland cruises are also growing in popularity. In fact, the waters around Britain and Ireland attract about a third of all the ocean ships in the world. Approximately one hundred of those ocean ships come to our waters every year, and there’s a variety of ships to choose from. Of course, you have those large ships offering the grand cruise experience that many cruise lines do well, but you also have some smaller ships exploring off-the-beaten-path locations.
Finally, regarding shore excursions, our research indicates that 61pc of your customers will take a shore excursion. That figure may sound higher than you expect, but again, the destination experience is really important.
Now, there are some other big cruise trends to discuss. Firstly, the average age of cruisers is going down. For England and Ireland combined, it’s around 55, while Irish cruisers are slightly younger, at approximately 47.
We used to see mainly couples or two people traveling together, but a big trend I mentioned earlier from COVID is that more people want to travel with their families. About 28pc of all cruisers now travel with three generations or more—kids, parents, and grandparents traveling together.
That 28pc—that’s huge! We thought it was just a quick response to COVID, indicating that people wanted to spend time with their families, but this trend has actually grown over the past year..
Now, moving on to another big trend: “sight do.” I talked about shore excursions briefly before. “Sight do” means you’re not just going to a destination; you’re also doing things there. For example, the chef on board the ship takes a group ashore to shop for ingredients, and then they have a cooking class to enjoy the culinary experience of that destination. You might go to Alaska, but you’ll kayak there as well, rather than just taking the more traditional tours. This is definitely a growing trend—people want to be active and engaged in the destination, doing something exciting.
Of course, wellness and fitness, which I include going to the bar in, continue to be trends as well. I think enjoying a drink is great for your wellness! This trend persists in both ocean and river cruising, as people want to use their holiday time to engage in activities they wouldn’t normally do at home.
Finally, culinary dining has been a trend forever, and it continues to be important. So, when you listen to your cruise lines talk to you today, remember all these evolving preferences among cruisers.. They will hone in on some of those dining experiences, and that’s not just because those dining experiences are so incredible; it’s also because they tend to be included in the fare. This ties back to the third point in our reasons why people choose cruising: value for money. They want to feel like they’re getting incredible value, and that’s what the cruise lines offer.
I can’t ignore the 300 ships available today. The experiences offered on modern cruise ships compared to what they were 10 or 20 years ago are incredible. As I mentioned, families and multigenerational groups enjoy cruising, one reason being the choice of experiences available on board. The design of ships has changed, and the way we build and look at ships has evolved, leading to amazing experiences. It’s great that kids can go off in the morning, while parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents can have their own kind of day. They can then reconnect at mealtimes, whether for lunch or dinner. The variety of experiences on board is key.
Destination remains the most fundamental aspect of the holiday, which is why we always emphasise the importance of learning about those destination experiences. However, the on-board experience sets the tone for the holiday. One key thing the cruise lines have mastered is knowing who their customers are. As holidaymakers ourselves, we want to travel with like-minded people who share our views and values. Cruise lines excel at allowing us to travel with others who enjoy similar experiences, dining options, and activities.
