In 2024, the number of cruise bookings reached a record level
Whether it's Royal Caribbean's nine-month Ultimate World Cruise heading to the Drake Passage or the cancellation of Life at Sea Cruises' first three-year voyage, it seems that cruise content has been dominating social media and news feeds lately.
According to a Reuters report early last month, travelers "from all income levels and budgets" were booking cruises for 2024 in "higher volumes" than ever before the pandemic.
Approximately 35.7 million passengers are expected to take cruises in 2024, up from 31.5 million in 2023, marking a 6% increase from the number of passengers who set sail in 2019, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
According to InsureMyTrip, in the past few weeks, sales of travel insurance policies for cruises have reached record levels, which have not been seen in many years.
"Demand for 2024 continued to accelerate, with bookings well above 2019 levels," said Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.
Interestingly, Royal Caribbean told investors that in the third quarter, "two-thirds of its guests were either on their first cruise or using Royal Caribbean for the first time."