Australians are taking longer cruises and they are getting younger, says CLIA report

• A new State of the Industry report from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has revealed that cruisers are getting younger.
• The report found that the industry anticipates an increase in cruisers to 41.9 million by 2028.
• The Caribbean still remains the most popular place to cruise globally.

Australians are taking longer cruises than ever, according to the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) State of the Industry Report.

The new figures, which report cruise figures for 2024, showed that there has also been an increase in passenger numbers from Asia and Oceania from 3.67 million to 4.03 million passengers.

This, though, is still a decline in the figures for 2019, where our region saw 5.09 million people taking a cruise holiday.

Globally, around 34.6 million people took an ocean cruise during 2024, and it is anticipated that the numbers will increase to 37.7 million this year and 41.9 million by 2028.

First-time cruiser figures have also increased – over the past two years, 31 per cent were new to cruising. Generation X and Millennials were found to be the most enthusiastic cruisers.

Of Gen X who have cruised before, 84% say they will cruise again. Of Millennials who have cruised before, 83% say they will cruise again.

“Cruising is more popular than ever, and the diversity of experiences now available to cruise guests is phenomenal,” said Joel Katz, the Managing Director for CLIA in Australia.

Globally, the average age of a cruiser is also getting much younger, with approximately 67 per cent of passengers being Gen-X or younger.

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Where are we sailing?

The Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda still remain the top destinations to cruise to, with the region seeing a 17.1 per cent increase to 14.98 million from 12.8 million passengers. This figure is still dominated by the number of cruisers sourced from America.

Europe – the Mediterranean and other regions like the Baltic and Scandinavia came in second, while interest in Asia, China, as well as Alaska grew in popularity.

Cruises to New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific also grew in visitations, but the biggest rise was seen in expedition cruising, which covers Antarctica, the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Galapagos, and the North Cape.

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The rise of solo travelers

The report found that cruises are becoming a popular choice for passengers looking to travel on their own. In 2024, solos made up 12 per cent of the cruise market, a doubling of the numbers from 2023.

Cruise lines are offering more single-occupancy cabins than ever.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Aqua, for instance, has 73 solo studios, where guests have access to their own private sitting and lounge area.

Virgin Voyages, a relatively new player in the industry, also has dedicated solo cabins across its fleet. Sir Richard Brandon’s cruise line will be launching its fourth ship in September 2025, which will also add more capacity for solo cruisers.

Princess’ new Star Princess will have single-occupancy interior staterooms when it launches this year.

MSC’s World-Class ships also have a whopping 245 dedicated Studio Interiors on the World America, and World Europa has 230 cabins for solos.

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Younger cruisers look for adventure

Expedition and exploration travel continue to attract cruisers looking for unique experiences only accessible by water.

The trend, though, is that expedition cruisers are getting younger, and between 2023 to 2024, the number of passengers sailing on adventure sailings increased by 22 per cent.

The first purpose-built exploration ship, according to the report, was built 10 years ago.

Today, there are around 40 ships that are built specifically for expedition.

Small expedition cruise line, Aurora Expeditions will launch its third purpose-built Infinity Class vessel this year, the Douglas Mawson. It will join its sister ships the Greg Mortimer, and Sylvia Earle which was launch in 2019 and 2022, respectively.

There has also been a crossover between the luxury and expedition companies, with brands like Scenic, Seabourn and Ponant, building multipurpose vessels.

Scenic’s Eclipse and Eclipse II, Seabourn’s Pursuit and Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcoat, while might be designed for the depths of Antarctica or the coastlines of the Kimberley, the vessels offer guests white-gloved service and high-end food and beverage, interiors and accommodation offerings.

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The luxury cruise boom

As baby boomers acquire more wealth, the luxury cruise market has tripled since 2010 based on the number of ships offering these high-end experiences.

And by 2028, it’s anticipated that 1.5 million cruisers are forecasted to choose a luxury cruise experience. Travel agents see the highest growth in cruise bookings from the premium, luxury and expedition segments.

There were just 28 luxury vessels in 2010, and in 2024, we now have 97 high-end ships.

The number of projected births is anticipated to grow from 10,417 in 2010 to 45,751 in 2028.

Lines like Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises will be launching new ships like Seven Seas Prestige and Oceania Allura.

Explora Journeys too, will launch EXPLORA III in August 2026, and there are plans to launch EXPLORA IV and EXPLORA V in 2027, as well as EXPLORA VI in 2028.

“Cruise lines have been investing billions of dollars in new ships, new innovations, and new experiences, allowing them to cater to increasingly diverse tastes among their guests,” said Katz.

“The outlook for cruising remains strong, and cruise lines are preparing to enhance their fleets with a further 56 new ships to be launched in the next decade. At the same time, they are making huge investments in the technologies and propulsion systems that are taking our industry towards its net-zero emission goals.”