A record number of Australians are cruising – but more are heading overseas to sail

• Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its annual market report for Australia, revealing a record 1.45 million Aussies took a cruise in 2025.
• And the typical Aussie cruiser is getting younger, with the average age dropping to 47.3.
• But CLIA warns we are losing tourism to other countries, with a rise in those sailing in other parts of the world.

Australians are cruising in record numbers and the typical Aussie cruiser is younger and taking shorter trips off our shores, a report has found.

But in a worrying trend for the multi-billion dollar industry, more and more Australians are packing their bags and heading overseas to board their ship.

New figures released by CLIA show that in 2025, 1.45 million Australians set sail in 2025 up 9.5 per cent on the 1.32 million Australians who cruised in 2024.

It sets a new record, breaking the one set in 2018.

But the boom is in part being driven by the number of Aussies ditching local itineraries and heading overseas to sail in international waters.

CLIA Executive Director in Australasia Joel Katz said new levels of innovation among cruise lines and a strong focus on value for money were helping to drive Australia’s growing love of cruising. But the figures also confirm industry fears that Australia is becoming less competitive among world cruise destinations.

“The number of Australians cruising is at record levels, and with around 80 new ships coming online worldwide over the next decade, this passion can only rise,” Katz said.

“However, Australia is struggling to attract ships to our own waters because of regulatory uncertainties and rising costs, so we are becoming uncompetitive as a destination and losing tourism to other countries.

“Cruising contributes $7.32 billion a year to the national economy and supports more than 22,000 Australian jobs, so it’s vital that we bring together Federal, State and Territory governments under a national action plan – so we can create greater regulatory certainty, restore Australia’s competitiveness, and attract more cruise tourism.”

The annual report paints an interesting picture of who and what is driving the Aussie market.

Despite the challenges of regulatory uncertainties and rising costs, the local market remains resilient. Shorter itineraries are proving increasingly attractive, with a total of 1.16 million Australians cruising within Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific last year. That’s an increase of 8 per cent on 2024.

The most popular cruise region for Australians in 2025 was Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific, where 80.3 per cent of cruisers sailed. The Mediterranean came in next at 6.3 per cent, followed by Asia (4.5 per cent), Alaska (2.5 per cent), the Caribbean (1.7 per cent), Northern Europe (1.3 per cent), Hawaii and the US West Coast (0.7 per cent), and South America/Panama (0.4 per cent). Others took Expedition Cruises (0.8 per cent) and Trans-Atlantic & World Cruises (0.5 per cent).

The average length of the cruises taken has dropped to 7.5 days, down from 8 days in 2024, reflecting a growing demand for quick holidays rather than longer voyages.

More than a third of cruisers are now under 40 – which indicates a bright future for cruising with a whole generation of repeat travellers.

Globally, cruising is thriving, with 37.2 million passengers taking to the oceans in 2025, another record year.

While Australia has its issues, it still punches well above its weight, coming in fourth in the largest cruise markets, beaten only by United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.

A 50-strong delegation from Australia and New Zealand has headed to Miami this week for Seatrade Cruise Global, the world’s most influential cruise conference, to push for more ships to our region.

These figures will no doubt help them make their case.