There is always something for someone while on a cruise. Cruise ships are literal cities on the water sailing from destination to destination. Cruise lines offer different destination options, themes, and durations. They are able to offer various amenities and activities to a large number of guests at once. This is probably why in 2019, the cruise industry revenue grew to $37 billion in the US.
Article Contents
Cruise Statistics: How Many Cruise Ships are There in the World?
Cruise Line Statistics: How Many Cruise Lines are There?
Cruise Passenger Demographics: Who Goes on Cruises
Statistics (Editors Picks)
- 278 cruise lines are currently operating across 55 cruise companies worldwide
- Cruise industry revenue is over $37 billion in the US
- There are 2,219 cruise ports, according to cruisemapper
- There are currently over 50 cruise lines spanning more than 270 ships worldwide
- At the end of 2021, total worldwide ocean cruise capacity will be 581,200 passengers and 323 ships
- Passengers spend $100 on average in each port
- The average cruise passenger is 47 years old
- Caribbean cruises carry the youngest passengers with an av age of 43
- The oldest passenger can be found on world cruise ships, with an av age of 62
Cruise Statistics
How Many Cruise Ships Are There in the World?
Currently, there are 314 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 537,000 passengers.
Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship, Fernando Jorge
There are a lot of cruise ships sailing around the world. Currently, there are 314 cruise ships in operation worldwide with a combined capacity of 537,000 passengers. To accommodate all of those cruise ships, there are 2,219 cruise ports in the world. With all of those cruise ships sailing to and from, have you ever thought about which one was the biggest? Well, that award goes to Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Sea with 2.28 million cubic feet. Conversely, Royal Caribbean also built Ocean of the Seas, the most expensive cruise ship built, costing 1.4 billion.
Key Statistics:
- Currently, there are 314 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 537,000 passengers.
- Cruise industry revenue grew to 37 billion in the US
- There are 2,219 cruise ports, according to cruisemapper
- The biggest cruise ship in the world is Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Sea, with 2.28 million cubic feet
- Royal Caribbean also built Ocean of the Seas, the most expensive cruise ship in the world, costing 1.4 billion
- Harmony of the Seas is the longest cruise ship in the world, measuring 1,118 feet long
- In 2021, half of all cruise ships will be powered by LNG (liquified natural gas) instead of Diesel which releases 30% CO2 than fuel
- 28 new cruise ships will be built in 2021
- In 2019, the cruise catered to 30 million passengers
- There's one job for every 30 cruise passengers
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2020/01/20/state-of-the-cruise-industry-smooth-sailing-into-the-2020s/
https://cruisemarketwatch.com/capacity/
https://www.f-cca.com/downloads/2017-Cruise-Industry-Overview-Cruise-Line-Statistics.pdf
https://www.statista.com/topics/1004/cruise-industry/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_cruise_ports_by_passengers
Cruise Line Statistics
How Many Cruise Lines Are There?
There are currently over 50 cruise lines spanning more than 270 ships worldwide.
Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship, Fernando Jorge
When one decides to go on a cruise, what's the hardest part? Picking where to go or which cruise line to ride in? There are currently over 50 cruise lines spanning more than 270 ships worldwide, with more being built. This includes ocean cruise lines and river cruise lines. By the end of 2021, the total worldwide ocean cruise capacity will be 581,200 passengers and 323 ships. Though there are a lot of cruise lines and ships to choose from, the cruise line industry is dominated by three key players. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Norweigan.
Key Statistics:
- There are currently over 50 cruise lines spanning more than 270 ships worldwide
- At the end of 2021, the total worldwide ocean cruise capacity will be 581,200 passengers and 323 ships
- The top 3 biggest cruise lines are
- Royal Caribbean
- Celebrity Cruises
- Norwegian
- Miami is home to the world's busiest cruise port welcoming 5,592,000 passengers in 2019 and 1,220 cruise ships from 22 lines
- The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination.
- 42% of cruises were to the Caribbean
- 16% were the Mediterranean
- 14% were Asia and China
- An average cruise ship carries 3,000 passengers, and some can even carry up to 6,000
- 7 days is the average cruise duration
- 40% were 7-day cruises
- 27% were 4-6 day
- 15% were 8-13
- 11% were 3 days
- 4% were 14 days
Sources:
https://home.kpmg/xx/en/blogs/home/posts/2020/07/covid-19-impacts-on-global-cruise-industry.html
https://www.lipcon.com/frequently-asked-questions/many-cruise-lines-world/
https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cruise-industry-statistics-facts/
Cruise Passenger Demographics
Who Goes on Cruises?
The average cruise passenger is 47 years old and half are from North America, followed by Western Europe.
Photo Credit: Daniel Gregoire
Cruise ships have many amenities that offer something for everyone. So who exactly goes on cruises the most? Well, the average cruise passenger is 47 years old. While the average cruise passenger is 47, they only make up 15% of that demographic. Younger passengers like the Caribbean, as the average age of that passenger, is 43. Finally, the average age of a world cruise passenger is 62.
Key Statistics:
- Passengers spend $100 on average in each port
- The average cruise passenger is 47 years old
- Caribbean cruises carry the youngest passengers with an average age of 43 years old
- The oldest passengers can be found on world cruise ships, with an average age of 62 years old
- 50% of cruise passengers are from North America
- 24% Western Europe
- 15% Asia
- 11% Elsewhere
Age Breakdown of Cruisers
- 12 and under = 9%
- 13 - 19 = 6%
- 20 - 29 = 9%
- 30 - 39 = 11%
- 40 - 49 = 15%
- 50 - 59 = 18%
- 60 - 69 = 19%
- 70 and over = 14%
Sources:
https://www.windstarcruises.com/blog/how-many-people-on-cruise/
https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cruise-industry-statistics-facts/
Conclusion
There are so many reasons why cruises are popular among travelers, but one of the reasons that cruises are popular is that they offer something for everyone while being able to visit multiple places on one trip. With 314 ships and over 50 different cruise lines with more ships to come and a revenue of 37 billion, the cruise industry is still going strong.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2020/01/20/state-of-the-cruise-industry-smooth-sailing-into-the-2020s/
https://cruisemarketwatch.com/capacity/
https://www.f-cca.com/downloads/2017-Cruise-Industry-Overview-Cruise-Line-Statistics.pdf
https://www.statista.com/topics/1004/cruise-industry/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_cruise_ports_by_passengers
https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cruise-industry-statistics-facts/
https://www.windstarcruises.com/blog/how-many-people-on-cruise/
https://www.lipcon.com/frequently-asked-questions/many-cruise-lines-world/
https://home.kpmg/xx/en/blogs/home/posts/2020/07/covid-19-impacts-on-global-cruise-industry.html
