Source: Data adapted from Cruise Market Watch. Cruise port visits are based on the published itineraries of about 90% of the global cruise shipping capacity (P&O and Aida are not covered). Also include inland locations that are formally part of a cruise itinerary. Regional and seasonal fluctuations in occupancy levels can have a notable impact on estimates.
The global cruise port system has been characterized by a high level of regional concentration as well as a clustering of port visits. This regionalism forms major cruise markets, or cruise regions, where most cruise itineraries are deployed. However, this concentration level is declining as more extensive itineraries are being built by cruise lines, and interest in developing cruise activities has increased the number of cruise ports of call and home ports.
The observed destination patterns clearly underline the prominence of port visits around the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea, in line with the operational characteristics of seven-day cruises calling at three to five ports. Other clusters of significant activity concern New England / Atlantic Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Northern Europe. In the 2010s, Asia was the most significant growth market for the industry. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the market share of Asian cruises dropped by half, mainly due to the decline of China-related cruises. A similar decline was observed in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea because of geopolitical issues.
New cruising clusters are emerging to serve a latent demand from a growing middle and upper class in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Still, this growth has been volatile compared with the stability and organic growth of the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. The cruise industry is being globalized with new itineraries and cruise regions becoming increasingly popular, such as Iceland, the Galapagos, and Antarctica.