When the Grand Princess — a cruise ship carrying 1000’s of passengers sure for Mexico — as an alternative pulled right into a port in Oakland, California, in early 2020, the ship quickly became a logo of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship's passengers were among the many first documented coronavirus cases within the U.S. And as they waited — quarantined of their onboard cabins — the image of a floating city-state adrift in a sea of uncertainty became a defining image of the era.
Journalists, politician And Experts in infectious diseases have described cruises as “petri dishes.”
But despite initial skepticism and pandemic-related challenges, the cruise industry has not only survived, but thrived. In fact, demand for cruises is now even higher than before the pandemic.
Cruises are making a comeback
According to a 2024 report by the Mastercard Economics Institute, the variety of cruise transactions worldwide in the primary quarter of 2024, including bookings and onboard purchases, was roughly 16% higher than in the identical period in 2019.
More money can also be flowing into cruises. Mastercard found that nine of the last ten days with the best spending on cruises occurred in 2024 (as of May 2024).
Cruise spending was not only on the rise before the pandemic, but in addition last 12 months. According to May 2024 credit and debit card data from Bank of America, cruise spending was up 12% 12 months over 12 months.
Why are cruises so popular in 2024?
There are several aspects that indicate why cruises are on the rise:
Need to catch up: Cruises are benefiting partly from the overall wave of pent-up travel demand. People who avoided cruising (or travel normally) through the early years of the pandemic may now be ready to participate again.
Addressing older population groups: There are actually great Cruises for families or cruises for young couples, cruises are particularly attractive to older people. According to internal Bank of America data from January to May 2024, baby boomers (which the corporate defines as people born between 1946 and 1964) account for about half of total cruise spending.
Unique offers: Cruises are actually also attractive to younger population groups.
Disney Wish, the latest product in The Fleet is capitalizing on the “Frozen” fan base with a singular “Frozen”-themed restaurant that features an Olaf doll, live music (featuring songs from the movie, in fact) and technology like invisible fiber optic cables within the ceiling designed to appear to be Elsa’s magic.
This will not be the one example of unique experiences that may only be had at sea.
The Sun Princess of Princess Cruises offers a cruise version of the Magic Castle, an exclusive Los Angeles club that’s notoriously difficult to get into. The cruise version, called Spellbound by Magic Castle, takes guests through magically themed rooms and serves them sophisticated cocktails. The biggest difference between the Los Angeles version and the cruise version is that the latter is fairly easy to access. All you’ve gotten to do is book a cruise on the Sun Princess and reserve your spot, which implies paying a further $149 for admission.
Other unique Bars on cruise ships include the Skyy Vodka Ice Bar on board certain Norwegian Cruise Line Ships. The entire bar (including seats and glasses) is made entirely of ice.
Further cruises planned
With a lot of the most important cruise lines expanding their fleets, cruise guests now have much more selections. Disney's current fleet of 5 ships is an example of an organization within the midst of massive growth.
New ships joining Disney's fleet include a cruise ship launching in Japan that is predicted to enter service in early 2029. Then, in August 2024, Disney announced 4 more ships that will likely be operational between 2027 and 2031. This means Disney's fleet of 5 ships will grow to 13 by 2031.
The first of those recent ships, Disney Treasure, will make its maiden voyage in December 2024. One of the ship's most highly anticipated features is the Haunted Mansion Parlor, a bar themed after the long-lasting theme park attraction.
Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company, also made waves this 12 months when it announced it will be launching a brand new ship under its namesake Carnival Cruise Line brand. The ship, expected to be accomplished by 2027, is Carnival's first newbuilding order in five years – suggesting the corporate is prepared to speculate again after a lull through the pandemic.
Sure, the pandemic has forged an extended shadow over the cruise industry. But for the long run, the industry appears to be moving forward at full steam.
Originally published:
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