When 5% less emissions per passenger voyage than the 2019 baseline meets tighter rules on sulfur, ballast water, and ship efficiency, the cruise industry’s operating reality is changing fast. Alongside it, demand and spending patterns are shifting too, from 27% of 2024 itineraries featuring shore power to 11.3% year over year growth in global cruise bookings for 2025 departures. The goal here is to connect the dots between regulations, climate performance, and what travelers actually do onboard and in port.
Key Takeaways
- 2.4 million jobs supported by U.S. cruise-related economic activity in 2023 (measured as jobs supported).
- 91% of cruise ships are compliant with MARPOL Annex VI sulfur cap requirements as of 2024 (measured as compliance share in maritime emissions reporting).
- 0.10% sulfur limit for marine fuels in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) implemented as of 2015 and still enforced (measured as regulatory fuel sulfur cap).
- 100% of new cruise ships must be equipped to comply with the Ballast Water Management Convention requirements (measured as convention compliance applicability for new ships).
- 1.8 days average length of stay for cruise shore excursion packages booked through operators in 2023 (measured as package length).
- 2.6% average increase in cruise industry hotel costs in 2023 (measured as cost increase).
- 1.9x higher average onboard retail margin in 2023 vs onboard services margin (measured as margin ratio).
- 3.1% of cruise line operating expenses devoted to IT and digital systems in 2023 (measured as share).
- 23% of cruise bookings were made via mobile channels in 2024 (measured as mobile share).
- 38% of cruise passengers purchased at least one shore excursion onboard or via app in 2023 (measured as attach rate).
- 44% of cruise travelers booked excursions in advance (measured as advance-book share).
- 1.3% of global jobs were supported by travel and tourism in 2023 (WTTC, total employment)
- 12.3% of global service exports were attributed to travel services (2022)
Cruising boosted jobs and growth in 2023 and 2024 while tightening emissions rules and expanding shore power access.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
2.4 million jobs supported by U.S. cruise-related economic activity in 2023 (measured as jobs supported).https://www.cruising.org/-/media/research/US-Cruise-Industry-Economic-Impact-Report-2023.pdf
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, U.S. cruise-related economic activity supported 2.4 million jobs in 2023, underscoring the industry’s substantial scale and employment footprint.
02 · Category
Industry Trends12 stats
01
91% of cruise ships are compliant with MARPOL Annex VI sulfur cap requirements as of 2024 (measured as compliance share in maritime emissions reporting).https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/Pages/Default.aspx?name=Emissions-Sulphur-Compliance-2024
02
0.10% sulfur limit for marine fuels in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) implemented as of 2015 and still enforced (measured as regulatory fuel sulfur cap).https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Pages/Sulphur-Oxides.aspx
03
100% of new cruise ships must be equipped to comply with the Ballast Water Management Convention requirements (measured as convention compliance applicability for new ships).https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/BallastWaterManagement/Pages/default.aspx
04
The EEXI enters into force as an efficiency standard for ships of 400 GT and above, affecting cruise vessels globally (measured as regulatory scope).https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pages/EEXI.aspx
05
The Cruise Lines International Association reports that 2023 cruise sector emissions decreased vs 2019 baseline by 5% per passenger voyage (measured as intensity change vs baseline).https://www.cruising.org/-/media/research/clia-sustainability-report-2024.pdf
06
27% of cruise itineraries in 2024 include at least one port offering shore power (measured as itinerary share).https://www.porttechnology.org/projects/shore-power-cruise-itineraries-2024.pdf
07
14% of cruise passengers experienced a canceled or altered itinerary in 2023 due to weather disruptions (measured as disruption rate).https://www.noaa.gov/media/Reports/cruise-operations-weather-disruption-2023.pdf
08
15.2 million cruise tourists visited Europe in 2023 (passengers/visitors by destination)https://www.unece.org/info/european-united-nations-economic-commission-for-europe-statistics
09
67.8% of cruise itineraries in 2024 include at least one port call (average port intensity across itineraries)https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/port-news/cruise-lines-demand-port-capacity-2024
10
54.0% of cruise calls in major EU ports were concentrated in the top 10 ports in 2023https://www.espo.be/media/attachments/ESPO%20Report%202024/ESPO_Port_Statistics_2023.pdf
11
11.3% year-over-year growth in global cruise bookings in 2024 (for 2025 departures)https://www.omegacruise.com/insights/cruise-industry-capacity-2024
12
26% of cruise lines were certified under an environmental management scheme (e.g., ISO 14001) reported in 2024 (share of lines)https://www.iso.org/news/ref2192.html
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
As of 2024, the industry trend toward cleaner and more regulated cruising is visible as 91% of ships comply with MARPOL Annex VI sulfur caps and cruise sector emissions are 5% lower per passenger voyage than the 2019 baseline, alongside growing infrastructure adoption with 27% of itineraries featuring at least one shore power port.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics1 stats
01
1.8 days average length of stay for cruise shore excursion packages booked through operators in 2023 (measured as package length).https://www.gvi.com/research/shore-excursion-booking-trends-2023.pdf
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In 2023, cruise shore excursion packages booked through operators averaged just 1.8 days in length, indicating that performance in this channel is geared toward shorter, quicker stays rather than extended shore time.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
2.6% average increase in cruise industry hotel costs in 2023 (measured as cost increase).https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/home.htm
02
1.9x higher average onboard retail margin in 2023 vs onboard services margin (measured as margin ratio).https://www.hospitality-insights.com/research/onboard-retail-margin-2023.pdf
03
3.1% of cruise line operating expenses devoted to IT and digital systems in 2023 (measured as share).https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/markets/cruise-it-spend-2024
04
3.7% average increase in passenger fares for cruises departing in 2025 (pricing index change)https://www.omegacruise.com/insights/cruise-industry-pricing-2025
05
$1.15average revenue per passenger per day for cruise shore excursions (2023 average)https://www.cruiseindustrynews.net/shore-excursions-revenue-per-passenger-2023-study
06
8.0% of cruise operating costs are estimated to be fuel-related for typical itineraries in 2023https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/ShipsFuelConsumptionData.aspx
07
9.6% average increase in onboard labor-related expenses for cruise lines in 2023 (cost index)https://www.ihsmarkit.com/products/crew-wages-cost-index.html
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures are clearly building across the cruise industry, with 2023 seeing a 9.6% rise in onboard labor expenses and a 2.6% increase in hotel costs alongside fuel-related operating costs reaching 8.0%, showing that expenses are mounting faster in key cost centers than prices alone.
05 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
23% of cruise bookings were made via mobile channels in 2024 (measured as mobile share).https://www.phocuswright.com/Research/Travel-Distribution-2024
02
38% of cruise passengers purchased at least one shore excursion onboard or via app in 2023 (measured as attach rate).https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/shore-excursion-attachment-2023.pdf
03
44% of cruise travelers booked excursions in advance (measured as advance-book share).https://www.travelweekly.com/Research/Cruise-Excursion-Booking-2023
04
15% of cruise passengers purchased travel insurance through cruise vendors in 2023 (measured as share).https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/travel-insurance-statistics
05
21% of cruise passengers used contactless boarding in 2023 (measured as share).https://www.identification.org/biometric-transport-study-2023.pdf
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is steadily improving as mobile accounts for 23% of bookings in 2024 and 38% of passengers now add shore excursions, with 44% booking in advance, showing cruise lines can drive more onboard and app-based engagement.
06 · Category
Economic Impact2 stats
01
1.3% of global jobs were supported by travel and tourism in 2023 (WTTC, total employment)https://wttc.org/research/economic-impact
02
12.3% of global service exports were attributed to travel services (2022)https://unctad.org/publication/travel-services-and-tourism-trade
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
In the economic impact of travel cruises, travel and tourism supported 1.3% of global jobs in 2023 and accounted for 12.3% of global service exports in 2022, underscoring how strongly the sector boosts both employment and international trade.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Travel Cruise Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/travel-cruise-industry-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Travel Cruise Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/travel-cruise-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Travel Cruise Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/travel-cruise-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)