Record orderbook shows cruise shipping’s growth is linked to sustainability

Gripped by Covid-19 and faced with several severe outbreaks on multiple ships, cruise shipping lines began voluntary shutdowns. By March 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a ‘No Sail Order’, halting cruises from the US for several months.

With the pandemic throttling the global economy and shuttering most travel, the outlook for cruise shipping looked bleak. Cruise ships looked to trim costs. Images of venerable cruise ships crowding the banks at a Turkish shipbreaking yard circulated on social media.

Cruise tourism cratered, falling from 29.7M passengers in 2019 to 5.8M in 2020 to 4.8M in 2021.

The recovery began in 2022, when Covid-19 pre-travel testing restrictions were lifted, welcoming more passengers, new ships, expanding itineraries, offering immersive experiences, and growing the cruise footprint on rivers. Post-pandemic, holidaymakers looking for carefully curated tourism experiences that could be shared with multi-generational family and friends found them on cruise ships.

“We’ve just scratched the surface of the potential market”

Based on annual passenger growth, the thirst for cruise shipping looks insatiable. In its 2026 State of the Industry Report, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reports the annual number of cruise passengers reached 34.6M in 2024 and 37M in 2025. The association forecasts the number of annual oceangoing passengers will reach 42.1M by 2029. And rumoured shipbuilding contracts for more cruise ships are expected to push the current record-level orderbook of US$87 Bn to US$100 Bn in Q2 2026.

During his keynote at the event, CLIA president and CEO, Bud Darr, provided context for that growth, pointing to growing interest in cruising, a younger passenger demographic, and perceived travel value. “The intent to cruise is higher than ever. Our survey shows that of those who are new to cruise, one-third are under the age of 40,” he said. “It’s a new generation of cruisers that have somewhat different values and are willing to spend money on somewhat different experiences than in the past. The industry is evolving to satisfy that need, as well as the existing customer base,” said Mr Darr.

Noting that cruise shipping represents only 2-3% of the global tourism business, Mr Darr said: “We’ve just scratched the surface of the potential market.”

Where cruise shipping has ‘scratched the surface’ is in environmental sustainability. Unlike the rest of shipping, which is struggling with regulatory uncertainty, cruise shipping remains on course and committed to net zero by 2050.

Granted, with 310 ships on the water at the end of 2025, cruise shipping represents a small percentage of the global shipping fleet of 70,000 vessels (>500 gt). But the industry has been a frontrunner in alternative fuels for 10 years, when 19% of the cruise ships on order were LNG dual-fuel capable. Today, 30 LNG-fuelled vessels are in operation, and another 30 are on order. CLIA figures detail the environmental leadership: 57% of the cruise ships now on order are alternative-fuel capable; 61% in the current fleet are fitted with shore power connections; and 225 ships are fitted with advanced wastewater treatment systems.

Passengers see the ship as an extension of the destination, and in a way, themselves and their values. The younger generation of passengers expect their ‘floating resort’ to operate with a minimal environmental impact, which will continue to drive cruise shipping towards a clean, profitable and sustainable future.