Cruising enters the second half of 2026 at full speed: a record 37.2 million passengers sailed in 2025, CLIA counts 325 ocean ships this year, 13 newbuilds are arriving, and the global orderbook has hit $87 billion.
Cover image: modern cruise ship departing port — photo by Yoeth Gallopers, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The cruise industry is halfway through what is shaping up to be the biggest year in its history. A record 37.2 million passengers sailed globally in 2025, according to the 2026 State of the Cruise Industry report released on 14 April 2026 by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the sector's trade body, up from 34.6 million in 2024 and 31.7 million in 2023. For 2026, CLIA counts 325 ocean-going ships in its member fleet, representing roughly 690,000 lower berths, and the association projects the industry will carry about 42 million passengers a year by 2028. CLIA's October 2025 outlook, reported by Maritime Executive, put the United States alone at 21.7 million cruise passengers in 2026, a 4.5 per cent rise on 2025's 20.6 million. Supply is racing to keep up: trade journal Cruise Industry News counts 13 new ocean ships delivering in 2026, worth about $9.5 billion, with a global orderbook that has grown to 80 ships, 227,504 berths and $87 billion as of its July 2026 update. By every headline measure, 2026 is a record year afloat.
How many people are cruising in 2026?
CLIA does not publish a single mid-year global tally, but the trajectory is unambiguous. Passenger volume has climbed for four straight years, and the association's stated path to 42 million passengers by 2028 implies annual growth of roughly 4 to 6 per cent from 2025's 37.2 million, which would put 2026 in the 38 to 39 million range.
Demand indicators back that up. Nearly 90 per cent of people who have cruised say they intend to sail again, per CLIA's 2026 report, while 31 per cent of passengers in 2025 were first-time cruisers, a sign the customer base is widening rather than merely repeating. Cruising's boom also mirrors the broader travel cycle, with global tourism on track for a record 1.58 billion international arrivals in 2026.
Which new cruise ships enter service in 2026?
Thirteen ocean-going newbuilds join the fleet this year, averaging 94,715 gross tons and 2,085 guests apiece, according to Cruise Industry News. Seven had been handed over by early July, including Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, the third Icon-class ship at about 250,800 gross tons and roughly 5,600 guests, delivered in June. Six more follow before year-end.
| Ship | Cruise line | Segment | 2026 delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legend of the Seas (~250,800 GT) | Royal Caribbean | Contemporary megaship | June (delivered) |
| Norwegian Luna | Norwegian Cruise Line | Contemporary | Early 2026 (delivered) |
| MSC World Asia (~215,000 GT) | MSC Cruises | Contemporary megaship | Q4 |
| Seven Seas Prestige | Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Ultra-luxury | Q4 |
| Explora III | Explora Journeys | Luxury | Summer |
| Magellan Discoverer (100 guests) | Antarctica21 | Expedition | Q4 |
The class of 2026 also includes Four Seasons I and OE Corinthian in the new hotel-branded yacht segment, TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff Flow, luxury ships Viking Mira and Viking Libra, Emerald Kaia and China-built Adora Flora City. The Magellan Discoverer, built in Chile for Antarctic sailings, is the year's only expedition newbuild.
How big is the cruise ship orderbook?
The pipeline behind those deliveries has never been larger. Cruise Industry News' July 2026 orderbook update lists 80 ships on order worth $87 billion, with shipyard slots stretching into the 2030s. Recent months have brought fresh commitments across the market, per Maritime Executive's fleet reporting:
- Royal Caribbean has ordered two more 250,000-gross-ton Icon-class ships, with options for another two, and confirmed a new Discovery class.
- Norwegian Cruise Line has three ships of about 225,000 gross tons on order, its largest ever.
- MSC Cruises has added two further World-class vessels of roughly 217,000 gross tons.
- Carnival has committed to a mix of 180,000 and nearly 230,000-gross-ton newbuilds.
That capital intensity underlines cruising's weight within a travel economy the World Travel & Tourism Council expects to reach $12 trillion in 2026. CLIA puts cruise tourism's own global economic impact at $198 billion in 2024, supporting 1.8 million jobs.
Why are river and expedition cruises growing so fast?
The record is not only an ocean story. Viking is launching ten new river ships before the end of 2026, beginning with Viking Eldir, and has firm orders that will take its river fleet to 112 vessels by 2028, according to trade reports. AmaWaterways debuts AmaSofia on the Rhine and AmaMaya on the Mekong this year and, per Luxury Travel Advisor, plans to grow to more than 50 ships by 2032. Royal Caribbean Group has doubled its bet on the segment, adding ten more river ships for Celebrity by 2031.
Expedition cruising is scaling even faster in relative terms: CLIA's 2026 report points to 150 per cent growth in expedition capacity between 2019 and 2029, as polar and remote-destination itineraries pull in younger, higher-spending travellers.
Who is cruising, and where are the ships going?
The passenger profile is getting younger. CLIA finds that around one-third of cruisers are now under 40, and about a third of sailings involve multi-generational family groups. Deployment remains concentrated: the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda account for 43 per cent of global capacity, followed by the Mediterranean at 15 per cent and Northern Europe at 9 per cent. That Caribbean weighting looks even more favourable this season, with NOAA forecasting a below-normal 2026 hurricane season.
The Bahamas was the most-visited cruise destination in 2025 with 7.6 million passengers, ahead of Cozumel on 4.6 million and Barcelona on 3.5 million. The European numbers come with friction, however, as ports contend with a hardening overtourism backlash and Barcelona's doubled tourist tax.
Frequently asked questions
Is 2026 really a record year for cruising?
Yes. It follows the record 37.2 million passengers of 2025, with the CLIA fleet expanding to 325 ships and around 690,000 berths in 2026 and the trade body projecting 42 million annual passengers by 2028. The US market alone is forecast to grow 4.5 per cent this year.
Will more ships mean cheaper cruise fares?
Unlikely in the near term. Capacity growth of 2 to 3 per cent a year is running behind demand, booking windows have stretched to nine to 18 months for many travellers, and lines are reporting strong forward bookings, all of which supports pricing.
What is the biggest new cruise ship of 2026?
Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, delivered in June 2026, is the year's largest newbuild at about 250,800 gross tons and roughly 5,600 guests. MSC World Asia, arriving in the fourth quarter at around 215,000 gross tons, is the next biggest.
Sources
- CLIA — State of the Cruise Industry Report 2026
- Cruise Industry News — Orderbook Update: Six Cruise Ships Still to Be Delivered in 2026
- Cruise Hive — Cruise Industry Surges to Record 37.2 Million Travelers as Global Demand Booms
- Maritime Executive — Cruise Industry on Track for Fourth Consecutive Growth Year
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