Caribbean Cruises Dominate Global Deployments
According to CLIA’s 2018 Cruise Industry Outlook, an estimated 28 million passengers will sail over the next year. That’s an additional 1.3 million passengers sailing this year. Cruise Industry News reports that worldwide cruise tourism generates an estimated $40 billion in revenues. Even as the industry continues to expand globally, the Caribbean continues to dominate deployment. No matter which reported statistics you review, the Caribbean will see an estimated 35-38% of all cruise passengers this year, with the closet competition being the Mediterranean at 15%.
The Caribbean has a long history with the cruise industry. While cruise line services began in the early 1900’s to support long-distance passenger transportation between North America and Europe, the modern cruise industry began in the late 1960’s with the establishment of the three major North American cruise brands; Norwegian Cruise Line, formally Norwegian Caribbean Line (1966), Royal Caribbean International (1968) and Carnival Cruise Line (1972). These brands focused on the Caribbean.
As the cruise industry continues to grow at record pace, the North America market is leading the industry’s success and the Caribbean will reap the benefits. The Caribbean has always been one of the most important cruise travel destination markets. There are a variety of itineraries to choose from; Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean, and Western Caribbean. Each region has its unique charms, and with year-round moderate temperatures, the Caribbean is made for cruising. One of the prime draws is the idea of just relaxing on one of the many picturesque beaches. Many cruise companies even have their own private islands. Today, it’s more than just beaches, even on the private islands. There’s a diverse selection of activities in each port, which is ever expanding with adventure and cultural adventures.
To keep up with not only the increase in vessels but the size of the new vessels, established Caribbean ports are expanding and building new infrastructure. At the same time, there are a plethora of new ports clamoring for the cruise lines’ attention. According to Cruise Industry News, the Caribbean will see an estimated 10.2 million passengers in 2018, roughly a 7% increase over 2017. Over the last 10 years, the Caribbean has seen an increase of almost 4 million passengers.
With a reported 104 new vessels on order (which seems to increase weekly) and Port Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral all announcing expansions, there seems no limit to the growth the Caribbean will see over the next 10 years. That’s great news for both established and new Caribbean ports!
Access Cruise is a Miami based cruise port advisor and sales consulting group, specializing in product and business development within the cruise industry.