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Cruise Industry 10-Year Timeline: 50+ Million Guests, 20% Growth

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Cruise Industry 10-Year Timeline: 50+ Million Guests, 20% Growth

The global cruise business is on course to grow at least 20 per cent between 2026 and 2036, with big new ships driving growth to an estimated 50 million guests, according to the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

That is compared to just over 23 million guests 10 years ago, and an estimated 39 million this year.

The bulk of the growth is coming from the industry’s major players that have numerous new big ships on order, including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruise, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line.

Together, these five brands have a combined 34 ships on order, amounting to just over 150,000 new berths.

The most growth is coming from MSC, with 10 newbuilds set to debut. The new ships from the industry’s fastest-growing will include more World-class vessels built in France, and an entirely new class of vessel set to be constructed in Germany at Meyer Werft.

Norwegian Cruise Line is close behind with eight ships on order, adding more than 36,000 berths through 2037 as the brand continues to scale its large-ship fleet at Fincantieri in Italy.

Royal Caribbean International has six newbuilds scheduled, building on the success of its Icon-class platform with additional vessels from both Meyer Turku in Finland and Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France.

Carnival Cruise Line has five ships on order totalling nearly 30,000 berths, with new tonnage coming from both Meyer Werft and Fincantieri.

Disney Cruise Line, meanwhile, is accelerating its own expansion with five ships set to debut through 2031, more than doubling its current fleet size and extending its reach into new global markets.

The combined orderbook across all cruise lines stands at 78 ocean ships valued at approximately $80 billion, reflecting the industry’s confidence in sustained long-term demand.

Royal Caribbean Swaps Ships for 2027 Season in Southampton

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Royal Caribbean Swaps Ships for 2027 Season in Southampton

Royal Caribbean International confirmed that the Freedom of the Seas will replace the Mariner of the Seas for the 2027 season out of Southampton.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the Freedom was expected to serve the British market after having its deployment for the timeframe cancelled.

Originally set to offer itineraries from Miami during the summer of 2027, the 3,960-passenger vessel is slightly larger than the Mariner and entered service in 2006.

According to statements sent to booked guests, the Freedom will offer cruises departing from Southampton on the same dates as the Mariner.

Some of the original itineraries were reportedly adjusted, with selected ports of call being changed or dropped.

Sailing from its new homeport, the ship will offer a series of cruises to Northern and Western Europe between May and October 2027.

“As part of our ongoing itinerary planning process, which sometimes requires flexibility due to scheduling, port agreements or operational needs, the Mariner of the Seas will be redeployed for our summer 2027 season,” Royal Caribbean said in its statement.

“We know how much effort goes into planning your vacation and apologise for the inconvenience,” the company added.

Passengers are being offered three options, which include moving their reservations to other cruises in the company’s portfolio.

In this case, the company will waive the non-refundable deposit change fee, but guests will be responsible for any price difference.

Royal Caribbean will also allow passengers to cancel their reservations and receive a full refund of any portion of their cruise fare.

Guests who do not wish to cancel or reschedule will be automatically moved to a like-for-like stateroom onboard the Freedom of the Seas.

While Royal Caribbean did not confirm a new deployment for the Mariner of the Seas, the ship is now set to offer a trans-Atlantic crossing to the Mediterranean ahead of the summer of 2027.

The 17-night repositioning voyage sails from New Orleans on April 24, 2027, and features destinations in Morocco and Spain before ending in Barcelona. Ports of call set to be visited include Casablanca, Tangier and Málaga.

Cordelia: International Guests’ Interest in India Grows

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Cordelia: International Guests’ Interest in India Grows

“Over the next two years our focus is on refining and redistributing capacity rather than reinventing the network. Lakshadweep remains a core part of our offering and continues to be one of our most popular destinations,” said Jurgen Bailom, CEO at Cordelia Cruises, which goes from one ship this year to three by the end of 2027.

This year, the Empress will introduce new international itineraries from Kochi, including a five-night Malé and Colombo cruise, alongside a two-night high-seas weekend cruise.

“From Chennai, we will operate five-night Sri Lanka cruises, five-night Visakhapatnam and Puducherry itineraries, and open-jaw 10-night Southeast Asia sailings between Chennai and Singapore in July,” he said.

Heading to Asia

Looking ahead to 2027, the company plans to add more Southeast Asia itineraries with open-jaw seven-night sailings between Chennai and Singapore on the Cordelia Sky, which transfers from Norwegian Cruise Line later this year.

“These itineraries are designed not only for Indian travelers, but also for international guests,” said Bailom.

The Sky will take over the core itineraries currently operated by the Empress, initially sailing from Mumbai when she enters service in October.

“The intent is continuity, not disruption,” he added. “The Sky allows us to operate these high-demand routes at a larger scale, with greater capacity and more balcony cabins.”

The Sky is approximately 25 percent larger than the Empress.

“As our deployment evolves, the Sky will move to Kochi and continue operating the itineraries that the Empress has established there, while benefiting from the ship’s size, speed and operational flexibility,” Bailom said.

The Sun will join the Cordelia fleet in 2027, sailing from Mumbai. The Sky will then move to Kochi, and the Empress will shift to sailing from Chennai on a near year-round basis.

“This creates a balanced, multi-homeport network across India with both domestic and international itineraries.

“The speed capability of the newer ships provides greater flexibility to introduce additional ports from existing homeports,” Bailom said.

International Appeal

“We are seeing growing interest from international travelers who want to explore India and its surrounding regions without the complexity of multi-city travel,” Bailom explained.

“Weeklong itineraries such as Southeast Asia sailings, Sri Lanka routes and extended regional cruises allow us to position cruising as a gateway into India, rather than just a domestic holiday format.”

Bailom said that as of early 2026, the company was well into planning its 2028 deployment.

“Port infrastructure and operational reliability are the primary considerations,” he explained. “A successful itinerary delivers across multiple metrics and blends destination discovery with meaningful onboard experiences.

“We focus on creating well-paced journeys that offer a mix of marquee ports, leisure days at sea and immersive shore excursions, ensuring the overall experience feels enriching rather than rushed.

“From a long-term perspective, success also means repeatability. If an itinerary can be operated reliably across seasons and becomes easy for the trade to sell, it becomes part of the core network.”