Cruise Surveys, Cited and Explained
What the real research says about cruisers, and a simple way to tell us what you want from your next cruise.
Tell Us Your Cruise WishesCruise Surveys, Read Carefully
Every year, cruise surveys try to answer the same questions: how many people are cruising, who they are, where they go, how they book and whether they want to go again. Cruise lines, trade groups, motoring clubs, consumer magazines and review websites all publish research. Cruising Surveys gathers the most useful of it in one place, cites every figure, and explains what each study can and cannot tell you as a traveller.
Real research only. Every figure on Cruising Surveys comes from a named, published source with its date. We run no poll of our own and publish no invented results.
The Research at a Glance
| Study | Published | Who was counted or asked | A headline finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLIA State of the Cruise Industry | April 2026 | Cruise passengers worldwide, plus CLIA traveller research | 37.2 million people cruised in 2025; about 90% of past cruisers intend to cruise again |
| AAA cruise forecast (with Tourism Economics) | October 2025 | A forecast model of US residents taking ocean cruises | 21.7 million Americans projected to cruise in 2026 |
| Cruiseline.com and Shipmate member survey | July 2026 | More than 5,500 members of those sites | 92.8% already had a cruise booked for 2026 or later |
| Consumer Reports cruise ratings | Early 2026 | Nearly 19,000 Consumer Reports members | Three lines earned Recommended status |
Sources: CLIA, Travel Market Report on CLIA, AAA newsroom, Travelers Today on the member survey, WPVI on Consumer Reports.
What You Will Find Here
Cruise trends 2026
Younger cruisers, multigenerational trips, shorter sailings and the role of travel advisors, from this year’s published research.
See the 2026 trends →
Customer satisfaction
How satisfaction is measured, what Consumer Reports found in 2026, and what that means when you choose a line.
Satisfaction research →
Your cruise wish list
Tell our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise the cruise you would love, and we will find sailings that fit.
Share your wishes →Cruise industry trends
How passenger numbers, ages, trip lengths and booking habits have moved across recent reports.
The post-cruise guest survey
The questionnaire most lines send after you sail, and why your answers reach the crew.
How to read a cruise survey
Sponsors, samples, forecasts versus surveys and other things that change what a number means.
Why Surveys Matter When You Plan a Cruise
Research will never tell you which cruise is right for you, but it can save you from a few common mistakes. It shows, for example, that cruising is not only for retirees: CLIA reports that about a third of cruisers are under 40. It shows that the Caribbean dominates American cruising, which is why holiday weeks there fill early. And it shows that most cruisers come back for more, which is a fair sign that the experience usually matches the expectation.
Where research ends, personal advice takes over. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise combine what the studies say with what they hear from travellers every day.
Cruising Surveys is part of the Smart Traveler network, led by Mister Cruise. He has sold travel since 1972 and worked full-time in the industry since 1977. He has sold or originated more than $500 million in cruises and has trained more than 500 travel agents.
When you ask for a quote, our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise handle it personally — not a call center — and book everything for you. Meet Mister Cruise →
Cruise Surveys FAQ
Which cruise surveys are the most reliable?
Large studies with a clear method and a named sponsor: the cruise industry’s own CLIA report, AAA’s forecast prepared with Tourism Economics and independent consumer research such as Consumer Reports’. Each has strengths and limits, which we explain.
Does Cruising Surveys run its own survey?
No. We summarise published research. Our “wish list” is simply a way to tell our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise what you would like; it is a quote request, not a poll, and we do not publish the answers.
How many people cruised in 2025?
CLIA’s 2026 State of the Cruise Industry report put the global figure at a record 37.2 million cruise passengers in 2025.
Do most cruisers use a travel advisor?
According to CLIA’s 2026 report as summarised by Travel Market Report, 63% of people who cruised in the previous 12 months booked with a travel advisor.
More Cruise Sites From Our Network
More from our network: our cruise sites are listed in the Official Cruise Directory, all kinds of travel in the Official Travel Directory, the best of America on Best of the USA, new cruise offers in the Mister Cruise Special Offers newsletter, and a path into the travel business at Be a Travel Agent.
Add Your Voice: Tell Us Your Cruise Wishes
Our wish list is not a poll. It goes straight to our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise, who will reply with sailings that fit.
Share My Cruise Wishes