Charting the Course: The States With the Fastest-Growing Appetite for Cruise Travel

February 16, 2026 - Cruises - by Kristi Williams

Once considered the domain of retirees and seasoned travelers, cruise vacations have undergone a broad transformation in recent years. Modern ships now feature everything from high-speed internet and luxury dining to waterslides and rollercoasters, helping the industry attract a more diverse and younger customer base. With itineraries ranging from short Caribbean sailings to longer journeys through Europe and Alaska, cruises now cater to a wide range of travelers—from those seeking premium and luxury experiences to budget-conscious vacationers. For many, the all-inclusive nature of cruise packages—covering lodging, meals, and entertainment—makes them an attractive alternative to traditional land-based vacations, especially amid rising hotel and airfare costs.

After facing an unprecedented shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise industry has not only recovered but is continuing to break records. Both 2024 and 2025 saw historic levels of cruise passenger volume, driven by increased ship capacity, new vessel launches, and a growing base of younger first-time cruisers. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), global cruise travel surpassed pre-pandemic highs in 2023 and has continued to grow. Industry analysts point to a shift in consumer sentiment: where once cruising was seen as high-risk during a public health crisis, it is now viewed as a safe, affordable, and flexible way to travel.

To better understand how this resurgence is playing out across the United States, Dunhill Travel Deals—a leading source for travel deal discovery—analyzed Google Trends data to identify where and how interest in cruise travel is changing. The data reveals significant variation between states, explores which cruise lines are drawing the most attention, and offers an early signal of shifting consumer interest that may shape the cruise economy in the months ahead.

Key Findings

• Americans are driving cruise growth to record levels. The number of global cruise passengers reached a record 34.6 million in 2024 and is projected to surpass that in 2025 and 2026. This was driven by American cruise demand, which represented 55.2% of global cruise passengers in 2024.
• Cruise searches are up nationwide. Nationally, cruise-related Google searches increased by 23.7% between 2022 and 2025, signalling growing interest in the sector.
• Interior states are seeing a surge in cruise interest. While coastal states lead overall search interest in cruises, rural interior states like the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Nebraska are seeing the fastest growth.
• Royal Caribbean leads, but most major lines are growing. Among the top 10 cruise lines, eight saw increased search interest from 2022 to 2025.

How Many People Take Cruises Each Year?

Americans are driving record-breaking cruise passenger growth

The cruise industry experienced a dramatic contraction during the COVID-19 pandemic, with global passenger volume plummeting from nearly 30 million in 2019 to just 5.8 million in 2020. Recovery was slow in part due to government intervention—most notably the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's “No Sail Order”, which halted cruise operations in U.S. waters for several months in 2020. By 2022, however, the sector began to rebound. In 2024, global cruise passenger numbers hit an all-time high of 34.6 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Projections indicate that both 2025 and 2026 are likely to exceed that record, signaling strong and sustained consumer demand.

American travelers have played a central role in this resurgence. In 2024, U.S. residents accounted for 55.2% of all global cruise passengers, up from 46.0% in 2018. The growth in U.S. participation reflects a combination of factors—including expanded cruise line capacity, heightened marketing efforts, and increased demand for all-inclusive, value-driven vacations. As a result, the U.S. continues to be the single largest driver of cruise traffic worldwide, anchoring the industry's ongoing growth.

Cruise Demand Is Rising—So Are the Deals

As cruise interest surges across the U.S., many travelers are capitalizing on flexibility and timing to score major savings. Exploring last minute cruise deals can be a smart way to take advantage of excess cabin availability, spontaneous itineraries, and record-breaking cruise capacity—without paying peak prices.

Which Cruise Lines Are Americans Interested In?

While Royal Caribbean leads overall, 8 out of the top 10 cruise lines saw search interest growth from 2022 to 2025

Among major cruise brands, Royal Caribbean continues to lead in public interest across the United States. According to Google Trends data, it held the highest relative search volume in both 2022 and 2025, increasing by 9.4% over that period. Other major brands also saw substantial growth in consumer attention, including Disney Cruise Line (up 30%) and Norwegian Cruise Line (up 23.1%), suggesting growing curiosity across a broad mix of mainstream and premium offerings.

Notably, MSC Cruises—a European-based line still expanding its footprint in the U.S.—more than doubled its search interest, marking a 125% increase since 2022. While Carnival Cruise Line, the second most-searched brand, saw a 15.2% decline in interest, it still maintained a strong position overall. In total, eight of the top ten cruise lines tracked in the analysis saw gains, underscoring a competitive and growing market.

Spontaneous Travel Is Back

With cruise interest climbing and flexible travel options on the rise, more Americans are booking trips closer to departure. Browsing last minute travel deals can unlock discounted cruises, hotels, and vacation packages—making it easier to take advantage of today’s renewed appetite for travel without long-term planning.

Which U.S. States Are Most Interested in Cruises?

Coastal states lead search interest in cruises, but rural interior states are seeing the fastest growth

While coastal states continue to lead in overall cruise interest, the fastest growth in search activity is coming from the interior of the country. Between 2022 and 2025, North Dakota saw a 93.1% increase in cruise-related Google searches—the largest of any state—followed by South Dakota (+47.2%), Wyoming (+41.4%), and Nebraska (+39.4%). These gains suggest that cruise lines are making inroads with travelers in non-coastal regions, likely aided by increased flight connectivity to major ports and the appeal of cruises as all-inclusive, cost-controlled vacations.

A notable outlier is Alaska, which posted the second-highest increase in cruise-related search interest (+54.8%) and the second-highest overall level of search activity in 2025. While Alaska is typically seen as a cruise destination, this data reflects growing interest among Alaskan residents in cruise travel. Princess Cruises was the top-searched line in the state, likely due to its long-standing presence and brand familiarity in the region.

Full Results: The States with the Fastest-Growing Appetite for Cruise Travel

Methodology

This analysis draws on data from Google Trends, a publicly available tool that measures the popularity of internet search terms over time and across different geographic regions. Rather than providing absolute search totals, Google Trends provides relative search popularity by indexing from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the relative peak in popularity and lower index values indicate lower search frequency. State-level scores are relative to that individual state, allowing for normalized state-to-state comparisons.

In order to determine the states with the fastest-growing appetite for cruise travel, researchers at Dunhill Travel Deals compared search interest for the term “cruises” across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. for the full-year 2022 and 2025 time periods. States were ranked by the percentage change in average relative search interest from 2022 to 2025, and in the event of a tie, the state with the larger relative search interest in 2025 was ranked higher. The most searched cruise line was also calculated for each state.