Virtuoso advisors forecast cruise sales surpassing other travel

The Virtuoso consortium is a global leader in luxury travel with more than 1,200 agency locations with over 20,000 advisors across 54 countries and $63.6b in transactions.

Among the cruise categories with the highest anticipated bookings, premium ocean takes the lead at 34%, followed by luxury ocean at 27%, river at 22% and expedition at 15%.

Cruise trends

Some of the biggest trends shaping cruising include destination immersion with more nights in port or overnights on land; cruising to cold-weather climates like Alaska, Antarctica and the Arctic; and a rise in female solo cruising.

With new cruise lines, including those that more closely mirror hotel stays, and vessels joining the market, there’s an option to suit every traveler, Virtuoso said.

Also, 59% of Virtuoso advisors noted a demographic transformation underway in the cruise industry, with 36% attributing this change to increased bookings from millennials and Gen Z.

Virtuoso's Hot 10 in summer destinations

When it comes to overall travel, Virtuoso advisors identified the countries experiencing the largest percentage of year-over-year growth in bookings for summer 2024 as Thailand (up 162%), Japan (up 126%), Anguilla (up 70%), Singapore (up 52%), Belgium (up 50%), Bermuda (up 50%), Iceland (up 49%), St. Barthélemy (up 49%), Sweden (up 47%) and Netherlands (up 33%)

Asia's resurgence and Europe's north

With three countries in the Hot 10, travelers are returning to Asia, while the well-traveled are still Europe-bound this summer but foregoing traditional favorites to beat the heat and the masses, opting instead for the cooler climes of the north.

Scandinavia is having a moment

While traditional favorites like Italy are seeing a modest 3% rise in bookings compared to last summer, continuing its upward trajectory for the past several seasons, it’s Scandinavia that is having a moment with a 27% increase in bookings for Virtuoso.

Iceland and Sweden are particularly popular, with increases of 49% and 47%, respectively. Elsewhere in Europe, other cool-weather destinations are on the rise: the Netherlands, despite efforts to curb its popularity, is still seeing year-over-year growth of 33%, while Norway is up 16% and Ireland by 13%.