As another strong wave season comes to an end, Traveltek’s chief commercial officer Cressida Sergeant dives into the latest booking data to identify the defining cruise travel trends for 2025

With 2024 setting records for cruise sales, the question we all want answered is how will 2025 measure up? From shifting booking habits to rising prices and longer itineraries, here’s what the data tells us about how consumers are booking in 2025.

While overall bookings have slightly decreased compared to 2024, demand remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. The total number of bookings in 2025 saw a 3.6 per cent dip from 2024 yet remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels with a 65.67 per cent increase in the number of bookings since 2019.

January continues to be the busiest month for cruise sales, with a higher share of early-season bookings than in previous years. What’s more, travellers are looking to secure sailings further in advance, with a higher number of bookings now extending through 2028.

Cruising for longer

We saw the beginnings of a trend in our 2024 data, and the 2025 wave season confirms it: cruise-goers are continuing to favour longer sailings. Seven-night voyages remain the most popular, now making up 54 per cent of bookings compared to 38.9 per cent in 2023.

Two-week cruises also hold steady, while 10- and 12-night options saw modest increases. A new trend is emerging with 16-night cruises entering the top five, indicating growing interest in extended travel experiences.

This shift may be influenced by several factors. With airfare prices remaining high, travellers are looking to maximise their time at sea with longer sailings.

Additionally, cruise lines have expanded their itineraries to include more exotic and far-out destinations, attracting those seeking in-depth, immersive experiences.

The growing popularity of expedition and luxury cruising may also be playing a role, as travellers invest in extended vacations that offer premium experiences and strong value for money.

Read next: Download Cruise Trade News’ 2025 Annual Report

Key players reshaping the market

The Norwegian Fjords and Northern Europe remain top choices due to their unique scenic beauty, cultural appeal, and accessibility. Unsurprisingly, however, it’s the Canary Islands, Caribbean, and Western Europe which continue to attract the most cruise-goers, thanks to their diversity of experiences, and, most importantly, consistently good weather.

Cruise lines maintaining the strongest bookings on our platform this wave season include Princess, P&O, MSC, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, NCL, Silversea, Azamara, and Virgin Voyages. While the latter entered the Top 10 for the first time last year, the adults-only cruise line has seen bookings double year-on-year.

Among the most booked ships, P&O Cruises’ Iona has overtaken MSC Virtuosa as the most popular vessel, which has held top spot since 2023, with P&O’s Arvia, Azura, and Britannia also ranking highly.

Booking smarter

With demand staying strong and availability extending further into the future, travellers are now more likely to book earlier to secure their preferred sailings.

A larger number of sail dates have become available over the next two years than in any previous period, with bookings already extending into 2028. This shift suggests that travellers are becoming increasingly strategic, securing their trips well in advance to lock in preferred itineraries and pricing.

And rightfully so, as the price of the average cruise booked has also risen significantly from 2024. In the first three months of 2025, the average cruise booking price in the UK was £3.1k, compared to £2.9K in 2024, marking an 8.3 per cent increase in average Wave season bookings.

As interest in cruise continues to grow, it is clear to us that travel companies across the sector will need to focus on offering more personalised, flexible options to stay competitive and ensure they cater to an increasingly diverse set of travellers.

Enhanced customer experiences, from initial research to the booking process and beyond, will be key to staying competitive in this rapidly changing market.