It doesn’t take an expert to see that the cruise industry is in rude health. After several years of back-to-back growth, the prospect of a holiday at sea is more appealing than ever. However, within the wider cruise landscape, one sector is on a particularly steep growth trajectory…

According to research carried out by digital travel marketing agency Adido and luxury operator Unforgettable Croatia, search demand for small-ship cruise brands has increased by 71 per cent in the past two years. According to Unforgettable Croatia’s CEO Graham Carter: “That’s not an anomaly; that’s sustained growth.”

Both Carter and Adido CEO Andy Headington join us on today’s episode of the Cruise Corner Podcast to examine the factors driving the growth in small-ship cruising and to discuss what this trend tells us about travellers’ holiday priorities in 2026.

In the last episode of the Cruise Corner Podcast, we heard feedback from attendees at last month’s Retreat held at Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in Hampshire, which bought key stakeholders together for a day of networking and data-led insights.

Before that, Cruise Corner Podcast producer Shelby Woods shared insights from her day meeting with the Cruise Career Springboard where she participated in interactive sessions for students, teaching them about the importance of video marketing.

You can listen to the podcast via the above link, or on all leading platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. You can also view the video version on YouTube.