Cruise holidays booked through Your Co-op Travel rose by more than half in 2023, with bookings up 56%, according to data released by the travel agency group

Meanwhile, short-haul cruises are the third most popular holiday type among Your Co-op Travel’s customers for 2024, overtaking short-haul city breaks for the first time since before 2022.

The Norwegian Fjords were the most popular destination for cruises last year, reporting a 46% year-on-year increase in bookings. The Scandinavian destination is already ahead when it comes to 2024 bookings, followed closely by the Caribbean and Canary Islands, respectively.

Earlier this month (11 January), a part-time Not Just Travel agent revealed they’d amassed a whopping £1.5 million worth of cruise sales in 2023, with NJT consultants making twice as many cruise bookings per day compared to 2022.

‘It’s unsurprising to see cruise sailing up holidaymaker’s wish lists’

Co-op Travel’s report follows findings from research agency Mintel that holidays remain a key priority for Brits despite the cost-of-living crisis, with three quarters (75%) getting away this summer and nearly a quarter (23%) of those with a household income of at least £75,000 planning a long-haul trip this winter.

“Our research into trending destinations for 2024 has found long-haul travel is continuing to grow in popularity,” said Natalie Quiney, Content and Ecommerce Manager, at Co-op Holidays.

“It’s also unsurprising to see cruises sailing up holidaymaker’s wish lists, as with a host of onboard amenities and the ease of discovering bucket list locations like the Norwegian Fjords or Caribbean islands being accessible by sea, hopping on board a ship can be a great way to travel whether with friends or cross-generational family groups.”

The report was collated from Your Co-op Travel and Co-op Holidays’ booking data for 2023 and 2024.