Cruising Is Headed for Its Fifth Straight Record Year, and Miami Is Winning

AAA expects 22.4 million Americans to take an ocean cruise in 2027, a 3.6 percent increase over 2026 and what would be the fifth consecutive annual record. The forecast, prepared for AAA by Tourism Economics, also says 2026 will finish above the 21.7 million AAA projected earlier this year. The 2027 figure is 57 percent above the 14.2 million cruisers counted in 2019.

The Caribbean remains dominant at 71 percent of projected American cruisers, down slightly from 72 percent. The Mediterranean rose from 5 to 6 percent of bookings, and Alaska holds second place among single destinations at 7 percent.

Ports are shifting. Miami is still first and rises from 10.2 to 11.2 percent of embarkations, but Port Canaveral jumps from 8.8 to 10.4 percent and is now second. Fort Lauderdale slips from 5.6 to 5.3 percent. Barcelona, Galveston and Southampton also gained share, though AAA gave no figures for them.

Trips are getting shorter, too. Sailings of six nights or fewer made up 45 percent of American bookings in 2025, up from 39 percent in 2019, although seven-night cruises are still the most common. These are projections, not confirmed totals, so actual numbers will depend on pricing, weather and itinerary disruptions like the ones that have dogged this autumn’s sailings.

Sources: Cruise Hive