Cruise experts in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tell Fox News Digital about the rise in cruise travel since the pandemic. See three new cruises launching next year.
Cruise travel is top of mind for some vacationers since the pandemic put a worldwide halt on sailing.
Stewart Chiron, a Miami-based cruise industry expert known as “The Cruise Guy,” told Fox News Digital there are more ships right now and passengers sailing than any time in history.
“[Cruise lines] are constantly updating, providing more opportunities, more ways for passengers to customize their experiences, new activities on board, new dining experiences and also destinations. They want to go to destinations that are more appealing to people,” said Chiron.
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Chiron said passengers are looking into cruises as more cost-effective ways to see destinations such as Europe.
“We’re seeing a lot of people that are tired of the pandemic price gouging that the hotels have engaged in since the pandemic. When you look at what the cruise industry is offering, more and more people are taking cruises,” said Chiron.
About 16.9 million passengers from the United States cruised in 2023, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.
“A lot of first-timers who never thought they’d go on a cruise are doing it … and look, there’s people that want to cruise as often as possible. But the point is that the future bookings have never been stronger,” said Chiron.
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Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, a licensed travel agency based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, agreed by saying that he and his team “have seen a massive boom in cruising post-pandemic.”
“People became desperate to get out of the house and see the world, so when cruising opened back up, demand surged,” Duckworth told Fox News Digital via email.
“Cruising gives people an ease of travel in our busy lives. … There is no stress of driving from stop to stop, dealing with traffic or even deciding where to eat. A cruise handles [all this] for you, and that’s what people want: a place where they can truly escape. These ships have gotten so impressive and appeal to people of all ages.”
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“They are filled with thrilling water slides, kids’ clubs, late-night entertainment, Broadway-level shows, lavish spas, casinos and so much more,” he said.
Below, see three new cruises launching in 2025.
Oceania Cruises is launching the Allura with an inaugural sailing trip from Trieste, Italy, on July 18, 2025. The six-day cruise is scheduled to visit Athens, Greece; Rijeka, Croatia; Ravenna, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Kotor, Montenegro, according to Oceania Cruises’ website.
The vessel accommodates 1,200 guests served by 800 crew members, giving two crew members per every three guests.
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The cruise will stand out to any food lover by offering a culinary experience with one chef for every 10 guests while also launching a new onboard crêperie for made-to-order crêpes and waffles.
Rates start at $2,999 per guest.
MSC Cruises, a Swiss-Italian cruise line, will launch its largest ship to sail in the U.S. market and will debut its first public sailing from Miami on April 12, 2025.
The itineraries alternate weeks, having stops in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatan, Honduras; and MSC’s private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
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The ship is divided into seven districts, each designed for different types of traveler to enjoy, such as Family Aventura to the Zen Area. It also features an all-new outdoor deck for families called The Harbour with a rope course and playground, according to MSC Cruises’ website.
Rates start at $689 per person.
Princess Cruises is to debut the Star Princess in October 2025. The vessel offers nine- to 21-day cruises to the Greek islands as well as Turkey, France and Italy, or Greece and Italy; five- to 14-day cruises to the eastern Caribbean or western Caribbean; and a seven-day cruise to the Alaska Inside Passage.
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Passengers can take in the panoramic views from a sphere of glass, enjoying ocean views from every direction, according to Princess Cruises’ website.
The ship has a three-level dining room for guests to feast on multicourse meals.
Rates for the seven-day Inside Passage cruise start at $1,188; rates for the western Mediterranean trip start at $2,047; and the 14-day eastern/western Caribbean trip starts at $1,547.
