Market Share

2021 Worldwide Cruise Line Market Share

The 2021 total worldwide ocean cruise industry is estimated at $23.8 billion (a 81.8% increase over 2020 and a -52.9% decline from 2019) with 13.9 million annualized passengers carried (a 96.2% increase over 2020 and a -49.4% decline from 2019).

Brand diversification of all operations is summarized below.


Estimates based on ticket, tour and onboard spend. Assume post COVID-19 sailings begin March 1, 2021 at 50% capacity and reach 90% capacity by end of year (pre COVID-19 sailings were at 105%-109% capacity).

Norwegian Cruise Lines includes Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, acquired in 2014 from Prestige Cruise Holdings. Silverseas was acquired by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in 2018. TUI Cruises is a German-based joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Sources: Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., Carnival Corporation and plc, NCL Corporation Ltd., Thomson/First Call, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), DVB Bank and proprietary Cruise Market Watch Cruise Pulse data.