Top Cruise Travel Stories From 2024
Another year has come and gone—and cruising remains a popular way to see the world. But, despite high demand from travelers, 2024 hasn’t been easy for the cruise industry. From natural disasters to viral passenger sagas, these were some of the biggest cruise news stories of the year.
Royal Caribbean International Debuts Icon of the Seas
After years of anticipation, the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, officially debuted at the end of January. The 250,800-gross-ton ship has 20 decks, eight neighborhoods and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges. Icon has capacity for more than 7,000 passengers, including Rover the Chief Dog Officer. TravelPulse’s Eric Bowman was on board to explore the new vessel and check out all the different spaces and amenities.
Swim and Tonic swim up bar on Icon of the Seas (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)
American Queen Voyages Shuts Down
River cruise line American Queen Voyages shut down in February, sending shock waves through the travel industry. The news wasn’t a total surprise, as several trade organizations had already stopped selling the brand because of service issues.
Competitor American Cruise Lines bought four of the shuttered line’s vessels, then later recycled two of the ships.
Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse Disrupts Cruise Travel
In late March, a container ship collided with one of the support pillars holding up the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Six construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge were killed in the accident.
The Port of Baltimore was closed for 11 weeks while emergency personnel and clean-up crews cleared away the debris. The closure meant cruise lines had to temporarily reroute their voyages to nearby Norfolk, Virginia. The port reopened to cruise ships at the end of May, with Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas becoming the first vessel to depart from Baltimore after the tragedy.
Carnival Absorbs P&O Cruises Australia
Another one bites the dust: In June, Carnival Corporation & plc announced that it would be sunsetting its P&O Cruises Australia brand in March 2025. The line’s ships are being absorbed into the Carnival Cruise Line brand.
Royal Caribbean Cancels Calls to Haiti
Increasing violence in Haiti prompted the United States Department of State to issue a Level 4 Travel Advisory (Do Not Travel) in March. Royal Caribbean, which has a private island destination in Haiti named Labadee, temporarily canceled all calls to the destination. The cruise line eventually resumed calls at Labadee more than six months later, in October.
Passengers Make Global Headlines After Missing Their Cruise Ship in Africa
In late March, eight travelers were late getting back to their cruise ship, the Norwegian Dawn, which resulted in them being left behind in the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. As they tried to catch up with the ship, they made headlines around the world—and sparked conversations about who was to blame for the international incident.
River Cruises Remain Popular—Among Travel Advisors and Guests
Travel advisors eager to earn “commissions with commas” doubled down on their efforts to sell river cruises in 2024. The American Society of Travel Advisors hosted several events to help support these sales, including the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam in March and a brand-new virtual River Cruise Week in November.
ASTA will once again host its in-person River Cruise Expo in 2025, this time in Vienna.
ASTA’s 2024 River Cruise Expo event. (Photo Credit: ASTA)
Cruising Is Back, Numbers Show
In April, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) unveiled its 2024 State of the Industry report. Some 31.7 million travelers sailed on cruise ships in 2023, a 7 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
CLIA expects 2024 numbers to be even better, with a forecast of 35.7 million cruise travelers.
Victory Cruise Line Makes a Comeback
While other cruise lines were shutting down, Victory Cruise Line was ramping back up. The company announced in May that it planned to relaunch on the Great Lakes in 2025.
Victory will have two vessels sailing in the Great Lakes: Victory I and Victory II. The 190-passenger sister ships had been part of American Queen Voyages’ fleet, under the names Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager. Victory Cruise Line’s John Waggoner purchased them at auction to revive his old brand.
Viking Goes Public
After expanding from river cruises into ocean and expedition voyages in recent years, Viking took yet another big leap in 2024. The company, led by chairman Torstein Hagen, went public in May. It’s now trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “VIK.”
Viking said its 2023 Europe itineraries are thriving. (photo via Viking)
Cruise Lines Grapple with Houthi Rebel Strikes in the Red Sea
Geopolitical issues continue to spill over into the travel industry, with Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea forcing cruise lines to adjust their routes. MSC Cruises canceled three repositioning voyages in April, and Silversea Cruises scrapped several sailings.
The attacks continued to disrupt sailings later in 2024 and beyond, with Holland America Line deciding to re-route its 2026 Grand World Voyage away from the area. Seabourn also revised several 2025 itineraries.
Royal Caribbean International’s World Cruise Goes Viral
Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise, which departed from Miami in late 2023, went viral on social media. The 9-month voyage aboard Serenade of the Seas became a TikTok sensation, with passengers regularly posting entertaining videos about life onboard the ship. The cruise ended on September 10 after visiting 160 destinations.
CLIA Says Goodbye to Kelly Craighead
Long-time industry advocate Kelly Craighead announced in September that she planned to step down from her post as president and chief executive officer of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) at the end of 2024. In December, the trade group announced Charles “Bud” Darr as her replacement.
Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of CLIA, speaks during Cruise360 (Photo Credit: Cruise Lines International Association)
“Kelly Craighead has worked tirelessly and overseen incredible accomplishments in her five-plus years at CLIA: navigating an unprecedented industry shutdown; aligning our ambitious sustainability initiatives to position cruise at the forefront of responsible tourism; and championing the unparalleled growth in our industry and record-breaking passenger numbers,” said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group and CLIA’s global chair, in a statement.
Silversea Begins Building New Hotel for Antarctica Cruise Guests
Antarctica remains a popular, bucket-list cruise destination. To capitalize on this demand and make travelers’ journeys more comfortable, Silversea announced that it was building a new hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile, the world’s southernmost city. The 150-room hotel, slated for completion at the end of 2025, will house the cruise line’s guests before and after their sailings to the White Continent.
Cruise Lines Continue Investing in Private Destinations
Private cruise destinations remain popular among travelers—and cruise lines are taking notice.
Encouraged by the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean is building new private cruise destinations. In 2024, the company announced that it would build Royal Beach Club Cozumel and Perfect Day Mexico. It also broke ground on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island and shared more details about the new spot in the Bahamas.
A rendering of Perfect Day Mexico (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line also announced a new name and several enhancements to RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings also announced plans to update Great Stirrup Cay.
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