Australians are cruising in record numbers, but more are choosing to take their holidays offshore, new data has revealed.
Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) annual Source Market Report (for 2025) shows 1.45 million Australians took a cruise in 2025, a nearly double-digit rise (9.5%) year-on-year. It marks a new high for the market – smashing a record that has stood since 2018 (while other travel records have tumbled since) – with more than one in 20 Aussies heading to sea. The previous yearly record was 1.35 million.
But the growth comes with a warning.
CLIA in Australasia says Australia is becoming less competitive as a cruise destination, with more travellers flying overseas to sail. The association puts this down to “regulatory uncertainties and rising costs”.
“The number of Australians cruising is at record levels, and with around 80 new ships coming online worldwide over the next decade, this passion can only rise,” CLIA Executive Director in Australasia Joel Katz said.
“However, Australia is struggling to attract ships to our own waters because of regulatory uncertainties and rising costs, so we are becoming uncompetitive as a destination and losing tourism to other countries.
“Cruising contributes $7.32 billion a year to the national economy and supports more than 22,000 Australian jobs, so it’s vital that we bring together federal, state and territory governments under a national action plan, so we can create greater regulatory certainty, restore Australia’s competitiveness, and attract more cruise tourism.”
According to the report, nearly one in five (20%) Australian cruisers chose international trips in 2025, up from 18.5 per cent the year prior.
A total of 286,000 Australians cruised outside the local region (Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific), a 17 per cent increase, highlighting a marked shift towards overseas sailings.
Despite outbound growth, local cruising, however, remains strong.
More than 1.16 million Australians sailed within Australia, NZ and the South Pacific last year, a healthy 8 per cent rise. After local sailings, the most popular regions among Aussies were the Mediterranean (6.3%) and Asia (4.5%), followed by Alaska (2.5%), the Caribbean (1.7) and Northern Europe (1.3%).
Travel trends
While more Aussies set sail, many are doing it differently – most noticeably, by taking shorter journeys. The research shows that the average cruise length fell to 7.5 days, reflecting the rise of short-break itineraries. According to CLIA, these quicker trips are helping offset a decline in ship deployments locally, giving more travellers access to cruising without longer commitments.
The report also reveals that cruising is attracting a younger audience, with the average age of Australian cruise passengers dropping to 47.3 years in 2025, down from 48.4. More than a third of cruisers are now under 40, continuing a long-term trend towards younger demographics.
Globally, cruise demand is also booming, with a record 37.2 million passengers taking an ocean cruise in 2025.
Australia remains the world’s fourth-largest cruise market behind the US, UK and Germany.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Cruise demand is booming, but Australia has lost more ground. For travel advisors, the opportunity is bigger than ever – yet increasingly global, as more clients fly out to find the ships that aren’t coming here.
