Ah, cruising. A once peaceful, affordable getaway on the high seas, now transformed into an overstuffed floating buffet of humanity. The numbers are in, and according to the latest AAA 2025 cruise report, more people than ever are jumping aboard these nautical megamalls. That’s right—19 million Americans are set to set sail in 2025, proving that the post-pandemic cruise boom is anything but a fluke.
And while that might sound delightful to you first-time cruisers, for those of us who remember the good old days of empty deck chairs and reasonably priced piña coladas, this is just further proof that cruising has gone mainstream in the worst way possible.
Let’s break down what this means for the already-packed ports, the destinations you’ll be crammed into, and why I might just start vacationing in my backyard instead.
Cruising Is Booming… Unfortunately
According to AAA, cruise travel is growing faster than any other sector of the travel industry. In fact, cruise demand growth has outpaced hotel demand growth for the last two years. That means more people are ditching their boring old resorts and hopping on these floating funhouses instead.
AAA’s Vice President of Travel, Stacey Barber, claims there’s a good reason for this surge in repeat cruisers: most first-time passengers actually have a great time and want to come back. Shocking, I know. I, too, remember my first cruise and thinking, “Wow, unlimited shrimp? This is amazing!” But back then, you didn’t need to elbow your way through a buffet line just to get a lukewarm shrimp cocktail.
With this kind of growth, don’t be surprised if you start seeing cruise ships docking in your neighborhood lake soon.
Miami: The Reigning King of Overcrowded Ports
If you thought airport security was a nightmare, just wait until you experience a jam-packed cruise terminal. AAA’s report ranked the busiest cruise ports of 2024, and no surprise here—Miami still reigns supreme. With 10.3% of all embarkations and debarkations, Miami is essentially the TSA checkpoint of the seas.
Following closely behind are Port Canaveral (8.3%) and Fort Lauderdale (5.2%), both in Florida because, of course, they are. You ever wonder what Florida did to deserve this much cruise traffic? Between theme parks, alligators, and hurricanes, you’d think they’d have enough excitement without adding thousands of cruise passengers clogging up their roads.
The fourth-busiest port was Galveston, Texas (4.2%), which makes sense if you enjoy barbecued brisket before setting sail. The only non-U.S. port to crack the top five was Barcelona (3.9%), which proves that Americans aren’t the only ones in love with cruises.
Meanwhile, Cozumel, Nassau, and Civitavecchia took top spots for busiest ports based on total passengers, which means good luck finding a quiet beach anywhere in the Caribbean.
Where Are All These Ships Going?
According to AAA, the answer is pretty much the same places as always. The Caribbean dominates with 72% of all cruise ship visitors, because nothing says “relaxation” like fighting for a chair on an overcrowded beach.
Alaska and the Mediterranean managed to carve out 6% and 5% of cruise traffic, respectively, while the remaining 17% of cruises were scattered across various other locations.
Back in 2022-23, the Caribbean’s market share dropped slightly as people rediscovered Alaska and Europe, but things have now returned to pre-pandemic norms. Translation: expect to be surrounded by even more people on your next “peaceful” getaway.
Ships Keep Getting Bigger—And So Do the Crowds
As if cramming 19 million people onto cruise ships wasn’t enough, they’re also making the ships even larger.
Take Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s latest monstrosity. This 1,198-foot-long, 20-deck behemoth can carry 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members. That’s not a ship; that’s a floating city with unlimited buffet access.
And because one absurdly large ship isn’t enough, its sister ship, Star of the Seas, is launching in 2025. Because nothing says “relaxing getaway” like trying to find a deck chair among 10,000 other people.
Seriously, Stop Cruising.
Look, I know I sound like a grumpy old man yelling at waves, but hear me out—cruising used to be better. It was cheaper, less crowded, and you didn’t have to wait in line for an hour just to get a watered-down margarita.
Now? Prices are skyrocketing, the ports are overcrowded, and the ships are so big they might as well come with their own zip codes. Remember when you could actually find a quiet corner on a cruise ship? Me neither.
And don’t even get me started on land-based vacations. Whatever happened to going to Disney World? Oh, right—you’d have to sell a kidney to afford a family ticket.
So, I’m begging you—consider a road trip. Try camping. Maybe even book a nice cabin in the woods. Anything but another cruise. Let the industry cool off so that us lifelong cruisers can actually enjoy it again.
What Do You Think?
Are you excited about the cruise industry’s massive growth, or do you miss the good old days of less crowded ships and cheaper fares? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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