Survey from Cruiseline.com and Shipmate Uncovers Shifting Cruise Trends for 2026

Cruiseline.com and Shipmate say 2026 cruise travel is being shaped by strong pre-booking and evolving preferences in destinations and itinerary lengths. The companies released results of their annual 2026 Member Survey on July 22, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, collecting insights from more than 5,500 travelers. The survey found 92.8% of respondents already have at least one voyage booked for 2026 or beyond, and 70.3% are considering additional bookings after time in group planning. In future bookings, 78.2% reported at least one cruise for 2026, compared with 60.5% for 2027 and 13.6% for 2028; 0.4% said they have one booked as far as 2029. Royal Caribbean led among booked lines at 29%, followed by Carnival (24.2%), Princess (19.1%), Celebrity (18.8%), and Norwegian (17.7%). The Caribbean/Bahamas topped destinations (61.1%), and 7-night itineraries led at 45.9%.