The cruise industry has emerged as an integral part of the global tourism sector over the past few decades. In 2011, the industry generated an estimated 29.3 billion U.S. dollars in global revenue. North America is the largest market, comprising about 59 percent of the total market.
About 19.2 million passengers traveled on cruise ships worldwide in 2011, each of them spending an estimated amount of 1,777 U.S. dollars on their cruise vacation. The industry’s two major players are the Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises. The Carnival Corporation accommodated about 9.6 million passengers in 2011 while generating 16.8 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. Royal Caribbean Cruises’ revenue was 7.5 billion U.S. dollars, carrying a total of about 4.85 million passengers. Photo: istockphoto.com / photomorphic

• • Global cruise market
  • North American cruise market
  • Cruise industry infrastructure/capacity
• • Major companies
  • Cruise passenger breakdown