Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) just revealed the average age of UK and Ireland cruisers has fallen again.
Based on overall passenger figures for 2024, the average cruise guest is age 54.3 years – down from 55.1 in 2023 and 57 in 2019.
The findings come as 2.4 million UK and Irish travellers took cruises last year, up from 2023’s previous best.
The CLIA found that 35% of passengers sailed in the Mediterranean, while 26.5% took Northern Europe cruises and 13% went on Caribbean sailings.
Asia and China saw the biggest annual passenger growth, at 96%.
The Canary Islands followed with 31%.
For the first time, the CLIA-member cruise line fleet exceeds 310 ocean-going vessels.
Overall capacity increased by 3.4%.
Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland MD, said: “Cruising continues to capture the imagination of travellers across the UK and Ireland. With an increasingly younger demographic onboard and more ships in the global fleet, the future of cruising has never looked brighter.”
