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Have your ocean cruise enquiries increased this year? How many cruises have you discounted? Are cruise customers getting younger? And how do you go about switch-selling a customer to a cruise holiday?
We asked more than 100 travel agents these questions and more for TTG’s first dedicated Cruise Insight Report. Join us for a deep dive into the ocean cruise industry which identifies the vital trends relevant to you and your business. The cruise sector is expanding all the time, make sure your sales soar with it.
Demand remains strong
57% of agents report more enquiries in 2025
New to cruise is thriving
68% of agents have booked new to cruise clients this year
The art of the switch-sell
41% of agents switch-sold from land to ocean cruise in 2025
More than half of our respondents (57%) said their ocean cruise enquiries have risen this year, compared with last year. There have been some eye-catching ship launches already this year (think: Norwegian Aqua and MSC World America) with some more, such as Star of the Seas and Star Princess, on the way, so it’s no surprise enquiries are up.
Around 9% of agents said enquiries have dropped a little.
More than eight in 10 (85%) of our agent respondents have converted at least half of their ocean cruise enquiries into bookings this year so far, while just 2% said that none of the enquiries they have received have converted into bookings this year so far.
While slashing fares has become fairly common in the river and expedition cruise sectors, 61% of agents told us they didn’t have to discount ocean cruise bookings that often. More than one in 10 (14%) claimed not to have to do so at all. The frequency and level of discounting (the % price cut agents had to offer) is broadly in line with a year ago.
Seven in 10 agents told us destination or itinerary was the core selling point for couples, with 35% of agents agreeing this was the case for their solo travellers.
Cruise lines offering sailings with no or reduced single supplements are also helpful in securing bookings for solo travellers, with 17% more likely to be swayed by the value for money a cruise offers compared with 11% of couples.
Value for money also appears to be the core selling point among multi-generational groups (44% of agents told us this) and families (43%) but both of these groups were more likely than others to book a cruise due to the activities onboard. Interestingly, dining and wellness were not a selling clincher for any group of clients.
Walk or phone-ins: 66%
From online research: 56%
Social media: 56%
It's worth keeping events in mind if you have the time and resource to run your own to promote ocean cruise. Despite walk-ins, online surfers and social media being the core origins of ocean cruise enquiries, more than a fifth (22%) of agents said hosting their own event was a lucrative way to generate interest from potential cruise clients.
More than 40% of agent respondents have switch-sold from land to cruise this year, mainly from all-inclusive, city breaks and long-haul destinations. Switch-selling tactics include agents explaining how cruise can be cheaper than all-inclusive holidays; focusing on the family-friendly nature of the cruise experience and highlighting the multiple destinations on offer. Of course, there’s always the ‘try something new’ argument too, say our respondents.
Agents also cited incidents where customers came in to enquire about a long-haul destination and were presented with a cruise instead – leading to a successful switch-sale!
Most respondents said their cruise clients are aged between 41-55 and 56-70. Only four agent respondents told us a big pool of their cruisers were aged 18 to 30. Perhaps this will change over time, as teens who grow up cruising become adults and start taking their own cruise holidays?
At the other end of the scale however, just 8% said their cruise clients were aged 71 and over, indicating a nervousness about travelling on a ship amongst a potentially more vulnerable age group, with agents citing client concerns around contracting diseases onboard.
Nearly seven in 10 agents (68%) have booked a new-to-cruise client this year - primarily through promoting value for money and their own postings on social media. Some also rely on their cruise regulars to refer friends.
Agents say new-to-cruise customers are primarily attracted to the sector by its value for money; family activities; variety of destinations and the urge to try something new.
While it's clear there remains huge opportunities in selling cruise, agents say they continue to face frequent challenges when selling cruise which they're required to navigate to secure sales. Key themes include:
We value the expertise and insight from our travel agents, and we want to hear more from you in return for payment for your time. TTG's Insights Panel is now open to join - register now to get paid for sharing your honest, anonymous views in tailored surveys throughout the year.
