According to a survey of 1,200 respondents by cruise specialist cruise.co.uk, more than 9% plan on taking their first holiday at sea this year compared to 4% in 2022 and 2019.
The Mediterranean is the destination of choice for first-timers, with the Caribbean second and the Norwegian fjords and north Scandinavia in third place.
The study also revealed more than 50% of respondents who are existing cruisers already have a future cruise booked.
Tony Andrews, deputy managing director of cruise.co.uk, said: "We’re encouraged to see such a significant increase in the number of new-to-cruise customers looking to sail this year.
"A holiday at sea offers unbeatable choice, to suit every taste and budget, so we’d urge anyone who hasn’t tried it yet to dip their toe in the water.
"Plus, with around 20 new ships launching this year, there is going to be even more reasons for holidaymakers to switch from land to sea."
