In 2024, Australia is poised for a bustling year of cruising, featuring more ships, expanded sailings, and an increased cabin capacity.
Joel Katz, Managing Director of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Australasia, projects that this year will be among the busiest for cruise tourism in Australia, witnessing substantial capacity increases in the 2024 deployments by cruise lines.
Mr Katz said they would see 81 cruise ships operating in Australian waters over the course of 2024, which was 14% more than last year.
“Many of these ships will be staying longer and offering more local sailings, which means Australia will welcome more than 3,700 port calls around the country – an 18% increase over last year.”
This surge in cruise activity not only provides an abundance of options for cruise enthusiasts but also holds tremendous economic potential for communities along the Australian coast. Mr. Katz emphasized,
"The total cruise passenger capacity in Australia this year will be up by 42% over 2023, which reflects the huge passion Australians have for cruising and the strong overseas interest in sailing down under."
Cruising has proven to be a substantial economic contributor, delivering a record economic impact of $5.6 billion to the national economy in the last financial year. All indications point toward continued significant value from cruise tourism in Australia throughout 2024 and beyond.
Internationally, 2024 will witness the introduction of several new ships as cruise lines globally invest billions of dollars in building a more advanced and sustainable world fleet. Following the launch of 13 new ocean cruise ships in 2023, CLIA cruise lines are gearing up to welcome an additional nine in the coming year.
Mr Katz said the incoming fleet of new ocean ships illustrated "the huge diversity of cruising styles available to today’s traveller around the world."
“This year’s launches include a mix of contemporary ships, luxury ships and expedition ships, from an equally broad range of cruise lines. Together these ships will be among the most advanced and energy-efficient ships to have ever sailed, and the choices they offer demonstrate why there is a cruising style to suit almost any taste.”