The Most Popular Cruise Lines, Ships and Destinations This Summer

There have been many encouraging trends in cruising that have emerged this summer, including stellar savings and extra perks and the relaxing of some COVID-19 boarding protocols as countries around the world loosen their own entry restrictions. Additionally, there are a handful of cruise lines, ships and destinations garnering more interest from travelers than others this time of year. To pinpoint which, online cruise marketplace CruiseCompete.com has released its monthly CruiseTrends report for July, revealing the cruise lines, ships, ports and itineraries that travelers are showing the most interest in based on actual consumer quote requests and transactions taking place on CruiseCompete.com.

Royal Caribbean International continues to dominate the list of the most popular premium cruise lines this summer, edging out Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, based on the total number of quote requests from CruiseCompete. Meanwhile, luxury travelers are showing the most interest in Oceania Cruises, followed by Cunard Line and Azamara. American Cruise Lines is the most popular river cruise company as of July while Viking River and American Queen Voyages are also generating significant buzz among summer travelers.

Royal Caribbean International's fleet is well-represented among the most popular premium cruise ships this July, with Harmony of the Seas in highest demand, followed by Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Cunard's Queen Mary 2 continues to be a hit with luxury passengers, who are also showing interest in Oceania Cruises' Oceania Riviera and Oceania Insignia. When it comes to river cruises, American Queen Voyages' American Queen and American Countess have significant momentum this summer, ranking first and third respectively. American Cruise Lines' new American Melody is also garnering plenty of attention, ranking second.

Europe and North America remain two of the hottest regions for cruising. Europe ranks first in the river category and second among luxury travelers while North America ranks second in both the premium and river cruise segments and third in the luxury category. The Caribbean is the leading region for premium passengers and the Mediterranean is the most in-demand for luxury sailings. The U.S. is the number one country for luxury cruise passengers and the second most popular among premium and river cruise travelers. The Bahamas is the most sought-after country for premium sailings, with Mexico rounding out the top three in that market. Meanwhile, outside of the U.S., luxury travelers are eyeing European countries, including Greece, Spain, Italy and France. Most river guests want to cruise Germany but are also showing interest in France, the Netherlands and Austria.

The most popular premium cruise ports to visit this summer can be found throughout the Caribbean, with Nassau, CocoCay and Cozumel ranking first, second and third, respectively. In the luxury segment, travelers are eyeing Greece, specifically Mykonos and Santorini while Kusadasi, Turkey ranks third. When it comes to the most popular river cruise ports, Europe, mainly Germany, steals the show, with Cologne, Vienna, Budapest, Koblenz and Passau garnering the most interest. In terms of departure ports, Florida is still the top embarkation point for premium cruise passengers as Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Port Canaveral sit atop July's rankings. Florida is also a hit with luxury cruise passengers, who want to depart from Miami in most cases. Barcelona and Athens are also popular starting points. When it comes to the hottest departure ports for river cruises right now, Amsterdam, Paris and New Orleans lead the way.