The Latest Cruise Trends and Most Popular Destinations

Cruising has come a long way since it was completely shut down amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with major cruise lines returning to the rivers and seas and even debuting new ships. Industry giant Carnival Cruise Line even recently celebrated the restart of its entire 23-ship fleet. If last summer marked the return of cruising with enhanced health and safety protocols in place, this upcoming summer is poised to resemble something closer to normal as restrictions and requirements loosen. Nonetheless, the pandemic has impacted consumer behaviors and habits. Recent data and survey results published by travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.com reveal that more people are insuring cruises today than prior to the COVID-19 crisis. But that's not all. Here are some of the key trends to watch for in 2022.

Cruising is back in a big way. As more ships return to the sea, more travelers are looking to climb aboard. After all, Squaremouth reported a 41 percent increase in the number of travelers taking cruises compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Travelers are less patient compared to a year ago. According to Squaremouth, a whopping 87 percent of travelers insuring a cruise have recently booked it, as opposed to it having been rescheduled for further down the road.

Squaremouth also found that 57 percent of travelers booking cruises in 2022 do not cruise frequently, hinting at a trend of travelers taking larger-scale "bucket list" cruises inspired by pandemic-prompted incentives. However, a majority indicated that they don't plan to cruise more often.

With many saving up during the pandemic, perhaps it's not all that surprising that travelers are spending more on their vacations at sea. The average cost of a cruise being insured today is $6,000, Squaremouth reports.

When it comes to demographics, the majority of cruise passengers are older, specifically between the ages of 55 and 74 (50 percent). However, the average traveler buying a travel insurance policy on Squaremouth is just 45 years old.

Squaremouth reports that most cruise passengers have expressed being primarily concerned about medical coverage that includes COVID-19 insurance rather than cancellation coverage most likely due to lenient refund policies that cruise lines are offering to incentivize bookings.

Mexico and the Bahamas are the two most popular cruise destinations, according to Squaremouth, with the U.S., specifically Alaska, rounding out the top three. Europe is also making a comeback in 2022 with Italy ranking fourth, followed by Canada, Spain and Greece. The Caribbean is just as hot with Aruba, Puerto Rico and Bermuda also cracking the top 10.