Travellers are casting off on cruise ships in record numbers, surpassing 2019 levels and breaking sales records. Part of the comeback is due to revenge travel, but smaller ship sizes and access to new, remote destinations are important factors attracting passengers.   

“Cruises are back on the travel list. Forty percent of respondents have already taken a cruise since the pandemic started or, if they haven’t, they plan to in 2023,” said Michael Holmes, vice president of marketing for Global Rescue, the leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services. 

Smaller cruise ships are rising in popularity. Industry experts expect the number of smaller cruise ships to double by 2030, according to reports. The Global Rescue Spring 2023 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey revealed that people taking cruises prefer smaller ships when it comes to vessel size.  

Half of cruising respondents (50%) will set sail in small ship cruisers that have a capacity of fewer than 800 passengers. Only 11% of respondents who plan to take cruises this year selected mega-ships with a capacity greater than 3,500 passengers. Seventeen percent of cruising respondents prefer small-midsized ships (800 to 1,499 passengers), followed by a fifth of cruise enthusiasts (20%) who favor midsized ships (1,500 to 2,500 passengers), while an equal percentage choose large ships (2,500 to 3,500 passengers).  

“Smaller cruise ships are easier to maneuver and have greater port access compared to mega-cruise ships. The smaller capacity ships open up river cruising, visiting tucked-away harbors, exotic locales, pristine beaches and remote places or ports where larger ships can’t reach,” Holmes said. 

The Global Rescue survey revealed that the cruise destination preferences among the world’s most experienced travelers include tropical cruises (21%), glacier excursions (14%) and fjord journeys (12%). River, transocean, fall foliage and Panama Canal voyages rounded out the top seven types of cruises travelers have planned for 2023. 

Survey respondents are shrugging off the impacts of inflation and predictions of a possible recession. According to the Global Rescue survey, nearly half of the respondents (45%) are planning to absorb the higher travel costs without skimping.   

As travelers return to cruising, their concerns are changing, too. Traveler fears of COVID have plummeted, according to the Global Rescue survey. The greatest anxiety among the world’s most experienced travelers who cruise is having an injury or illness unrelated to COVID.  

“While confidence to cruise has returned, travelers must remember that access to medical help for an illness or injury during travel at sea is limited. Health safety resources on board a cruise ship are similar to a health center – but it’s not a hospital,” said Jeff Weinstein, a paramedic and an associate manager of medical operations for Global Rescue.  

Serious medical emergencies aboard cruise ships that are beyond the capabilities of the onboard medical team require transportation of the individual to a higher-quality medical facility – either by making port or calling a helicopter for an airborne rescue.