Cruise boom 2025: 37.7 million passengers and criticism of the climate!

Cruise boom 2025: 37.7 million passengers and criticism of the climate!

Berlin, Deutschland - The International Kreuzschifffahrtsverband Clia predicted a record number of 37.7 million passengers in 2025, which corresponds to an increase of around 9% compared to the previous year. This development is favored by the use of larger ships by the shipping companies. In 2023, the number of passengers worldwide rose by 9.3% to 34.6 million, with a particularly high level of interest in trips to the Caribbean, which is the most important travel destination with almost 15 million guests, followed by the Mediterranean with around 5.8 million passengers. 20.5 million passengers came from North America and 8.4 million from Europe. The most popular shipping companies include Aida Cruises, TUI Cruises and MSC Cruises, all of which are members of the Clia, the world's largest association of cruise companies.

Particularly noteworthy is the cruise ship "Disney Adventure", which was docked in Wismar in April 2023. It is the largest cruise ship that has ever been built in Germany and offers space for 6700 travelers. Another remarkable ship is the "Utopia of the Seas", which can accommodate up to 5668 passengers. Clia Germany boss Georg Ehrmann emphasizes that these new ships also open up new target groups.

Environmental concerns and criticism

However, the cruise industry is also faced with increased challenges with regard to climate and environmental protection. Environmentalists are increasingly criticizing the negative effects of cruises. The NABU nature conservation association describes this as "intolerable for the climate, environment and health". Professor Volker Quaschning from the University of Technology and Economy in Berlin calculated that a 14-day Caribbean cruise causes a climate damage of about six tons of carbon dioxide.

The use of fossil fuels, which continue to cause considerable greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 and methane, is particularly questionable. Pollutants such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides also damage the health of residents in coastal regions. According to the NABU cruise tranking 2024, some shipping companies show progress in terms of fuel savings and environmentally friendly technologies, but the target brand of climate neutrality for many companies remains a long way off. A eight participating companies only strive until 2050 climate neutrality, which lies behind the national climate goals in Germany that have set greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045.

Innovations and future prospects

The cruise industry shows some promising approaches to improve their environmental balance. TUI Cruises plans the new building of "Mein Schiff 7" with methanol operation, while the use of country power in port cities such as Hamburg, Kiel and Rostock could reduce exhaust gases during the laying times. The use of batteries, energy -saving construction and slow drive are measures that offer over 50% savings potential.

However, the industry must continue to work on the dependence on heavy oil and fossil fuels. The NABU reports that the challenges in the area of ​​climate and environmental protection are anything but overcome and that the switch to renewable fuels, such as green hydrogen, is urgently needed to make cruise shipping future-proof. This becomes all the more important because the number of travelers continues to increase and the demand for cruises remains unbroken.

The cruise industry is therefore on a crossroads where it has to meet both the requirements of its customers and have to act environmentally conscious. It remains to be seen how quickly the shipping companies adapt and which innovations the industry will characterize in the coming years. For more information about the trends in cruise tourism, read the reports ofPictureandNABU.