Travel Megatrends 2021: Cruise Lines Take Refuge in Their Private Islands
Photo Credit: Windstar Cruises crew source vegetables at a market in Mallorca, Spain. Windstar Cruises
Skift Take
Covid's multi-year blow has pushed the world's major cruise lines into efficiency overdrive – pruning ships, reducing ports of call, and expanding offshore islands to boost onboard revenue. But mounting global environmental pushback stifles the growth of mass cruise tourism.
Years after overtourism became a pressing issue, followed by the cruise-shaming trend that emerged post-Covid, crowds are back on megaships in 2025, and cruise lines returned to generating billion-dollar earnings. But the nature of the cruise industry’s business model had to undergo major shifts to make that happen.
The world’s biggest cruise companies have been recouping their extensive losses up until this point by merging with other lines for greater efficiency. The result? Big ships offer roller coasters on their decks and additional outsized activities continue to surface to help drive up onboard revenue. Ports of call are fewer, as cruise lines reduce their dep
