Booking.com Launches Cruises in the U.S.
Photo Credit: The Carnival Liberty sailing out of Miami. Source: Mike McBey/Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/158652122@N02/49476509766/in/photolist-2io53BQ-2nVW2Hc-2oev7Co-7GSnc8-7GWio3-2nWN8RQ-2o6eeHk-2mgftPf-2nmXdoV-2omvC3i-2oiQaFW-2nNpnzz-7GWihs-2o4qFZ8-2ns6Nsf-bCzcfr-7GWioo-2ocRznN-2nH5sW5-2ogKzY7-2omb9Zh-2kep5AF-2nMUJJt-2nY5JN1-2obZsEa-2nMTM6p-7GSnbk-2obhTw4-7GWijj-7GSn58-7GSn4p-7GWisd-2nC9c5j-Boosun-2nn2DEr-2kMfNmb-2oo9EQE-2oeEUBU-2okXVjp-2oc3M3v-2md6tNq-2mfS5ZZ-2kX7Vow-2kivHQZ-2mnT7Rd-2okSNR3-2m6pStm-2nrtM3S-2mkPK8n-2meLGAZ flickr / Mike McBey
Skift Take
There doesn't seem to be much of a downside for Booking.com getting into cruises. As with flights, which it launched in 2019, we can only say — what took you so long?
Known for many years as primarily a Europe-focused accommodations business, Amsterdam-based Booking.com on Thursday launched cruises in the U.S. through a partnership with cruise agency World Travel Holdings.
For Booking.com, which is the flagship brand of Booking Holdings, the deal to offer a white label cruise site powered by World Travel Holdings in the U.S. punctuates the company's commitment to be a larger force in the U.S., where it competes with Expedia and Airbnb. The U.S. is the largest cruise market in the world, representing 58% of all cruise bookings, the
