Cruise Industry Statistics in Canada

The cruise industry in Canada is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the travel industry in Canada. Cruise holidays are a popular choice for both Canadian and non-Canadian tourists, offering a unique way of exploring the longest coastline in the world which spans 243,042 kilometres, and visiting vibrant port cities.

In this article, we look at the statistics of the cruise industry in Canada, including its impact on the Canadian economy and cruise traffic at the busiest ports in Canada. We have also included key statistics on the global cruise industry for comparison.

Cruise Industry Statistics for Canadians

• Canada has over 900 harbours and ports across the world’s longest coastline.
• The cruise industry employs over 33,000 people in Canada.
• Almost 45% more Canadians took a cruise holiday in June 2024 compared to June 2019.
• Two-thirds of cruise passengers in Canada are over 65 years of age.
• The Royal Caribbean cruise ships carried the most passengers in 2024.
• In 2024, 19 new cruise ships were added to the global fleet.
• The Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean is the largest ship launched to date, carrying 7,600 passengers and costing US$2,000 million to build.
• Over 55% of new cruise ships use LNG to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
• Port Canaveral is the busiest port in the world, welcoming approximately 4.35 million passengers in 2024.

Cruise Industry in Canada

Because Canada has such a long coastline, it has over 900 harbours and ports where cruise liners can stop. The marine industries, including the cruise industry, are vital for Canada’s economic growth, innovation, and job creation.

In addition to direct jobs within the cruise and other marine industries, the ocean-based sectors affect other major industries in Canada through income-related effects and supply chains, thus benefiting all provinces and regions.

Cruise Industry Revenue

The revenue from the cruise industry in Canada was projected to reach around $1.20 billion by the end of 2024, continuing the recovery toward the pre-pandemic figure of $1.383 billion in 2019.

The impact of the pandemic was seen in the revenues from 2020 and 2021, which were $0.23 billion and $0.69 billion, respectively, but by  2023, the industry’s revenue was largely recovered and was again close to its peak at $1.152 billion.

The expected annual growth rate for the industry’s revenue is 8.32%. If realised, the revenue will reach $1.586 billion by 2027. The number of cruise users is expected to reach 990,000 by 2027, which would equate to $1,532 average revenue per user.

Cruise Industry’s Economic Contribution in Canada

The cruise industry employs just over 33,000 people and contributes to the creation of thousands of more jobs. The industry represents an annual input of over $5.2 billion into the economy of Canada.

In 2024, approximately 3,300,000 passengers arrived on cruise ships. Direct spending by cruise lines totalled $2.3 billion, including staffing, goods, and services, while passenger spending on food, retail, tours, transportation, and lodging was nearly $900 million.

The Cruise Industry is a Fast-Growing Industry in Canada

Cruise ship holidays are one of the fastest-growing types of holidays in Canada. Their popularity among Canadians grew by approximately 45% in June 2024 compared to 2019, before the pandemic interrupted travel plans. Canadians took over 25,000 cruise trips in June 2024.

In addition to Canadians, non-residents took cruise holidays in Canada, too. In June, US residents took around 300,000 cruise trips in Canada, and overseas residents took about 45,000 cruise trips. While the number of US residents taking cruise holidays in Canada was up by around 35%, the number of overseas passengers was approaching pre-pandemic levels, at roughly 95% of the number of trips taken in June 2019.

Majority of Cruise Passengers Are Over 65

The cruise industry has been working hard to make cruises more popular among younger holidaymakers. Despite the efforts, the majority of cruise passengers in Canada are still over 65 years of age. 65.9% of cruise passengers are over 65-years-old.

The next biggest group is 45-64 year olds who make up 27.1% of the passengers. Only 4.3% of all passengers are 25-44 years old and 1.2% are 15-24 years old. The remaining 1.5% of the passengers are under 15 years of age.

3% of Canadians Went on a Cruise in 2024

Canadians are among the most active cruise ship passengers in the world. In 2024, approximately 1,200,000 Canadians out of a population of about 40,100,000 went on a cruise. This was around 3.0% of the population, which continues to place Canada among the top cruise markets globally.

Singaporeans continue to have the highest percentage of cruise ship passengers, with over 6% of the population taking a cruise. Australia and the United States followed closely, with around 5.5% and just over 4% of their populations, respectively, going on a cruise.

Major Ports in Canada

While there are over 900 harbours and ports in the country, the major ports see significantly more cruise traffic than smaller ports. Here is a closer look at three of the major Canadian ports for cruise liners.

Vancouver

Vancouver has the largest port in Canada and is the busiest port in all of North America. In 2024, approximately 334 cruise ships docked in Vancouver. This was a new record and around 9% more than in 2019, the last full cruise season before the COVID-19 pandemic. 2024 marked the busiest cruise year on record, with more than 1.3 million passengers passing through the port.

In addition to passenger ships, the port in Vancouver handles a lot of cargo. In 2023, it handled about 135 million tonnes of cargo, compared with approximately 147 million tonnes in 2022. The port covers over 1,500 hectares of land area and 16,000 hectares of water. The port generates 115,300 jobs and contributes $11.8 billion in GDP across the country.

Halifax

In 2024, the port in Halifax received approximately 192 cruise ships. This marked a strong recovery following the COVID years, when no cruise ships docked in Halifax in 2020 or 2021. The number of cruise ships that visited Halifax in 2024 was close to pre-pandemic levels, compared with 179 cruise ships in 2019 and 198 in 2018. Cruise activity rebounded steadily after the pandemic, with 191 cruise ship calls recorded in 2023.

Halifax also handles cargo in addition to cruise ships, approximately 17 million tonnes per year. Annually, the port welcomes over 1,500 ships and is connected to more than 150 countries. The port creates around 13,000 jobs in the region.

Montreal

In the 2024 cruise season, which in Montreal began on April 27 and ended on October 31, approximately 60 cruise ships called at the Port of Montreal. This was nine more cruise ships than in 2023. Around 45 of the ships boarded and disembarked passengers in Montreal, while about 15 made port-of-call stopovers.

The largest port in Eastern Canada, Montreal handled approximately 35 million tonnes of cargo in 2023, a slight decrease compared to 2022. Routes from Montreal connect to over 140 countries, and the port handles around 2,000 ships every year.

Global Cruise Industry Statistics

Before the pandemic, in 2019, the global cruise industry created about 1.9 million direct jobs and welcomed 29.7 million passengers. All cruise operations were suspended in March 2020, and while some cruises resumed in July 2020, it took until 2021 for the global industry to begin its recovery.

In 2021, global passenger numbers were approximately 13.9 million, which was 46% of the passengers in 2019. Passenger numbers continued to recover in subsequent years, reaching about 31.7 million in 2023 and exceeding 34 million in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Out of all the cruise lines operating in 2024, the cruise ships operating as part of Royal Caribbean Group carried the most passengers. The company operated its full fleet throughout the year and carried approximately 7.6 million passengers.

The next was Carnival Corporation, which carried around 7.0 million passengers. Other cruise companies in the top five based on passenger numbers were MSC Cruises with about 4.6 million passengers, Norwegian Cruise Line with approximately 3.0 million passengers, and Costa Cruises with around 2.2 million passengers.

19 New Cruise Ships Launched in 2024

Provided that everything stayed on track, 19 new cruise ships were added to the global fleet in 2024. This was one more than in 2023 and three more than in 2022. The largest ship to launch in 2024 was Icon of the Seas for Royal Caribbean, which has a capacity of approximately 7,600 passengers and cost around US$2 billion to build.

Other large cruise ships that launched in 2024 included Carnival Jubilee for Carnival Corporation and MSC Euribia for MSC Cruises. Carnival Jubilee cost approximately US$950 million and has a capacity of around 6,500 passengers, while MSC Euribia cost about US$850 million and can carry roughly 4,800 passengers.

However, the launch of new passenger ships does not mean the fleet is continuously growing. For example, in 2023, 18 ships were launched while 16 were retired or scrapped. There are currently around 330 cruise ships operating worldwide.

The Icon of the Seas is the Largest Cruise Ship to Date

The Icon of the Seas will be considerably bigger than previously launched ships. It is in a class of its own, called Icon Class. Its capacity exceeds that of the previously largest ship Wonder of the Seas at 7,600 compared to 6,988. While the Wonder of the Seas had an internal volume of 236,857 gross tons, the internal volume of the Icon of the Seas is 250,800 gross tons.

Over Half of New Cruise Ships use LNG

To make the industry more environmentally friendly, over 55% of the ships launching in 2023 and 2024 use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) rather than diesel. LNG is the cleanest of all fossil fuels and helps cruise operators reduce greenhouse gas emissions because it has virtually no sulphur emissions.

Out of older ships powered by diesel, about 70% have an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) fitted. These can remove up to 98% of the sulphur from exhaust emissions. Nearly 97% of new ships that use diesel have EGCS already installed.

The Average Cruise Lasts Seven Days

The average duration of a cruise is seven days and they account for 40% of all cruises. The next most common duration is 4-6 days with 27%. 15% of cruises last 8-13 days, 11% for 3 days, and 4% are 14-day cruises.

Port Canaveral is the Busiest Cruise Port

There are over 2,050 cruise ports around the world, with 1,660 ocean ports and 590 river ports. The busiest port for cruises is Port Canaveral in Florida. In 2024, the port welcomed approximately 4.35 million passengers. Traditionally, Miami has had a busier port, but welcomed slightly fewer passengers, at around 4.1 million, in 2024.

Conclusion

The cruise industry is growing rapidly in Canada and has fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Passenger numbers for Canadians, Americans, and overseas visitors have all rebounded, with 2024 cruise activity in Canada approaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The industry continues to expand, with record numbers of ships, passengers, and port calls, suggesting a strong outlook for both Canada and the global cruise market.