It should be noted that the cause for alarm was several incidents at once. Three passengers died on board the expedition vessel MV Hondius after entering Argentina. Another outbreak (norovirus) occurred on a British liner in the port of Bordeaux, France.
Nevertheless, cruise companies say demand remains strong. Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, which owns MV Hondius, said it expects no change in operations. The company’s next voyage will depart May 29 from Keflavik in Iceland, Euronews reported.
The CruiseCompete.com platform reported that cabin sales were up 31.7 percent in the first half of May compared to the same period last year.
The head of the service, Bob Levinstein, reminded that cruise ships are required to report outbreaks if symptoms are detected in at least 3% of passengers. On a liner with 5,000 people, this is about 150 sick people, but most tourists, according to him, do not even notice such cases.
Additional confirmation of steady demand was given by the Swiss cruise company Viking. During a call with investors, the operator said that 92% of cruises for 2026 and 38% of voyages for 2027 have already been booked. The company noted only a brief drop in demand for river cruises after the outbreak of war with Iran, after which sales quickly recovered.
Analysts believe the outbreaks are unlikely to hit the industry hard, as cruises are usually booked at least six months and often a year in advance. In addition, many tourists perceive such cases as localized incidents rather than a systemic problem in the industry.
According to the source, after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise market returned to growth in 2022. Now the industry continues to expand aggressively, with new ships already booked through 2037.
Growth is also being helped by more affordable offerings. According to Bank of America, Generation Z and millennials are the most likely to announce plans to take a cruise in the next 12 months. The study also found that lower-income households are spending more on cruises while cutting back on flights and hotels.
