Germany's cruise boom hits record 2.8 million passengers in 2025
Global passenger numbers on cruise ships rose again last year, according to industry association Clia. The number of ocean cruise guests reached 37.2 million—a 7.5 percent increase compared to 2024—the German branch of the Washington-based international association reported. Clia described the figure as a historic high.
Despite the growth, passenger numbers fell slightly short of projections. The previous edition of the annual State of the Cruise Industry Report had forecast 37.7 million guests for 2025.
U.S. Passengers Account for Over 50 Percent
Germany saw around 2.8 million cruise passengers, marking a 10 percent rise from the previous year, the association said. The country remains the world's second-largest cruise market after the United States, where more than half of all passengers originate. The statistics also include data from non-member companies.
The Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) bills itself as the world's largest cruise industry body. Its members include Germany's top cruise operators by passenger volume: Aida Cruises, Tui Cruises, and MSC Cruises. The country's busiest cruise ports, based on passenger traffic, are Hamburg, Kiel, Rostock-Warnemünde, and Bremerhaven.
According to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, roughly 2.9 million passengers boarded or disembarked ocean cruise ships in Germany in 2024. Clia, however, reported a passenger volume of around 2.6 million for that year. Eurostat figures for 2025 were not yet available.
