AAA Projects Record 22.4 Million American Cruisers for 2027, Up 3.6%
If you plan to sail from Miami, Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale, note that AAA projects Miami and Port Canaveral gaining share in 2027 while Fort Lauderdale slips to 5.3%. If you favor the Caribbean, Alaska or the Mediterranean, check how each region's projected share compares with last year's. Treat every number as a projection; the article says actual 2027 totals will not be known until the end of 2027.
My read is that AAA's 22.4 million figure is a continuation of a trend rather than a surprise: a 3.6% gain over 2026 and a fifth consecutive record year. The 57% jump over the 14.2 million passengers of 2019 shows how fully American demand has rebounded. The port numbers interest me most. Miami rising to 11.2% and Port Canaveral to 10.4% suggest Florida's two giants are pulling away, while Fort Lauderdale quietly slid to 5.3%. The Caribbean's drop from 72% to 71% is not a decline in passengers, since the total is growing, but the Mediterranean's climb from 5% to 6% is worth watching. Shorter cruises at 45% of Americans in 2025, against 39% in 2019, fit with Royal Caribbean and Carnival expanding short itineraries. I would treat all of this as a forecast, not a fact, since Tourism Economics built it and nobody will know the real number until the end of 2027.