AAA projects that 22.4 million U.S. residents will take ocean cruises in 2027, a 3.6% increase from its 2026 forecast.
AAA released the forecast Tuesday with Tourism Economics. It covers ocean cruises taken by U.S. residents, including sailings that depart from U.S. and international ports.
Scheduled itineraries and economic trends shaped the forecast
Tourism Economics prepared the projection using scheduled itineraries across nearly all major cruise ships, its economic outlook and travel-sector trends. The estimate is a forecast, not a count of completed 2027 trips.
Shorter sailings have also taken a larger share of the U.S. market. AAA said 45% of U.S. ocean cruise passengers in 2025 booked itineraries of six nights or less, up from 39% in 2019.
Read AAA’s 2027 cruise forecast.