15 Countries Driving America’s Resurgence in Cruising

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Dunhill Travel Deals.

Taking into account the demographics of retirees and veteran travelers, cruise vacations have undergone extensive changes in recent years. Modern ships now feature everything from high-speed internet and luxury dining to waterslides and rollercoasters, helping the industry attract a more diverse and younger customer base.

With itineraries ranging from short Caribbean cruises to long-haul voyages across Europe and Alaska, cruises now cater to a wide variety of travelers – from those looking for the ultimate luxury experience to the budget-conscious traveler.

For many, the all-inclusive nature of cruise packages — which include lodging, meals, and entertainment — makes them an attractive alternative to traditional land-based vacations, especially amid rising hotel and airline costs.

After facing unprecedented shutdowns during the COVID-19 crisis, the tourism industry has not only recovered but continues to break records. Both 2024 and 2025 saw historic levels of cruise passenger volume, driven by increased fleet capacity, new ship launches, and a growing base of first-time passengers.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), global cruise travel surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and continues to grow. Industry analysts point to a shift in consumer sentiment: where cruising was seen as a major risk during the public health crisis, it is now seen as a safe, affordable, and flexible way to travel.

To better understand how this renaissance is playing out across the United States, Dunhill Travel Deals – the leading source for finding travel deals – analyzed Google Trends data to identify regions where cruise lines are attracting the most attention. Read more about how to do it in the end.

Here are the regions of greatest interest in sailing.

1. North Dakota

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 93.1%
• Related search interest (2025): 25
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

2. Alaska

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 54.8%
• Related search interest (2025): 83
• The most popular cruise line: Princess Cruises

3. South Dakota

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 47.2%
• Related search interest (2025): 23
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

4. Wyoming

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 41.4%
• Related search interest (2025): 31
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

5. District of Columbia

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 40.5%
• Related search interest (2025): 36
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

6. Nebraska

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): +40.0%
• Related search interest (2025): 28
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

7. In Ohio

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 35.3%
• Related search interest (2025): 38
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

8. Georgia

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 32.7%
• Related search interest (2025): 46
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

9. Illinois

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 32.7%
• Related search interest (2025): 31
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

10. Pennsylvania

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 32.1%
• Related search interest (2025): 39
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

11. Tennessee

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 30.8%
• Related search interest (2025): 44
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

12. New York

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 30.4%
• Related search interest (2025): 44
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

13. Michigan

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 30.2%
• Related search interest (2025): 37
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

14. North Carolina

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 29.6%
• Related search interest (2025): 46
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

15. In Indiana

• Change in search interest in travel (2022–2025): + 29.2%
• Related search interest (2025): 32
• The most popular cruise line: Royal Caribbean

How to do it

This analysis draws on data from Google Trends, a publicly available tool that measures the popularity of Internet search terms over time and in different geographic regions.

Rather than providing an absolute search total, Google Trends provides a relative search popularity index from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the highest relative popularity and lower index values ​​indicate lower search frequency. State-level scores are relative to each state, allowing for standardized state-to-state comparisons.

To find the states with the fastest growing desire to cruise, Dunhill Travel Deals researchers compared search interest for the word “cruise” in all 50 states and Washington, DC for the full year period of 2022 and 2025.

Countries are ranked by the percentage change in average relative search interest from 2022 to 2025, and in the event of a tie, the country with the most relative search interest in 2025 is ranked at the top. The most searched cruise lines are also listed in each state.