Australia and New Zealand sent its largest-ever delegation this week to Seatrade Cruise Global – the world’s leading gathering of cruise lines worldwide.
Representatives from Destination NSW, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia, the Australian Cruise Association (ACA) and Port Authority of NSW participated in the annual B2B event for the global cruise industry, which was held in Miami from 13-16 April.
Seatrade brought together buyers and suppliers from 120 countries including 300 journalists and explored the latest trends with industry influencers and high-level cruise executives.
CLIA’s annual State of the Cruise Industry report was released at the conference, which provided detailed facts and figures on the strength of the global cruise sector.
The report revealed the number of Australians taking holidays at sea surged to a record high in 2025, reaching 1.45 million people.
The result was a 9.5 per cent increase on the 1.32 million Australians who cruised in 2024 and overtook the previous record of 1.35 million set in 2018.
Australia was again the world’s fourth largest cruise market in 2025, behind the United States (20.56 million), Germany (2.83 million) and the United Kingdom (2.47 million).
Destination NSW Regional Manager, USA Irene Morgan met with major cruise line representatives at Seatrade during one-on-one appointments and networking events, highlighting NSW as a premier cruise destination.
ACA CEO Jill Abel said: “There remains a strong sense of optimism around Australia’s cruise future and the role our region can play in the next phase of global deployment.
“A clear theme emerging from conversations is the continued recognition of Australia as both a strong domestic cruise market and a highly desirable destination for international visitors.
"With a robust global order book of cruise ships launching over the next decade, there is a clear opportunity for Australia to play an increasingly important role in deployment patterns, particularly during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
“As fleets grow, the need for compelling and reliable destinations outside peak northern seasons will only intensify.”
Learn more about cruise tourism and its important role in growing the NSW visitor economy here.
