Despite a series of high-profile health incidents on cruise ships this year, including a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius and a norovirus scare on a British vessel in Bordeaux, the industry is reporting sustained demand for 2026. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates that 38.3 million passengers will sail on ocean-going ships this year, a 4% increase from the record 37.2 million in 2025.
Industry Resilience Amid Health Scares
Rob Kwortnik, an associate professor at Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration who studies the cruise sector, described the typical cruise consumer as “somewhat Teflon when it comes to stories like this.” He noted that current news cycles rarely sway booking decisions because most cruises are reserved six months to a year in advance. “People who are booking cruises tomorrow are thinking about the holidays,” he said.
Online marketplace CruiseCompete.com reported a 31.7% increase in cabin bookings during the first half of May compared to the same period in 2025. CEO Bob Levinstein said, “I can categorically say that we have not seen any drop in demand.” He attributed some of the media focus on norovirus to US reporting requirements, which mandate disclosure when 3% or more passengers report symptoms—a threshold that often goes unnoticed by the vast majority of vacationers.
Veteran cruisers echoed this sentiment. Jenni Fielding, who blogs as Cruise Mummy, said she has eight cruises booked and plans to book another. “Cruising is as safe as any other type of holiday, provided travellers follow sensible health advice,” she said. Scott Eddy, a hospitality influencer currently on a cruise docked in Monaco, noted that fellow passengers have not discussed the hantavirus outbreak. “The average traveller understands that this is an isolated health situation,” he said.
European and Global Perspectives
The MV Hondius, owned by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, was at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak that resulted in three deaths after the ship stopped in Argentina. The company said it does not foresee any changes to its operations, with a cruise departing from Keflavík, Iceland, on 29 May. Meanwhile, the norovirus outbreak on a British cruise ship near Bordeaux led French authorities to confine around 1,700 passengers and crew for health checks.
Andrew Coggins, a cruise industry analyst at Pace University in New York, noted that the hantavirus story drew attention partly because it evoked memories of the Diamond Princess quarantine in early 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the cruise industry, but demand has rebounded strongly since 2022. Coggins said that while passenger numbers from China and Japan remain below pre-pandemic levels, demand elsewhere is booming. “There are new ships on order out to 2037,” he said. “The cruise lines are bullish.”
During a conference call with investors, Switzerland-based Viking reported that demand for its river cruises softened briefly after the Iran war began earlier this year but quickly rebounded. The company said 92% of its 2026 cruises and 38% of its 2027 cruises are already booked, without mentioning hantavirus or norovirus.
Broader Appeal and Economic Factors
One driver of cruising’s growth is its appeal across generations and income levels. A recent Bank of America survey found that Generation Z and millennials are the most likely to plan a cruise in the next 12 months. The survey also showed that cruise spending increased among lower-income households, even as those households cut back on airfare and lodging. Cruise lines have responded with shorter, more affordable itineraries.
Kwortnik highlighted the value proposition: “On average, it costs more just to stay at a hotel in Miami than it does to sail on a cruise out of Miami—and the cruise includes lodging, multiple meals, and entertainment.”
While some travellers may be unnerved by recent headlines, Coggins noted that those with imminent sailings are unlikely to cancel due to refund policies. “If there’s any impact on demand, it would be in the long term,” he said. For now, the industry’s forward-looking indicators remain strong, with record passenger numbers expected across European ports and beyond.
