The cruise industry is growing at a rapid pace, and Royal Caribbean has seen increased demand as a result. According to a quarterly earnings call, the cruise line exceeded expectations for the first quarter of 2024, including a record-breaking introduction of its newest ship Icon of the Seas. If youre thinking about taking a cruise in the near future, the trends that Jason Liberty, CEO of Royal Caribbean, reported on the call are worth noting when making your plans.

　　The first trend to note is rising prices. Increased demand leads to higher prices, and as spots aboard ships rapidly fill up, your cruise vacation will be looking a little more expensive. Booking through a travel agent may get you a cheaper price as they tend to purchase blocks of rooms on certain ships, but the longer you wait, the more expensive a room could be.

　　Which leads to the second trend: early booking. Liberty reports that consumers are booking further and further ahead, saying we're getting close to the point where we'll soon be taking more bookings for '25 than we are for 2024. He then added "and by the way, we're also taking bookings into 2026." Early booking not only gets youpotentiallya better price, but also a greater chance of booking the exact trip you want. Many cruise lines are also now offering buy-now-pay-later plans, so you can pay for your vacation gradually.

　　Royal Caribbean is seeing passengers book onboard experiences much earlier as well. Everything from internet and beverage packages to excursions and dining reservations are being secured well in advance of a cruise. This, of course, is great for the company, but its also a good bit of advice for cruise passengers as it saves time once youre on board as you wont need to coordinate or wait in line to make plans for your stay.

　　The cruise line continues to expand with groundbreaking new ships and luxury cruises, and vacationers continue to head out to sea for their perfect vacation.