India's cruise market is no longer a niche segment, it's fast becoming one of the most dynamic growth engines in global cruising. As Indian travellers grow more confident, informed, and experience-driven, their preferences are redefining how cruises are planned, booked, and experienced.

Drawing from Int2Cruises' 2025 research on Indian cruise traveller behaviour, the following blog explores the key trends shaping the future of cruising from India, from booking patterns and destination choices to loyalty, luxury preferences, and emerging traveller segments.

The Big Picture: India's Cruise Market Comes of Age

Indian cruise travellers today are decisive and intentional. Unlike exploratory markets, Indian consumers typically know when and where they want to travel before engaging with platforms or agents. Two interesting trends:

This signals a mature mindset, one driven by clarity, not curiosity, making India a high-intent, high-value cruise market.

Planning & Booking Behaviour: Faster Decisions, Shorter Timelines

One of the most defining traits of Indian cruisers is how close to sailing they book.

Even for long-haul itineraries like Europe, Alaska, or the Caribbean, 72% of Indians book within 120 days, far shorter than global norms.

What this means: Flexibility, last-minute inventory, and agile pricing matter far more in India than early-bird strategies alone.

Destination Trends: Asia Leads, the World Beckons

Asia accounts for over 70% of Indian cruise bookings, with Singapore firmly established as the gateway cruise destination. Its accessibility, short itineraries, and family-friendly appeal make it the default choice for first-time and repeat cruisers alike.

Europe and Beyond regions constitute an aspirational but growing segment:

• Europe contributes 17% of the total demand
• Within Europe:
  • Western Mediterranean dominates with 71% share
  • Northern Europe: 15%
  • Eastern Mediterranean: 14%

Long-haul destinations such as Alaska, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean remain niche, but aspirational, signalling strong future potential as awareness and confidence grow.

Who Is Cruising? Understanding Indian Traveller Profiles

It has been clearly noticed and established that different destinations attract different age groups. The data indicates the following:

Expedition Cruises entail premium and purpose-driven travel. Expedition itineraries like Antarctica attract a distinctly mature audience:

These cruises appeal to travellers seeking depth, exclusivity, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, reinforcing India's growing premium travel mindset.

Booking Channels: Discovery Is No Longer Linear

While traditional agents and OTAs still account for 60% of bookings, a significant 40% now comes from non-traditional channels:

• Banks and credit card platforms
• Airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Lifestyle brands and curated events
• Social media and community-led discovery

This fragmentation mirrors global travel trends, where inspiration often begins outside conventional travel ecosystems.

Ship Preferences: Destination vs. Novelty

As per the date, there are two clear demand drivers in terms of the type of cruise chosen by the travellers, as suggested below.

New deployments trigger a 32% surge in interest.

For Indian travellers, where the ship goes matters, but what's new still excites.

Seasonality: When Indians Book Cruises

Naturally, the peak booking periods vary throughout the year. May is the single biggest booking month for the cruisers.

Strong booking waves appear:

• March–June (summer holidays)
• December (winter vacations)

Understanding these spikes is critical for inventory planning and targeted campaigns.

India's Cruise Source Markets: Urban, Affluent, Influential

The demand for cruise bookings is led by the metro cities. The demand percentage spread is as follows.

• Delhi: Over 25% of total travellers
• Maharashtra: ~20%
• Gujarat: ~10%

Cruise demand is clearly metro-driven, concentrated in affluent, well-travelled urban centres.

Evolving Traveller Segments: More Than Just Couples

Now, the question arises as to which type of families make the cruise bookings.

• 58% Couples & nuclear families
• 22% Multi-generational families
• 14% Reunion groups
• 6% Celebration groups

Group travel, especially within Asia, is growing rapidly, driven by milestone celebrations and family bonding trips. The following stats clearly suggest the same.

Trip Style Preferences: Short, Premium Getaways

Duration Matters

Indian cruisers favour shorter breaks:

• 77% 3–5 nights
• 21% 6–9 nights
• 2% 10+ nights

Cabin Choices Reflect Premium Intent

• 66% Balcony cabins
• 12% Suites
• 22% Interior/Ocean-view

Privacy, views, and comfort are non-negotiable for most Indian travellers.

Loyalty & Repeat Travel: Cruising Becomes a Habit

The high-frequency travellers make up the major customer base in the cruise domain. This is because the cruising isn't a one-time experience for most Indians:

• 66% cruise every year
• 27% cruise every two years

These repeat travellers form the most valuable and loyal customer base, one that cruise lines and brands must actively nurture.