Royal Caribbean Growing First-Time Cruising Guest Base

Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, mentioned that the company’s new-to-cruise customers have increased by double digits compared to 2023.

Liberty made this statement during Royal Caribbean’s second quarter earnings call on Thursday.

He explained that the addressable market is expanding, and the company is attracting more customers into its vacation ecosystem. The number of new-to-cruise customers has grown significantly from last year, and there are stronger repeat rates as well. Liberty added, “Once booked, guests are quickly engaging with us and buying significantly more onboard experiences per booking than in the second quarter of last year.”

Liberty also highlighted the recent delivery of Utopia of the Seas, describing it as “the ultimate weekend getaway, a shift positioned to be another game changer for our short Caribbean product. Our short Caribbean cruise product is an important entry point for new-to-cruise and new-to-brand with nearly seven in 10 guests following in these categories and always skewing more towards younger customers.”

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean International brand, noted that the volume of new-to-cruise passengers is significantly higher on short cruises compared to longer voyages. He explained that short cruises are much easier for new customers to purchase as they require less time investment. Bayley stated that when the product is right, it can stimulate a large amount of demand.