Cruise Year in Review 2025

As the year winds down, it’s the right moment to pause and reflect with this cruise year in review. Over the past year, we covered the cruise industry from many angles, reporting on ship developments, emerging trends, maritime history, and the evolving passenger experience. Our coverage combined industry expertise, deep research, and selective firsthand reporting to help you navigate a complex and fast-moving sector.

Much of our work this year focused on analysis, context, and industry developments, with ship reviews used intentionally to answer practical questions travelers often ask. When we did sail, the focus was on moments that shape the experience most, starting with embarkation and extending through daily life onboard. That approach naturally brought increased attention to one topic influencing nearly every cruise decision today: Wi-Fi. Staying connected at sea has become essential, and our Cruise WiFi Guide continued to grow as a practical, ship-by-ship resource to help you plan ahead.

From Embarkation to the Table

Executive Producer Joe brought that focus to life through multiple sailings, combining embarkation reporting with hands-on connectivity testing. His coverage included time aboard Holland America’s Zuiderdam and Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady, where he evaluated internet performance in cabins and public spaces and explained what you can realistically expect once onboard. Joe also cruised on Celestyal Journey, offering insight into a more destination-focused experience, and reviewed Carnival Magic and Carnival Firenze. One of his signature strengths is detailed interior stateroom inspections, with reporting that centers on how a cruise begins, how it functions day to day, and how technology supports, or complicates, the experience.

Executive Producer Joe Miragliotta traveled with Celestyal in 2025. Credit: JoesDaily.

Contributor Monte Mathews approached cruising through a distinctly gourmet lens. His reporting centers on food, wine, and dining culture, using cuisine as a way to understand a ship’s personality and itinerary. Whether sailing aboard Oceania Allura or exploring river ships such as Riverside Ravel and Riviera Travel’s Jane Austen, Monte focused on menus, service style, and the role dining plays in shaping the onboard experience. His writing highlighted how thoughtful culinary programs elevate cruising beyond transportation, turning meals into a defining part of the journey you remember most.

A Lifetime on the Promenade Deck

It was also a continuing honor for us to feature maritime historian William H. Miller through his Heard Along the Promenade Deck column, a running series reprinted from his broader work and long storied career. Known in maritime circles as “Mr. Ocean Liner,” Miller guided readers through the golden age of passenger shipping with detailed examinations of classic liners that shaped transatlantic travel and the evolution of cruising.

Dinner companions (from right to left), Tony LaForgia, Miller and Donna LaForgia aboard Silver Shadow. Photo courtesy of William H. Miller.

In addition to liner profiles, his pieces often integrated historical port and fleet context, including Holland America’s historic “Big Three” liners and the impact of iconic vessels such as Queen Mary and SS United States on passenger expectations and ship design. Through these narratives, readers learned not only about individual ships, but how broader innovations, from shipboard wireless to design aesthetics, shaped cruising’s transformation across decades.

Cruising at Home and Closer to Home

Cruising closer to home emerged as another important theme this year. We examined the resurgence of domestic cruising through coverage of American Cruise Lines, including attending the christening of American Pioneer in Key West. Being on site offered firsthand insight into how U.S.-flagged cruising is positioning itself, with smaller ships, regional itineraries, and a strong connection to American history and culture, an appealing option if you’re looking for immersive travel without flying overseas.

Key West Mayor Danise “Dee Dee” Henriquez breaks a champagne bottle to christen American Pioneer during a ceremony aboard the ship while docked at Mallory Square on Monday. Credit: H. Liu.

Residential cruising developments also drew close attention as the niche continued to grow. Today, there are about 650 residential units at sea, primarily between The World and Villa Vie Odyssey. Our reporting shows that capacity could expand significantly over the next several years. By 2030, total residential cruise capacity could more than triple and exceed 2,000 units, if all announced projects launch as planned.

Against that backdrop, we followed developments at Crescent Seas, and Clydebuilt‘s Dark Island. It was a privilege to attend a Cornell Hotel Society panel where alumni Russell Galbut and Thatcher Brown discussed long-term planning, luxury communities, and residential ship design. Later in the year, Crescent Seas revealed it had cancelled plans to launch its first two ships using refurbished Norwegian Cruise Line vessels and would instead focus on a purpose-built residential newbuild scheduled for delivery in 2031.

As the industry looks ahead, we’ll continue to monitor these trends and more in 2026. With another Wave season approaching, our focus remains on balancing insight with experience and analysis with storytelling, so you can plan with confidence and better understand where cruising is headed next.