Mediterranean will welcome approximately 6 million cruise passengers this year.

According to Cruise Industry News' latest 2026 annual report, the Mediterranean will welcome approximately 6 million cruise passengers this year. The trade publication, publishing some data from the report, highlighted that over 180 ships belonging to 57 cruise lines will sail the Mediterranean, with capacity increasing by 3.7% year-over-year,Meanwhile CIN data shows that over 180 ships will sail in the region across 57 cruise lines, with capacity up 3.7 percent on a year-over-year basis. MSC and Costa will together account for nearly 40 percent of the capacity in the Mediterranean this year. Among North American brands, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Celebrity round out the top five, collectively accounting for approximately 18 percent of the market. primarily due to the presence of larger ships on average compared to last year

MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises will dominate the market

MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises will dominate the market, together covering approximately 40% of the capacity in the Mediterranean, even though the Swiss company's weight, as highlighted by the only graph in the report released by Cruise Industry News, will be almost double that of the Italian company

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Three North American brands

In addition,three North American brands, AIDA, Princess, Marella and TUI each bring significant capacity, while Viking Ocean has expanded its presence as it continues to expand.New entrants and niche operators are adding further diversity. Aroya Cruises is positioning a ship in the region for a second straight year, while Orient Express is set to debut its much-anticipated Corinthian. The capacity increase is being driven primarily by larger vessels.New and niche operators are adding further diversity. Aroya Cruises is positioning a ship in the region for the second consecutive year, while Orient Express is poised to launch its highly anticipated Corinthian,” the report's accompanying note reads.

The full market breakdown, including detailed capacity data for all 57 cruise lines, is available in the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

#North American brands #MSC Cruises #Costa Cruises  #Mediterranean #2026 annual report #Cruise Industry News #Aida #Princess #Marella #Aroya Cruises