Cruises, still the Middle East. But the decline had started before the war
According to Ticketcrociere's data, the conflict dealt the decisive blow to a long-standing slowdown
With the ongoing conflict - but not only, as we shall see, because the descent had already begun earlier - the plan to make the Middle East a sort of new Caribbean, as a cruise destination, foundered (for now). This is certified by the data on Italian passengers collected by Ticketcrociere, the leading ticket sales platform for the sector. A trend, moreover, also confirmed on a global level by the figures of Clia (Cruise lines international association).
The launch of the Middle East as an alternative winter destination to the Caribbean, with the advantage, for Italian customers, of being closer and cheaper than overseas holidays, had begun in 2021, as the Covid pandemic began to ease. One itinerary, in particular, marked the restart of the cruise market after that forced stop: Saudi Arabia. The kingdom had opened up to international tourism in 2019, thanks to the Vision 2030 programme; two years later, Msc Crociere, with its ship Bellissima, was the first company in the world to be allowed to dock in Jeddah and set off on a Red Sea itinerary. Since then, cruises to the Middle East have entered the schedules of many other shipping companies, including Costa Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Windstar Cruises. And the stops have multiplied: in addition to Saudi Arabia, the Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.
Initial enthusiasm betrayed
It seemed that a new trend had started, one that was destined to grow steadily. Instead, the initial enthusiasm gradually waned. And the conflict that broke out between the US Israel and Iran dealt the decisive blow to a slowdown that had already begun some time ago. According to time series extracted from Ticketcrociere, the number of Italian passengers buying cruises to the Middle East has dropped significantly in the last three years.
The highest demand was recorded in 2023, a period in which 1,100 Italian cruise passengers boarded ships that sailed in the Middle East. That was the destination's strong year, in which there was also the novelty effect; and the numbers were higher than in the Caribbean, which totalled 964 bookings in the same period. Already in 2024, however, the trend begins to change: with 830 Italian passengers in the Middle East and 813 in the Caribbean, almost a head-to-head match. From 2025, then, the trend reverses, 576 cruise passengers in the Middle East and 1,016 in the Caribbean. This could be related to the perception of security in the area, which declines even before the outbreak of war. Finally, we arrive at 2026, with only 65 passengers handled in the first two months of the year in the Arabian Peninsula and 298 (partial figure as of February) in the Caribbean.
Lower prices are not enough
The figures, moreover, follow the trend at a global level: according to Clia, in 2024 517,000 passengers embarked in the ports of the Middle East, 3.9% less than the previous year; all this, in spite of decidedly lower prices, compared to the Caribbean. A cabin with a balcony for a one-week cruise in January-February in the Middle East, on a mass market ship, for an Italia passenger would cost €1,660 in 2025 (€2,045 in the Caribbean) and €1,807 in 2026 (compared to €2,073).
