Royal Caribbean International, which is the single largest brand in the cruise industry based on annual passenger capacity, will maintain its position based on the forward orderbook, with 7.7 million passengers by 2033 at double occupancy, compared to 6.9 million for Carnival Cruise Line, the second largest brand, according to the 2025 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

Royal Caribbean will sail 32 ships versus 34 for Carnival. However, Royal Caribbean’s ships are larger on the average with a total of approximately 130,000 berths compared to approximately 125,000 for Carnival, and more of their large ships are deployed in the short cruise market.

The other largest brands on a global scale in 2033 in descending order in terms of annual passenger capacity will be MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess, Celebrity, Costa, AIDA, TUI, P&O UK and Holland America.

The 2025 Cruise Industry News Annual Report is available in digital and printed formats. Order today by clicking here.