Asia-Pacific Sees Largest Gain in 2026; Africa, South America Drop

With a growing cruise fleet, capacity is up in most sailing regions, although some are seeing a significant dip in 2026 from 2025, according to the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

The biggest percentage increase year-over-year is in the Asia-Pacific region which is seeing a 47 percent increase in cruise capacity from last year. West Coast, Mexican Riviera sailings are up 22 percent and Alaska, 12 percent.

The Asia Pacific deployment is the third largest following the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

The growth there is driven by Asian brands, Adora and Resorts World, while Royal Caribbean and MSC along with several other western brands are maintaining their presence.

The total estimated guest capacity for Asia Pacific is nearly 4.5 million compared to 16.5 million for the Caribbean and 6 million for the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, Africa cruises are down 24 percent, South America 23 percent, Panama Canal 21 percent, Indian Ocean 16 percent and Canada New England 14 percent.