Most AI Cruise Shoppers Consider Just One Brand, Study Finds

Nearly 91% of U.S. consumers using AI tools to research cruises engage with only one cruise brand, while 8.9% consider two or more, according to a Verve study of search activity, AI conversations and consumer surveys. The average prospective customer considered 1.12 cruise lines.

Verve found that brand-related searches often followed soon after conversations with AI agents, placing cruise lines on narrow shortlists before shoppers moved to price and deal searches. The advertising intelligence company did not disclose the study’s sample size or scope.

Specific ships drive most branded searches

Individual vessels accounted for 89.8% of branded cruise searches in the first half of 2026, up from 88.1% during the same period a year earlier. Verve said new ships, refurbishments and redeployments can produce sharp increases in attention, although interest generated by a launch can decline quickly.

Royal Caribbean leads a fragmented field

Royal Caribbean captured 37.1% of branded cruise search activity, compared with 39.9% a year earlier. Its share remained more than twice that of Norwegian Cruise Line, which accounted for 15.6%.

MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises each received approximately 8% to 10% of branded searches. Verve characterized the market below Royal Caribbean and Norwegian as a fragmented group of competitors.

Price and value outrank itinerary

Price and value were the leading booking criteria for 60% of surveyed consumers. Destination or itinerary was the priority for 26%, while onboard experience ranked first for 14%. That ordering differs from longstanding Cruise Lines International Association research that has typically placed destination at the top of the cruise-selection process.

A large share of prospective passengers remained undecided. Among respondents considering a cruise within the next 12 months, 73% had not selected what to book, while 21% had completed a reservation and 6% expected to book soon.

Luxury searches rise as wave season extends

Search activity for luxury and premium cruises increased 109% year over year. Mainstream ocean cruises and river cruises each recorded 66% growth, although mainstream cruising continued to attract the broadest overall interest.

Verve also found that cruise search demand was extending beyond the traditional January-through-March wave season. In 2023, May search interest reached 2.1 times the first-quarter average; activity remained broadly steady from April through June 2024 and reached its 2025 peak in May. The company said cruise brands should maintain advertising into spring instead of ending wave-season campaigns after the first quarter.