A new report from AAA Travel showed that 58.3 million or 23% of Americans are considering taking a cruise within the next two years.
According to the report, bookings for cruises are twice as strong as they were just a year ago.
The increase in bookings comes as COVID-19 cases decline and the CDC lowered its cruise travel warning to a level two – a moderate level of COVID.
Cruise lines have added safety precautions including vaccine and testing requirements for staff and guests, improved ventilation systems, hand washing and hand sanitizer dispensers in high-traffic areas.
Cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron says that cruise lines are the safest way to travel.
“What airplane, what, you know, movie theater, what hotel, what theme park can you go to, and know that essentially about everyone there is fully vaccinated? There is no safer mode of transportation, there is no safer way to travel than what the cruise industry has offered,” said Chiron.
“The cruise lines have been working very hard with the CDC and I can tell you with all of the guidelines that the CDC has put forth, the cruise lines' own health protocols met or exceeded the CDC guidelines.”
AAA says rising global fuel prices could have an impact on the cost of cruises.