Cruise lines, their passengers and crew spent a record $21 billion in the U.S. in 2014, up 16 percent since 2010 and representing a new peak in U.S. cruise industry expenditures, according to a new study from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). CLIA’s 2014 Economic Impact Analysis shows that total contributions of the global cruise industry to the U.S. economy reached a record $46.09 billion in 2014, up 4.5 percent from the previous year. This includes generating 373,738 U.S. jobs paying more than $19 billion in wages and salaries.
According to CLIA’s study, more than 11 million cruise passengers worldwide embarked from U.S. ports in 2014, setting a new high and marking the largest increase (11 percent) in ten years.
The top ten U.S. cruise ports accounted for 88 percent of 2014 embarkations, and Florida accounted for 62 percent of all U.S. embarkations. Embarkations in California’s four ports totaled 984,000 in 2014, a 49 percent increase.
“Florida remains the center of cruising the United States, but we saw tremendous growth in California’s ports,” said D’Aoust. “California’s increase was primarily driven by a rebound in cruises originating in Los Angeles and Long Beach. These ports saw increased embarkations as more three- and four-day cruises were offered, addressing cruise consumers’ desire for short getaways and additional options.”
