Royal Caribbean aims to double the number of South Africans booking its cruises. While the company achieved double-digit growth in 2024, the South African market remained relatively stagnant.
However, what SA lacks in numbers, they make up for in spend. According to Natalya Whitfield , Head of Sales for Royal Caribbean EMEA, South Africans rank as the second-highest spenders on its cruises, behind only the Middle East and ahead of American passengers.
The cruise lines average daily nett ticket revenue is approximately US189 R3490, but for South Africans, it climbs to 222 R4095. The higher spend is largely attributed to pre-booked extras such as drink packages and WiFi.
Whitfield and Matt Irwin , Key Account Manager for the Middle East and Africa, visited Cape Town this week to outline the companys outlook and plans for local agents.
Irwin said Royal Caribbean had seen an 11-percentage-point increase in guest numbers between 2023 and 2024, with 6,8 million passengers boarding the companys ships in 2024.