Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Dunhill Travel Deals.
Once considered the domain of retirees and seasoned travelers, cruise vacations have undergone a broad transformation in recent years. Modern ships now feature everything from high-speed internet and luxury dining to waterslides and rollercoasters, helping the industry attract a more diverse and younger customer base.
With itineraries ranging from short Caribbean sailings to longer journeys through Europe and Alaska, cruises now cater to a wide range of travelers — from those seeking premium and luxury experiences to budget-conscious vacationers.
For many, the all-inclusive nature of cruise packages — covering lodging, meals, and entertainment — makes them an attractive alternative to traditional land-based vacations, especially amid rising hotel and airfare costs.
After facing an unprecedented shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise industry has not only recovered but is continuing to break records. Both 2024 and 2025 saw historic levels of cruise passenger volume, driven by increased ship capacity, new vessel launches, and a growing base of younger first-time cruisers.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), global cruise travel surpassed pre-pandemic highs in 2023 and has continued to grow. Industry analysts point to a shift in consumer sentiment: where once cruising was seen as high-risk during a public health crisis, it is now viewed as a safe, affordable, and flexible way to travel.
To better understand how this resurgence is playing out across the United States, Dunhill Travel Deals — a leading source for travel deal discovery — analyzed Google Trends data to identify the states where cruise lines are drawing the most attention. Learn more about the methodology at the end.
Here are the states with the most interest in cruises.
1. North Dakota
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +93.1%
Relative search interest (2025): 25
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
2. Alaska
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +54.8%
Relative search interest (2025): 83
Most searched cruise line: Princess Cruises
3. South Dakota
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +47.2%
Relative search interest (2025): 23
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
4. Wyoming
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +41.4%
Relative search interest (2025): 31
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
5. District of Columbia
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +40.5%
Relative search interest (2025): 36
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
6. Nebraska
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +40.0%
Relative search interest (2025): 28
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
7. Ohio
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +35.3%
Relative search interest (2025): 38
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
8. Georgia
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +32.7%
Relative search interest (2025): 46
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
9. Illinois
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +32.7%
Relative search interest (2025): 31
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
10. Pennsylvania
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +32.1%
Relative search interest (2025): 39
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
11. Tennessee
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +30.8%
Relative search interest (2025): 44
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
12. New York
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +30.4%
Relative search interest (2025): 44
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
13. Michigan
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +30.2%
Relative search interest (2025): 37
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
14. North Carolina
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +29.6%
Relative search interest (2025): 46
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
15. Indiana
Change in search interest in cruises (2022–2025): +29.2%
Relative search interest (2025): 32
Most searched cruise line: Royal Caribbean
Methodology
This analysis draws on data from Google Trends, a publicly available tool that measures the popularity of internet search terms over time and across different geographic regions.
Rather than providing absolute search totals, Google Trends provides relative search popularity by indexing from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the relative peak in popularity and lower index values indicate lower search frequency. State-level scores are relative to that individual state, allowing for normalized state-to-state comparisons.
In order to determine the states with the fastest-growing appetite for cruise travel, researchers at Dunhill Travel Deals compared search interest for the term “cruises” across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. for the full-year 2022 and 2025 time periods.
States were ranked by the percentage change in average relative search interest from 2022 to 2025, and in the event of a tie, the state with the larger relative search interest in 2025 was ranked higher. The most searched cruise line was also calculated for each state.
