- Most of Carnival Cruise Line’s guests are millennials amid a push for new and younger customers.
- I spent four nights on its new Carnival Firenze ship in May.
- Its amenities, itineraries, and fares give insight into how the company is attracting younger cruisers.
When you go on a Carnival cruise, you’re more likely to see your millennial coworker than your older next-door neighbor.
Forget all preconceived notions you might have about the age of cruise fans (no, they’re not all retirees). Carnival Corp has been pursuing new and younger travelers — so much so that it saw a 17% increase in first-time cruisers in the third quarter of 2024 from the same period in 2023, Josh Weinstein, the cruise giant’s president and CEO, told analysts in late September.
Amid this push, the majority of the cruise line’s guests are now millennials, hovering at an average age of around 41, David Bernstein, Carnival Corp’s CFO, told analysts. That’s five years younger than the average age of cruisers across the industry, according to trade group Cruise Lines International Association.
One look at its newest ship, the six-month-old Carnival Firenze, might explain why the cruise line is excelling with millennials.
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