For some people, it takes only one cruise to hook them for life.That was the case for Stewart Chiron, who loved his first cruise so much he made a career out of it.'It was a weekend cruise, and that was 326 cruises ago,' he told Scripps News.Known as 'The Cruise Guy,' Chiron started a cruise-exclusive travel agency 35 years ago.'Cruising is an incredible way for people to connect, get together, to experience different cultures, different destinations,' he said.
According to the recent Cruise Ship Index, 15 new cruise ships are set to enter service next year, adding nearly 40,000 guest berths to the market. The industry is also expected to hire over 20,000 new crew members in 2025.Cruise ships have also gotten much bigger. The industry campaign group Transport & Environment says the world's biggest cruise ships have doubled in size since 2000, which is raising environmental concerns.