When Cal State Fullerton professor Andi Stein set sail on her first Disney Cruise trip to the Bahamas for research more than a decade ago, she was on the fence about the idea. Unsure what it would be like voyaging with so many youngsters, she booked a short four-day journey. By the time she came back, Stein was hooked. She booked another Disney cruise to the Mexican Riviera aboard the Disney Wonder with her mom about two months later. Her fandom has persisted since then.
By 2027, the number of cruise passengers is expected to reach nearly 40 million. 'It's part of the total pent-up demand for tourism coming out of COVID,' said Andrew Coggins, Jr., a cruise industry analyst who teaches at Pace University's Lubin School of Business. 'The industry is very bullish about what’s coming up ahead.” That's why many cruise lines, ranging from major players such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corp.