With the coldest winds of winter howling this week, many Iowans may be dreaming of warmer climates and late season getaways.
A survey finds Iowans who plan to vacation aboard a cruise ship this year will have plenty of company as they sail the seas. Brian Ortner, spokesman for AAA-Iowa, says the travel club projects a record number of cruisers in 2025.
“This is the first time AAA’s put out a forecast specifically towards cruising for forms of travel,” Ortner says, “and the short answer, absolute record, over 19-million folks projected to cruise this year alone.”
Cruise travel volumes will reach a record high for the third consecutive year, he says, as it’s reached the point now where the ship itself can be the destination.
“The cruise industry is taking advantage and listening to their consumers,” Ortner says. “They’re focusing on bigger ships, shorter itineraries, and private islands have all contributed to the remarkable growth that the cruise industry has seen in recent years.”
The report says the most common cruise itineraries are six to eight days, while the three busiest cruise ports in the world are all in Florida: Miami, Port Canaveral, and Fort Lauderdale.
Iowa airports in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and the Quad Cities all have direct flights to many of those Florida cities.
(Additional reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)