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AAA says this could be the Florida cruise industry's comeback year

A Disney Cruise line cruise ship departs Port Canaveral. Just over half of Americans surveyed say they're likely to take a cruise this year.
TAMME WICHMANN/Tamme
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A Disney Cruise line cruise ship departs Port Canaveral. Just over half of Americans surveyed say they're likely to take a cruise this year.

More Americans are planning on taking a cruise in 2023, which bodes well for Florida’s cruise industry.

A survey from AAA Auto Club found 52 percent of US adults are just as likely or more likely to take a cruise this year, compared with data from before the pandemic.

That’s up from 45 percent last year.

AAA’s Mark Jenkins said a number of factors are making cruises look more attractive to families and singles this year.

“Particularly with travelers feeling more comfortable, and confident and traveling again, cruise ships themselves have all of their procedures and protocols in place, but they are relaxing their requirements for vaccinations," said Jenkins. "And on top of that, you know, we've got more ships that are returning to the market.”

Jenkins said new cruise experiences for travelers of all ages and abilities are also contributing to this push.

“So there's a great deal of enthusiasm, particularly with travel across the board, especially with cruising, we saw record-breaking bookings back in November," said Jenkins. "In fact, Black Friday was the single largest booking day in history for cruising. So 2023 is set to be a banner year for the industry.”

Florida boasts three of the top ports to cruise out of in 2023, including Port Canaveral.

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