Cruise Explosion on the Adriatic: More Ships, Fewer Passengers, But Who Even Notices?
Thought summer on the Adriatic was just peaceful beach time? Think again! Cruise ships have multiplied like rabbits this year, but passengers? Weirdly, fewer. Yes, you read that right. In the first five months of this year, the number of cruise ships docking at Croatian sea ports jumped by a whopping 12.5% compared to last year. A total of 45 foreign cruise ships arrived — quite impressive.
But here’s the shocker: the number of passengers dropped by 0.2%, about 500 fewer people! How’s that possible? More ships, fewer people? Did everyone turn into ghosts or were the ships sailing empty? Not exactly, but passenger numbers are almost the same as last year, while the number of days these ships stayed in Croatia increased by 7.6%.
Most cruises come under the Maltese flag, with 42 voyages, followed by Panama, the Bahamas, Norway, Italy, and Bermuda. In May alone, cruise voyages increased by 6.4%, and passengers were up 6% compared to the same month last year. The most popular destinations? Dubrovnik and Split — no surprise there.
What does this mean?
Is this a sign that tourism on the Adriatic is bouncing back, or are the ships just smaller? Maybe it’s time to ask how good this cruise boom really is for local communities struggling with crowds and pollution. More ships mean more noise, pollution, and pressure on infrastructure.
Is this the dawn of a new mass tourism era or just a numbers game?
Got thoughts? Maybe you’ve already seen these ships piling up in your favorite city. Drop a comment. Do you love the crowds or would you rather keep the Adriatic calm and pristine?
One thing’s for sure — the Adriatic is back in the spotlight, and cruise ships aren’t slowing down. Will we manage to save the beauty and peace of this sea, or will the ships steamroll us? We’re all ears!
