Halfway Home: Travel Advisors Report Strong Cruise Sales Lead the Way So Far in 2026

After 16 years in business, Pixie Vacations in Atlanta is having an amazing 2026. Without adding to their marketing budget, owners Steven and Lisa Griswold have seen annual sales skyrocket by more than 30% since this point last year.  

Multigen trips are booming, along with all-inclusive vacations to resorts like Beaches Turks and Caicos, and family travel to Disney World and Universal Studios Florida is also up. But above all, cruise sales are off the charts, they say. Mainstream cruise clients are trying new Pixie Vacations partners like Regent Seven Seas and Viking Ocean, and moving out of the Atlantic to explore the Mediterranean and Adriatic.  

“Our clients are definitely valuing travel over things,” says Lisa. “And it’s exciting for us. It opens our eyes to other destinations we might want to visit.”  

Much of the growth, most of the travel advisors with whom we spoke report, is on the cruise side, where sales are hot across the board—and especially at the high end. 

Jill Melissa at Worldwide Adventure Travel, for example, is happy to report a spurt of cruise sales this half—including a whopping 56 cruises booked in just the last three weeks of June.  

“I would call it booming,” she says. 

Cruise specialist Toni Day reports “bookings for 2027 are up for around-the-world, river and yacht cruises” at Adventures with Toni Tours. “I’m thrilled I moved to the cruise niche after Covid!” 

And Berman Travel has seen so many requests for cruises that owner Susan Berman has shifted her focus away from land altogether.  

“We used to specialize in all-inclusives, honeymoon, destination weddings and FITs. But cruise requests have exploded–and so we had to switch gears,” she says.  “Our all-inclusive island vacations have definitely decreased, but our cruise requests, including river and expedition cruise requests, are way up. People are looking more for an experience than just a get-away.” 

At Dawn Crowe Travel, Dawn Crowe reports that her clients—98% of whom  are military families, “are well traveled and looking for new adventures—and I’ve got more on my books so far in the first six months than all of last year. Asia, Australia and South Pacific cruises have been huge and I’ve got three World sailings, plus a surprising number of clients asking about USA river cruises.” 

Spilling Over to Land 

For some lucky travel advisors, the increase in cruise sales is leading to an increase in land as well.  

At Pavlus Travel and Cruise in Albuquerque, founder and CEO Craig Pavlus says the year “is tracking quite positive, with sales significantly higher than in 2025. Our customers are increasingly stepping up from premium to luxury products, and some are booking more than one future trip at a time. And we expect continuing growth in luxury expedition sales.” 

On the cruise side, he notes, “longer vacations are gaining in popularity, with many clients combining a luxury ocean or river cruise with an upscale land journey. And destination- wise, Asia is a hot performer, particularly Japan. North America, including Alaska, as well as Western Europe also are strong.”  

Canada Takes a Different Tack  

Only in Canada are travel advisors reporting that cruise sales are down—and blaming it on politics. But even that shift has held a silver lining. 

“Our cruise business is down, as many are not wanting to go to the US,” says Melissa Childerhose-Erskine. “And as a result, all-inclusive trips have gone up in cost exponentially.”  

Matthew Vaughan agrees that while Canadians’ “devoted avoidance of visiting the USA these days is very unfortunate for all concerned, instead they are choosing to willingly spend much more on international destinations and vacations—even despite ongoing economic strife and concerns. My own business is booming because of this (wildly, both Canadian and American)! Such is the yearning for travel, and the enrichment and benefit it provides.” 

Other Sectors Also Doing Well 

While other sectors might not be doing quite as well, business is still on the upswing for most advisors with whom we spoke.  

Oasis Travel Network is seeing “double-digit growth across all areas, and we’re confident that momentum will continue,” EVP Erwing Hernandez told TMR.  

“My business is up 23% over last year and I am booking longer trips and more guided tours,” says Tara Bodell at Trips By Tara & Associates, Dream Vacations.  “It seems like my clients are wanting more than a typical cruise to the Caribbean. They want more immersive experiences.” 

At Jessica Romance by Millennium Tours Inc., Jessica Amelie says “weddings for 2027 and 2028 are on the rise! It’s nice to know that this niche is still popular.” Melanie Hernquist says her sales are up, “mostly in all-inclusives.” And Valerie Gossett is getting lots of group requests for land. 

Escorted groups, that travel with their advisor, remain hot as well. Becky Bowman at Classic Travel and Tours reports “larger numbers when I escort groups” and Zena Beaver at Travel Depot agrees that “Travel with Me groups are a game changer,” pushing her sales up about 20% in the first half.  

In short, says Vickie Schaeffer Everhart at Krouse Travel, “We’ve had a good first half, and the last few weeks have been crazy with new booking requests.”