Cruise Social Trends: Insights for Wave Season

With January and February marking a key period for cruise research and bookings, how can cruise brands use social media to stand out and turn interest into booking consideration?

New research from strategy-led digital marketing agency BANC analyses leading cruise lines across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, revealing the content themes and formats generating the strongest engagement.

The findings offer useful insights for brands heading into Wave Season, showing how different platforms can inspire potential holidaymakers and help them make more informed decisions.

Key findings

• Less can be more on Instagram: Carnival averaged 0.6 posts per day and Princess 1.2, with both recording some of the highest average engagement.
• Posting more doesn't guarantee results on Facebook: Silversea averaged three posts per day and recorded the lowest engagement by reach, while MSC and Fred. Olsen, posting around once daily, were among the strongest performers.
• Follower numbers aren't everything: Several smaller and mid-sized cruise lines achieved higher Instagram engagement than larger competitors.
• Guest content matters: 55% of cruise lines analysed on Facebook showed evidence of user-generated content, rising to 75% on Instagram when including influencer marketing.

With more than 15 years of experience working with cruise brands, BANC's research explores how cruise marketers can make better use of social media to engage audiences and support the customer journey during this important booking period.

You can find the full State of Cruise Social 2026 report here: https://resources.banc.digital/state-of-cruise-social-2026

BANC can also provide expert commentary on the findings and what they mean for cruise brands looking to strengthen their social media strategy.