How Many Cruise Ships Capsize A Year?

Only 11 ocean cruise ships have sunk while on a cruise in the last 50 years, with an average of 100 sailings per ship per year and 150 cruise ships in that time. Over the past century, several dozen cruise ships have sunk due to various reasons such as collisions, fires, and natural disasters. With 16 sinkings from 1912 to 2022, it can be concluded that a cruise ship sinks every 6 years 10 months. On average, 12% of cruise travelers cruise twice a year, while 10% take three to five cruises a year.

From 2011 to 2020, an average of about 2-3 passenger ships (including ferries) have sunk each year globally. However, very few cruise ships have actually sunk in modern history, and the Titanic sinking impacted maritime law so much that there are more than enough. The cruise industry hosts over 20 million passengers annually on hundreds of cruise ships.

Over the past 100 years since the RMS Titanic sank in 1912, only 18 cruise ships and some ocean liners have been publicly known to have sunk. Over the past 50 years, only 24 full-size cruise ships have sunk. In recent times, no cruise ship from a major line has literally sunk like the Titanic.

For a cruise ship to actually sink, it needs to be capsized in a bad storm. While it is technically possible for a cruise ship to tip over, it is highly unlikely due to their design to be stable. In 2023, six cruises experienced rogue waves, marine life, onboard fires, and unexpected falls, interrupting vacations. Costa Cruises offered compensation to passengers, with one third of the cruises being damaged.