SINGAPORE, 20 January 2025: Travellers worldwide are preparing to snatch up the best deals from cruise lines, but with thousands of destinations to consider, it can be tricky to narrow down the ideal destination for your next cruise.
To help those choosing their next destination, InsureMyTrip created a study analysing 52 cruise destinations to determine the safest for travellers.
The study analyses several factors, including the number of safety incidents reported on a cruise ship, the rating of local hospitals, the average sea temperature and the crime index.
Dubai in the UAE is the safest city for a cruise stopover, with an overall score of 7.86. Belize City in Belize is the lowest-ranked city in the study, with an overall score of 3.68.
Dubai tops the list of the safest cruise destinations for travellers, welcoming more than 280,000 cruise passengers in 2024. It excels in the study with an overall score of 7.86. It stands out for its decisive safety factors. Two safety incidents were recorded in a year, while its hospitals are also highly rated (4.3/5). The crime index in the city is also low (16.2/100).
Dubai is ideal for those looking to keep busy during their cruise stopover, with more than 3,000 tours available. Warm average sea temperatures also contribute to its high ranking.
Phuket, Thailand, ranks second with an overall score of 6.67. This tropical island destination is incredibly popular for tourists seeking a warm, beachy vacation, with around 13 million tourists visiting the Thai island in 2024. Phuket ranks highly in the study thanks to its warm sea temperature, highly rated restaurants (4.57/5), and low safety incidents (2). However, Phuket misses the top spot in the study because of its higher crime rate (41.7/100).
The top five safest destinations for cruises are as follows:
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 7.86 overall
- Phuket, Thailand – 6.67 overall
- Roatán Island, Honduras – 6.22 overall
- Funchal, Portugal – 5.63 overall
- Cartagena, Columbia – 5.51 overall
At the opposite end of the study, Belize City, on the Central American island of Belize, received an overall score of 3.68. This is partly due to the high number of safety incidents reported on cruise ships at the destination. In one year, 10 safety incidents were reported. A high crime index (67.9/100) and low-rated hospitals (3.9/5) also contributed to this island destination’s low score. However, it was recently announced that the city has begun work on a new port to accommodate more cruise ships, indicating that the destination has grand plans to boost its tourism industry.
Hamburg, Germany and Loreto, Mexico, also secured low scores. Hamburg has an overall score of 3.9, while Loreto scores 3.98. Hamburg fared poorly in part due to cold average sea temperatures (43.2°F) and lower-rated hospitals (3.6/5). While Loreto was ranked slightly higher, its hospital ratings (3.26/5) and lack of available tours (12) contributed to its low score.
For travellers particularly concerned with safety, it’s worth noting that Cozumel, Mexico, recorded the highest number of safety incidents on cruise ships. From December 2023 to November 2024, 12 safety incidents were reported on cruise ships at this destination. These include the death of crew or passengers onboard the ship, Coast Guard medevacs, and boat rescues.
InsureMyTrip Director of Marketing Sara Boisvert commented on the findings: “Safety is a big concern for travellers, especially cruisers visiting multiple destinations on the same trip…This study is important to save travellers time and stress”.
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(Source: InsureMyTrip Safest Destinations for Cruises Ranked)
