North American cruise lines sail at 112% occupancy

In a report just released by the US Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), North American cruise occupancy rose to 112 percent in the second quarter of 2006. That is possible since two persons in a stateroom is considered full (100 percent) occupancy and many staterooms can accommodate up to four passengers. That number is up from 108 percent occupancy for the first quarter of 2006.

The report also noted that almost 2.5 million cruise passengers sailed from US ports in the quarter, up slightly from the same quarter in 2005. The top three cruise companies -- Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Star Group (which owns Norwegian Cruise Line) -- accounted for 96 percent of the business. Carnival Corporation, which owns seven brands, made up 53 percent of the traffic itself.

The era of booking last-minute cruises seems to have ended. If these numbers tell us anything, it's to book your cruise as early as you can.