Australia’s cruise industry continues to dominate on a global level, surpassing all other major markets, according to new statistics.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australia released their 2012 Australian Cruise Industry Report aboard Carnival Spirit in Sydney, acknowledging the eighth consecutive year of double-digit growth for cruise passenger numbers in Australia.

Passenger numbers in Australia grew by 11 percent last year, compared to 2011.

“Double-digit growth is outstanding and I’m sure we can come close to matching it in 2013,” Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry told e-Travel Blackboard.

Statistics show that in the last four years the number of Australians taking a cruise holiday has more than doubled from 330,000 in 2008 to almost 700,000 in 2012.

“It’s the choice that’s coming into the marketplace that is creating the opportunities for brands to seek a point of difference and articulate that point of difference, which is really the heart of what’s making cruising so successful and relevant in Australia,” CLIA Australasia chairman Gavin Smith said.

Germany was the only other cruise market to equal Australia’s staggering growth rate this year.

The South Pacific remains the most popular destination for Australian cruise passengers, while The Caribbean recorded the highest rate of growth for Aussie travellers at 36 percent.

Europe has become the largest fly-cruise market for Australians, with numbers rising 26 percent in 2012, compared to 2011.

The appeal of river cruising continued to blossom in 2012, with Australian passengers figures rising 12 percent to a new high of almost 40,000 year-on-year.

New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland continue to dominate the cruise market, accounting for two thirds of all Australian passengers, while the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) made a strong showing in 2012.

“Surprisingly the ACT had the highest penetration rate for Australian passengers at 5.5 percent, while NSW followed with 4.1 percent and Queensland at 3.3 percent,” Mr Smith said.

The data revealed that Australians are preferring shorter cruises of one to four days and age is certainly no barrier, with almost half of all cruise passengers under the age of 50.

Last year the majority of Australians booked between three and twelve months prior to departure, while 17 percent made last-minute bookings (less than 90 days prior), down from 26 percent in 2011.

“This indicates that a more stable booking environment is beginning to evolve in Australia when it comes to cruising holidays,” Mr Smith said.