Saga and Royal Caribbean are cashing in on booming demand for cruises as bookings soar. Shares in Saga were up 12 per cent on Thursday afternoon after sales were buoyed by the over-50s market - while Royal Caribbean said ‘momentum is further accelerating’ into this year. Interest has been growing in its holidays, which focus on hotels rather than cruises - including to see Andrea Bocelli perform in concert in Tuscany. Royal Caribbean saw shares rise as much as 9.4 per cent before markets opened in New York after it said 2026 berths were booked at record rates of two-thirds capacity. Jason Liberty, chairman and the chief executive of Royal Caribbean said: ‘2025 was an outstanding year, and the momentum is further accelerating into 2026.