It comes amid reports from agents that customers are increasingly looking for “safer” holidays, either in long-haul destinations such as the Caribbean and US, or in cruising.

Planet Cruise said sailings in the Mediterranean were up 44%, accounting for nearly half of all holidays, with other European cruising hotspots claiming second position – despite more than doubling the amount of bookings from the previous year.

Meanwhile, the agency reported a 950% rise in cruise bookings to Australasia. The region came out on top in research carried out by the agency into the popularity of emerging destinations.

Africa ranked in second place with a bookings rise of 183% while a boost of 131% placed the Arctic into third.

The cruise specialists also noted a 14% upswing in luxury bookings for the same period last year.

Managing director of Planet Cruise Simone Clark believes the figures could signal a record year for the industry. She said: "Cruise holidays are becoming more and more popular and this year could be a record year for passenger numbers.

“Luxury cruise holidays continue to grow in popularity and we expect to see this continue as new ships enter the market, and over the next 12 months, we will see more people heading to exotic destinations such as Australasia and Africa.”