Last year saw the total number of ocean cruise passengers top 23.2 million, bringing about a new record — the highest in recorded history, according to a new report from the Cruise Lines International Association. That growth can be attributed to the emergence of companies in new regions of the world not previously popular for cruising, according to CruiseCritic.com. Asia, for example, saw the number of cruises increase by 24 percent — bringing the total number of passengers to 2 million in 2015. Other regions in the Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, saw a big spike, too. Those areas jumped 14 percent to 1.1 million passengers in 2015. All of this growth caused CLIA to alter its projections for the number of passengers expected to set sail this year; now they’re predicting 24.2 million passengers for all of 2016. “The success in 2015 demonstrates the cruise industry’s continued strength in the overall travel sector,” Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA, told CruiseCritic.com. “This is a direct result of the amazing work and commitment of our community of Cruise Lines, Executive Partners and Travel Agencies and Agents. Plus, with the highest satisfaction rates among all leisure travel segments, it reflects that a cruise holiday is the holiday of choice for travelers around the world.”