The number of passengers starting their cruise from a UK port topped the one million mark for the first time in 2013, Travel Weekly reports in its daily newsletter.
This included overseas passengers who made up 21% of the total, a proportion which marked a return to levels last seen in 2010, according to CruiseBritain.
Meanwhile, CLIA UK has reported earlier that 1.79 million British people took a cruise last year.
In addition, more than 100 ships called into UK ports, bringing a record 866,000 passengers on day calls, a rise of 20% over 2012.
A total of 49 lines visited the UK’s 51 cruise ports last year with passengers taking day excursions to attractions and destinations across the country.
Incoming Cruise Britain chairman Daren Taylor said: “With a day call growth rate of this magnitude, we are on course to see over a million passenger day calls into UK ports this year. This represents significant tourism revenue for each of the ports visited.
“The rise in both the day call and embarkation figures is extremely encouraging and is a positive endorsement of Britain's value as a cruise destination and source market.”
He added: “CruiseBritain continues to raise the profile of Britain as a cruise destination and has just introduced a new theme based around heritage coasts.