Once a thriving business, cruise lines sales in the past few months are on the decline. However, that does not mean that vessel-based vacations on the whole are drowning. One industry is seeing a bump in interest and their sales: private yacht charters.

Cruise lines used to be one of the first places for travelers to look when booking a vacation. The cruise line industry maintains this is still the case, indicating their prices are not fluctuating and their sales remain steady. However, a recent poll suggests otherwise, saying sales in European cruises are down 12% and a cruise company in the United States have seen sales slump by as much as 20%.

Some say the cruise company Carnival is largely to blame for starting the downward spiral for cruise lines. In just a matter of few months, Carnival has had two major, very public, mishaps. One ship crashed off the coast of Greece, tragically killing some of its passengers. Another ship had problems with large amounts of sewage. The ship stopped working and had to be towed back while the passengers had to stay on board with the sewage on deck and in their rooms.

The yacht charter business, however, is booming. A recent spike in sales could be signaling a shift in sea-based travel. An increase in yacht charter companies being created is also a telling sign.

Private yacht charter companies are selling vacations to those looking for a more private and luxurious vacation than a cruise line with hundreds, maybe thousands, of people has to offer. Those who charter a yacht get to pick family, friends, business partners or whoever they want to take a yacht with them.

Maybe it’s because of Carnival’s misfortunes, or maybe it’s for an entirely different reason.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily because of the cruise lines’ recent disasters,” says owner and CEO Henry Lundon of Charter That Yacht. “People have always wanted luxury and privacy when they take a vacation. And now more and more people are finding out how do so.”

“Their vacation is in their hands,” he continues. “They choose where they want to go and our captains take them there. They can even take privacy of their boat and go to remote islands and beaches in the Maldives, Bali, Thailand and even in the Americas.”

Yacht owners are also excited to see this business thriving.

“Now I have another stream of income,” exclaims Rhett Goldenson. “I don’t spend my life on my yacht all day, every day. In fact, I’m lucky if I get to it even once a month. Chartering it out for other people makes me happy, especially knowing that my boat is making others happy—its original intention.”

Only time will tell if the yacht charter industry will stick or if it’s a byproduct of the cruise industries recent disasters. However, one thing is definite: the seas are still the number one destination for travel.