View source for Cruise ship

{{Short description|Passengers ship used for pleasure voyages}}
{{Redirect|Sea cruise|the song|Sea Cruise}}
{{Distinguish|cruiser}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
[[File:Icon_of_the_Seas.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Icon of the Seas]]'', one of the largest cruise ships in service]]
[[File:M s galaxy.jpg|thumb|Cruiseferry {{ship|MS|Galaxy}} at the port of [[Mariehamn]], [[Åland]], in February 2016]]
[[File:MSC Poesia Vision of the Seas & Mein Schiff 2 in Tallinn 13 June 2012.JPG|thumb|right|Cruise ships {{ship||MSC Poesia}}, {{ship||Vision of the Seas}}, and {{ship||Mein Schiff Herz}} at [[Tallinn Passenger Port]] in [[Estonia]]]]

'''Cruise ships''' are large [[passenger ship]]s used mainly for [[vacation]]ing. Unlike [[ocean liner]]s, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on [[Tourism|tours]] known as "shore excursions".

Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. However, they have added amenities to cater to [[water tourism|water tourists]], with recent vessels being described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums".

{{As of|2022|11}} there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $29.4&nbsp;billion per year, and over 19&nbsp;million passengers carried worldwide annually {{as of|2011|lc=on}}. The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. The construction market for cruise ships is dominated by three European companies and one Asian company.

Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. Traditionally, the ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries. Most cruise ships sail the [[Caribbean]] or the [[Mediterranean]]. Others operate elsewhere in places like [[Alaska]], the [[South Pacific]], and the [[Baltic Sea]]. 

The cruise industry has been criticized for its [[Cruise ship pollution in the United States|detrimental impacts on the environment]]. A 2019 study found that the levels of emitted particulate matter recorded on board pose a potential health danger to passengers. Large cruise ships have been identified as one of the major causes of [[overtourism]].

==History==
===Origins===
[[File:C1950 PO Liner Strathaird.jpg|thumb|{{RMS|Strathaird}}, a P&O ocean liner that sometimes served as a cruise ship. The company began offering luxury cruise services in 1844.]]
Italy, a traditional focus of the [[Grand Tour]], offered an early cruise experience on the ''Francesco I'', flying the flag of the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]. Built in 1831, the ''Francesco I'' sailed from [[Naples]] in early June 1833, preceded by an advertising campaign. Nobles, authorities, and royal princes from all over Europe boarded the cruise ship, which sailed in just over three months to [[Taormina]], [[Catania]], [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], [[Malta]], [[Corfu]], [[Patras]], [[Delphi]], [[Zante]], [[Athens]], [[Smyrna]] and [[Constantinople]], providing passengers with excursions and guided tours.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = London | first1 = Wendy | last2 = Farias | first2 = Wallace | chapter = Forever Young and New: Cruise Tourism | editor1-last = Yeoman | editor1-first = Ian  | editor2-last = McMahon-Beattie | editor2-first = Una | title = The Future Past of Tourism: Historical Perspectives and Future Evolutions | date = 6 December 2019 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bkDADwAAQBAJ | location = Bristol | publisher = Channel View Publications | publication-date = 2019 | isbn = 9781845417093 | access-date = 21 June 2020 | quote = The first known effort to advertise cruising with all of the imagery associated with leisure cruising surfaced in 1833, when the ''Francesco I'', a Sicilian vessel, advertised a three-month Mediterranean cruise to Taormina, Catania, Syracuse, Malta, Corfu, Patras, Delphi, Zante, Athens, Smyrna and Constantinople.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 = Collard | first1 = Ian | year = 2009 | title = The British Cruise Ship: An Illustrated History 1844–1939 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=GxGoAwAAQBAJ | location = Stroud, Gloucestershire | publisher = Amberley Publishing Limited | publication-date = 2013 | isbn = 9781445621302 | access-date = 21 June 2020 | quote = It has been claimed that ''Francesco I'' was the first cruise ship, as in 1833 she sailed from Naples with nobility from all over Europe. The three-month cruise took her to Taormina, Catania, Syracuse, Malta, Corfu, Patras, Delphi, Zante, Athens, Smyrna and Constantinople, and offered excursions and guided tours at each port of call.}}</ref>

[[P&O Cruises|P&O]] first introduced passenger-cruising services in 1844, advertising sea tours to destinations such as [[Gibraltar]], Malta and Athens, sailing from [[Southampton]]. The forerunner of modern [[Cruising (maritime)|cruise holidays]], these voyages were the first of their kind. P&O Cruises is the world's oldest [[cruise line]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.btnews.co.uk/article/5037|title= Cruise New June 2012 |work=The Business Travel News |date=25 June 2012 |access-date=15 October 2021 | quote = There is no argument that P&O is the world's oldest cruise line and Southampton the longest-established cruise port.}}</ref> The company later introduced round trips to destinations such as [[Alexandria]] and Constantinople. It underwent a period of rapid expansion in the latter half of the 19th century, commissioning larger and more luxurious ships to serve the steadily expanding market. Notable ships of the era include {{SS|Ravenna}} built in 1880, which became the first ship built with a total steel superstructure,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bkDADwAAQBAJ&dq=Ss+valetta+1899+electric&pg=PT92|title = The Future Past of Tourism: Historical Perspectives and Future Evolutions|isbn = 9781845417093|last1 = Yeoman|first1 = Ian|last2 = McMahon-Beattie|first2 = Una|date = 6 December 2019| publisher=Channel View Publications }}</ref> and {{SS|Valetta}} built in 1889.

[[File:Prinzessin Victoria Luise LOC det.4a15439.jpg|thumb|left|{{ship||Prinzessin Victoria Luise}} was the first purpose-built cruise ship.]]
The cruise of {{SS|Augusta Victoria|1888|2}} in the Mediterranean and the Near East from 22 January to 22 March 1891, with 241 passengers including Albert Ballin and wife themselves,<ref>Gerhardt, pp. 35&ndash;36 (pdf pp. 37&ndash;38)</ref> is often stated to have been the first ever cruise.<ref>For example by Kludas and Bischoff; Gerhardt p. 36 (pdf p. 38); Haller, giving 174 as the number of passengers.</ref> [[Christian Wilhelm Allers]] published an illustrated account of it as ''Backschisch''.

The first [[ship|vessel]] built exclusively for luxury cruising was {{ship||Prinzessin Victoria Luise}} of the German Empire, designed by Albert Ballin, general manager of the [[Hamburg-America Line]]. The ship was completed in 1900.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FUGSzFX02kYC|title=Cruise: Identity, Design and Culture|first= Peter |last=Quartermaine|year= 2006|publisher= Laurence King Publishing|chapter= History and Culture|isbn=9781856694469}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=August 2024}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-worlds-first-cruise-ship-built-solely-luxurious-travel-180978254/ |title=The History of the World's First Cruise Ship Built Solely for Luxurious Travel |first=Daryl |last=Austin |work=Smithsonian Magazine |date=22 July 2021 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Russell |first=Mark A. |title=Steamship nationalism: ocean liners and national identity in Imperial Germany and Atlantic world |date=2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-367-13643-7 |series=Routledge studies in modern European history |location=Abingdon, Oxon New York, NY}}</ref>

The practice of luxury cruising made steady inroads into the more established market for [[transatlantic crossing]]s. In the competition for passengers, [[ocean liner]]s – {{ship||Titanic}} being the most famous example – added luxuries such as [[fine dining]], [[luxury good|luxury services]], and staterooms with finer appointments.{{citation needed|date= May 2013}} In the late-19th century, Albert Ballin, director of the Hamburg-America Line, was the first to send his transatlantic ships out on long southern cruises during the worst of the North Atlantic winter seasons. Other companies followed suit. Some of them built specialized ships designed for easy transformation between summer crossings and winter cruising.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.hamburgcruisedays.de/en/cruise-more/the-history-of-cruises/|title= The history of cruises|publisher= Hamburg Cruise Days|access-date= 9 January 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140109163949/http://www.hamburgcruisedays.de/en/cruise-more/the-history-of-cruises/|archive-date= 9 January 2014|url-status= dead}}</ref>

In 1897 three luxury liners, all European-owned, offered transportation between Europe and North America. In 1906 the number had increased to seven. The British [[Inman Line]] owned {{SS|City of Paris|1888|2}},<ref name=kludas>{{cite book | last = Kludas | first = Arnold | title = Record breakers of the North Atlantic, Blue Riband Liners 1838–1953 | location = London  | publisher = Chatham  | year =1999 }}</ref> the [[Cunard Line]] had {{RMS|Campania||2}} and {{RMS|Lucania||2}}.<ref name=Warren>{{cite book|last= Warren|first= Mark|title= The Cunard Royal Mail Steamers Campania and Lucania|year= 1993|publisher= Patrick Stephens Limited|isbn= 978-1-85260-148-5}}</ref> The [[White Star Line]] owned {{SS|Majestic|1890|2}}<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.whitestarhistory.com/majestic1 |title= RMS Majestic (I) - The White Star Line History Website |publisher= Whitestarhistory.com |access-date= 2014-01-13}}</ref><!---need better reference--> and {{SS|Teutonic||2}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/teutonic.html |title= TGOL – Teutonic |publisher= Thegreatoceanliners.com |access-date= 2014-01-13 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111007014931/http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/teutonic.html |archive-date= 7 October 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref><!---needs better citation--> ''La Lorraine'' and ''La Savoie'' sailed for the French [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url= http://www.frenchlines.com/shipindex_en_cgt_l.php
 |title= Ships of Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
 |publisher= Frenchlines.com
 |access-date= 2014-01-13
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131004213753/http://www.frenchlines.com/shipindex_en_cgt_l.php
 |archive-date= 4 October 2013
 |url-status= dead
 }}</ref>

Beginning in the late 19th century, the emphasis of the cruise ship industry gradually shifted from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. As more dedicated cruise ships were built in the coming decades, the Caribbean would become the global center of cruising.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lawton |first1=L. J. |last2=Butler |first2=R. W. |date=1987-12-01 |title=Cruise ship industry — patterns in the Caribbean 1880–1986 |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0261-5177%2887%2990091-4 |journal=Tourism Management |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=329–343 |doi=10.1016/0261-5177(87)90091-4 |issn=0261-5177|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===From luxury ocean liners to "megaship" cruising===
[[File:1990- Cruise ship passenger count - annually.svg|thumb|Cruise passenger count has increased about 7-fold since 1990, interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.<ref name=Cruise_202412>{{cite web |title=Growth of the Ocean Cruise Line Industry |url=https://cruisemarketwatch.com/growth/ |publisher=Cruise Market Watch |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241212054234/https://cruisemarketwatch.com/growth/ |archive-date=12 December 2024 |date=December 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[File:QE2 WEB.jpg|right|thumb|Cunard Line's {{ship||Queen Elizabeth 2}}, having been built following the advent of the jet [[airliner]], was convertible between ocean liner and cruise ship.]]
Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Is the Difference Between an Ocean Liner and Cruise Ship?|url=https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1557|access-date=2021-01-20|website=cruisecritic.com}}</ref>

With the advent of large passenger [[jet aircraft]] in the 1960s, intercontinental travelers switched from ships to planes, sending the ocean liner trade into a terminal decline. Certain characteristics of older ocean liners made them unsuitable for cruising duties, such as high fuel consumption, deep draught preventing them from entering shallow ports, and cabins (often windowless) designed to maximize passenger numbers rather than comfort. In the late 1950s and 1960s, ships such as [[Holland America Line]]'s {{SS|Rotterdam}} (1959), the [[French Line]]'s {{SS|France|1961|6}} (1961), and [[Cunard Line]]'s RMS {{ship||Queen Elizabeth 2}} (1969) were designed to serve the dual purposes of ocean liner during the northern hemisphere summer months and cruise ship in the winter, incorporating doors and baffles that could be open or closed to divide classes or open the ship to one class, wherein all passengers received roughly the same quality berthing and most of the same facilities. (Passengers in cabins in certain grades on the ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' had access only to certain dining rooms).

[[File:RCI Sovereign of the Seas (cropped).jpg|thumb|''[[MS Sovereign|Sovereign of the Seas]]'' was the first of Royal Caribbean International's ''Sovereign''-class cruise ships.]]

Ocean liner services almost ceased in the 1970s and 1980s. The ''Rotterdam'' was put on permanent cruise service in 1968, while the ''France'' (at the time the largest passenger vessel in the world) was mothballed in 1974, sold to [[Norwegian Cruise Line]] in 1979, and after major renovations relaunched as {{SS|Norway}} in 1980, thus becoming the first "mega-cruise ship". The main exception was Cunard's ''Queen Elizabeth 2'': although being put on more cruises, she maintained the regular transatlantic crossing tradition throughout the year, but with a stronger focus on leisure passengers, catering to a [[niche market]] of those who appreciated the several days at sea. International celebrities were hired to perform acts on board, along with [[cabaret]]s, and with the addition of a [[casino]] and other entertainment amenities, the crossing was advertised as a vacation in itself.

The 1977–1986 television series ''[[The Love Boat]]'' helped to popularize the concept as a romantic opportunity for couples.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jobmonkey.com/cruise/necessity_to_pleasure/|title=Cruise Industry Growth Trends Over Time &#124; From QE2 to Love Boat and Eco-Cruises|website=JobMonkey}}</ref> Industry experts credit the series with increasing interest in the cruise industry, especially for those that weren't newlyweds or senior citizens, and for the resulting demand to spur investment in new ships instead of conversions. The influence was particularly notable for [[Princess Cruises]], a line that partnered with the series and received a great deal of attention as a result.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hardingham-Gill |first=Tamara |date=2024-02-13 |title='The Love Boat': How a TV show transformed the cruise industry |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/how-the-love-boat-transformed-cruising/index.html |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Carnival Sunshine Curacao 2014 (cropped).jpg|thumb|''[[Carnival Destiny]]'' (later renamed ''Carnival Sunshine'')]]

Contemporary cruise ships built in the late 1980s and later, such as the {{sclass|Sovereign|cruise ship|4}} which broke the size record held for decades by ''Norway'', showed characteristics of size once reserved for ocean liners. The ''Sovereign''-class ships were the first "megaships" to be built specifically for the mass cruising market. They also were the first series of cruise ships to include a multi-story lobby with a glass elevator and had a single deck devoted entirely to cabins with private balconies, instead of oceanview cabins. Other cruise lines soon launched ships with similar attributes, such as the {{sclass|Fantasy|cruise ship|4}}, leading up to the [[Panamax]]-type {{sclass2|Vista|cruise ship|4||2002}}, designed such that two-thirds of the oceanview staterooms have balconies. As the [[Verandah|veranda]] suites were particularly lucrative for cruise lines, something which was lacking in older ocean liners, recent cruise ships have been designed to maximize such amenities and have been described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Klassen |first1=Christopher |title=What's the Difference between a Cruise Ship and an Expedition Vessel in Galapagos? |url=https://www.santacruzgalapagoscruise.com/whats-difference-cruise-ship-expedition-vessel-galapagos/ |website=Santa Cruz Galapagos Cruise |access-date=11 June 2019 |date=6 September 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Oasis of the Seas Boardwalk.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Oasis of the Seas]]'' with a six-deck-high outdoor area]]
Until 1975–1980, cruises offered [[shuffleboard]], deck chairs, "drinks with umbrellas and little else for a few hundred passengers". After 1980, they offered increasing amenities. As of 2010, city-sized ships have dozens of amenities.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Keilani | last=Best | title=Cruise group celebrates growth of 'floating cities' | url=http://wap.floridatoday.com/news.jsp?key=307864&rc=bz | work=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida | page=6C | date=17 March 2010 | access-date=18 March 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905071157/http://wap.floridatoday.com/news.jsp?key=307864&rc=bz | archive-date=5 September 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

There have been nine or more new cruise ships added every year since 2001, including the 11 members of the aforementioned Vista class, and all at {{GT|100,000}} or greater. The only actual ocean liner to be completed in recent years has been Cunard Line's {{ship||Queen Mary 2||2}} in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|last=Roughan|first=John|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=1501162&objectid=10424244|title=The ocean-going stretch limo|date=16 February 2007|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|access-date=26 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014229/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=1501162&objectid=10424244|archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> Following the retirement of her running mate ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' in November 2008, ''Queen Mary 2'' is the only liner operating on scheduled transatlantic service, though she also sees significant service on cruise routes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-16 |title=Ocean Liner Vs. Cruise Ship: What's The Difference [2024] |url=https://highseascruising.com/ocean-liner-vs-cruise-ship/ |access-date=2024-08-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>

''Queen Mary 2'' was for a time the largest passenger ship before being surpassed by [[Royal Caribbean International]]'s {{sclass|Freedom|cruise ship|0}} vessels in 2006. The ''Freedom''-class ships were in turn overtaken by RCI's own {{sclass|Oasis|cruise ship|0}} vessels which entered service in 2009 and 2010.<ref>{{cite web |work=Travel Mole |url=http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1124808.php |title=Work starts on world's largest cruise ship |date=12 December 2007 |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-date=30 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930172109/http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1124808.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> A distinctive feature of the ''Oasis''-class ships is the split, atrium structure, made possible by the hull's extraordinary width, with the 6-deck high Central Park and Boardwalk outdoor areas running down the middle of the ship and verandas on all decks.

In two short decades (1988–2009), the largest class cruise ships have grown a third longer ({{convert|268|to|364.75|m|ftin|disp=comma|abbr=on}}), doubled their widths ({{convert|32.2|to|65.7|m|ftin|disp=comma|abbr=on}}), nearly tripled the total passenger count (2,744 to 7,600), and more than tripled in volume (73,000 to 248,000 GT). Also, the "megaships" went from a single deck with verandas to all decks with verandas.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Saunders|first1=Aaron|title=Giants of the Sea: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising|date=19 December 2013|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1848321724}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2024}}

{{As of|2022|11}} there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 664,602 passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cruiseshiptraveller.com/how-many-cruise-ships/ |title=How Many Cruise Ships Are There In the World? |date=16 January 2023 |access-date=2024-05-15}}</ref> Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $29.4&nbsp;billion per year, and over 19&nbsp;million passengers carried worldwide annually {{as of|2011|lc=on}}.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/blog1/articles/cruise-market-watch-announces-2011-cruise-line-market-share-and-revenue-projections/ |title= Cruise Market Watch Announces 2011 Cruise Line Market Share and Revenue Projections |work= Cruise Market Watch |date= 2010-12-11}}</ref> The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down.<ref name="nytimes_cruise">{{cite news |last1=Yeginsu |first1=Ceylan |title=Why U.S. Cruises Are Still Stuck in Port |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/travel/coronavirus-cruises.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/travel/coronavirus-cruises.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited |website=The New York Times |date=19 March 2021 |access-date=28 June 2021 |ref=cruise_nytimes}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Average Age of a Cruise Ship? 17.5 Years |website=Cruise Industry News |url=https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/07/the-average-age-of-a-cruise-ship-17-5-years/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Cruise lines==
[[File:Celebrity Solstice in Port Melbourne, Australia Dec 2012 (01).jpg|thumb|left|{{ship||Celebrity Solstice}} is the lead ship of Celebrity's ''Solstice'' class of cruise ships.]]
Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines, which are [[company (law)|companies]] that sell cruises to the public.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cruise line definition|url=http://www.travel-industry-dictionary.com/cruise-line.html|website=Travel industry dictionary |access-date=26 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424222035/http://www.travel-industry-dictionary.com/cruise-line.html|archive-date=24 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)|url=https://cruising.org}}</ref> Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a [[hotel manager]]. Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger shipping lines (such as Cunard), while others were founded from the 1960s specifically for cruising.

Historically, the cruise ship business has been volatile. The ships are large capital investments with high operating costs. A persistent decrease in bookings can put a company in financial jeopardy. Cruise lines have sold, renovated, or renamed their ships to keep up with travel trends. Cruise lines operate their ships almost constantly. If the maintenance is unscheduled, it can result, potentially, in thousands of dissatisfied customers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/13/opinion/walker-cruise-ships/index.html |title=What cruise lines don't want you to know |date=13 February 2013 |work=[[CNN]] |last=Walker |first=James |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

A wave of failures and consolidations in the 1990s led to many cruise lines being bought by much larger holding companies and continue to operate as "brands" or subsidiaries of the holding company. Brands continue to be maintained partly because of the expectation of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service. For instance, [[Carnival Corporation & plc]] owns both [[Carnival Cruise Line]], whose former image were vessels that had a reputation as "party ships" for younger travelers, but have become large, modern, yet still profitable, as well as [[Holland America Line]] and Cunard Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance. In 2004, Carnival had merged Cunard's headquarters with that of Princess Cruises in [[Santa Clarita, California]] so that administrative, financial and technology services could be combined, ending Cunard's history where it had operated as a standalone company (subsidiary) regardless of parent ownership.<ref name=times12>{{cite news |title=Company News: Carnival to move Cunard line's operations to California |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=17 July 2004  |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/17/business/company-news-carnival-to-move-cunard-line-s-operations-to-california.html?pagewanted=1 |agency=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] |access-date=15 October 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> However, Cunard did regain some independence in 2009 when its headquarters were moved to Carnival House in Southampton.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4501646.Opening_of_landmark_city_base_for_Carnival_UK/ |title=Carnival UK moves into new Southampton headquarters |first=Keith |last=Hamilton |work=Southern Daily Echo |date=20 July 2009 |access-date=27 August 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Kuşadası limanı.jpg|thumb|{{ship||Silver Spirit|ship|2}} in [[Kuşadası]], [[Turkey]]]]
The common practice in the cruise industry in listing cruise ship transfers<ref>{{cite web |title=Cruise Ship Sales and Transfers: Secondhand Cruise Ship Market |url=http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/cruise-ship-sales.html |website=Cruise Industry News |date=22 November 2014 |access-date=26 June 2016 |archive-date=22 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822235738/http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/cruise-ship-sales.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and orders<ref>{{cite web |title=Cruise Ship Orderbook |url=http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/cruise-ship-orderbook.html |website=Cruise Industry News |date=6 January 2011 |access-date=26 June 2016 }}</ref> is to list the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, as the recipient cruise line of the sale, transfer, or new order. In other words, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, for example, are the cruise lines from this common industry practice point of view; whereas Carnival Corporation & plc and [[Royal Caribbean Group]], for example, can be considered holding corporations of cruise lines. This industry practice of using the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, is also followed in the [[list of cruise lines]] and in member-based reviews of cruise lines.<ref>{{cite web|title=Member reviews of cruise lines|url=http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/cruise-lines/|website=Cruise Critic|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref>

Some cruise lines have specialties; for example, [[Saga Cruises]] only allows passengers over 50 years old aboard their ships, and [[Star Clippers]] and formerly [[Windjammer Barefoot Cruises]] and [[Windstar Cruises]] only operate [[tall ship]]s. [[Regent Seven Seas Cruises]] operates medium-sized vessels—smaller than the "megaships" of Carnival and Royal Caribbean—designed such that virtually all of their suites are balconies. Several specialty lines offer "expedition cruising" or only operate small ships, visiting certain destinations such as the Arctic and Antarctica, or the [[Galápagos Islands]]. {{SS|John W. Brown||2}}, which formerly operated as part of the [[United States Merchant Marine]] during [[World War II]] before being converted to a [[museum ship]], still gets underway several times a year for six-hour "Living History Cruises" that take the ship through Baltimore Harbor, down the [[Patapsco River]], and into the Chesapeake Bay, and she is also the largest cruise ship operating under the American flag on the United States East Coast.<ref>Remarks of ship's captain, Baltimore Harbor, 5 October 2013.</ref>

Currently the three largest cruise line holding companies and operators in the world are Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Group and [[Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings]].

As an industry, the total number of cabins on all of the world's cruise ships amount to less than 2% of the world's hotel rooms.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matousek |first1=Mark |title=The CEO of Carnival reveals the cruise industry's biggest challenge right now |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-ceo-reveals-industrys-biggest-challenge-2019-2 |access-date=25 February 2019 |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=25 February 2019}}</ref>

==Organization==
[[File:DisneyMagicdepartsCanaveral.JPG|thumb|left|Disney Cruise Line's cruise ship {{ship||Disney Magic}} departing [[Port Canaveral]]]]
[[File:aidadiva.JPG|thumb|right|{{ship||AIDAdiva}} in [[İzmir]]]]
[[File:Island Princess.JPG|thumb|Princess Cruises' ''Coral''-class cruise ship, {{ship|MS|Island Princess|2002|2}} in [[Cabo San Lucas]]]]
[[File:Crucero 'Serenade of the Seas' anclando en el Puerto de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico, mirando al sureste (DSC03103).jpg|thumb|{{ship||Serenade of the Seas}} is one of Royal Caribbean's ''Radiance'' class of cruise ships.]]
Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. It is not uncommon for the most luxurious ships to have more crew and staff than passengers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wolber |first1=Ben |last2=Papathanassis |first2=Alexis |last3=Vogel |first3=Michael |title=The business and management of ocean cruises |date=2012 |publisher=CABI |isbn=9781845938468}}</ref>

===Dining===
Dining on almost all cruise ships is included in the cruise price. Traditionally, the ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Having two dinner times allows the ship to have enough time and space to accommodate all of its guests. Having two different dinner services can cause some conflicts with some of the ship's events (such as shows and performances) for the late diners, but this problem is usually fixed by having a shorter version of the event take place before late dinner. [[Cunard Line]] ships maintain the class tradition of [[ocean liner]]s and have separate dining rooms for different types of suites, while [[Celebrity Cruises]] and [[Princess Cruises]] have a standard dining room and "upgrade" specialty restaurants that require pre-booking and cover charges. Many cruises schedule one or more "formal dining" nights. Guests dress "formally", however, that is defined for the ship, often suits and ties or even tuxedos for men, and formal dresses for women. The menu is more upscale than usual.

Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries, which may be open 24 hours and with menus that vary throughout the day to provide meals ranging from breakfast to late-night snacks. In recent years, cruise lines have started to include a diverse range of ethnically themed restaurants aboard each ship.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lallani|first=Shayan S.|date=October 2017|title=Mediating Cultural Encounters at Sea: Dining in the Modern Cruise Industry|journal=Journal of Tourism History|volume=9|issue=2–3|pages=160–177|doi=10.1080/1755182X.2017.1386725|s2cid=149137319}}</ref> Ships also feature numerous bars and nightclubs for passenger entertainment; the majority of cruise lines do not include alcoholic beverages in their fares and passengers are expected to pay for drinks as they consume them. Most cruise lines also prohibit passengers from bringing aboard and consuming their own beverages, including alcohol, while aboard. Alcohol purchased duty-free is sealed and returned to passengers when they disembark.

There is often a central [[Galley (kitchen)|galley]] responsible for serving all major restaurants aboard the ship, though specialty restaurants may have their own separate galleys.

As with any vessel, adequate [[Provisioning (cruise ship)|provisioning]] is crucial, especially on a cruise ship serving several thousand meals at each seating. For example, a quasi "military operation" is required to load and unload 3,600 passengers and eight tons of food at the beginning and end of each cruise, for the {{ship||Royal Princess|2012|2}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/articles/princess-cruises-royal-princess-turnaround-day-at-southampton-port/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/articles/princess-cruises-royal-princess-turnaround-day-at-southampton-port/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-status=live|title=How cruise lines mop up after 3,500 passengers – and brace themselves for thousands more|first=Lizzie |last=Porter|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=10 March 2016|access-date=9 August 2016 |url-access=subscription}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Other on-board facilities===
[[File:Cruise Ship Managing Incoming Luggage.jpg|thumb|upright|Receiving luggage on a cruise ship.  It is then distributed to the cabins.]]
[[File:Cruise Ship Medical Reception Area.jpg|thumb|upright|Clinic intake area on a cruise ship]]
[[File:Cruise Ship Casino.jpg|thumb|upright|A view of the casino on the [[Norwegian Cruise Line]] ship ''Bliss'']]
Modern cruise ships typically have aboard some or all of the following facilities:
* Buffet restaurant
* Card room
* Casino&nbsp;– Only open when the ship is at sea to avoid conflict with local laws
* Child care facilities<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elliestraveltips.com/2020/12/questions-answered-families-cruising-with-their-young-children/ |title=Questions Answered: Family Cruising with Young Children |website=Ellie's Travel Tips|date=29 December 2020|author=Ellie|access-date= 5 January 2021 }}</ref>
* Cinema
* Clubs
* Fitness center
* Hot tub
* Indoor and/or outdoor swimming pool with water slides
* Infirmary and morgue<ref>{{cite news|last1=Caracciolo|first1=Frankie|title=What Happens When Someone Dies During a Cruise|url=https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/what-happens-when-someone-dies-on-a-cruise|access-date=17 May 2018|work=[[Thrillist]]|date=16 May 2018 }}</ref>
* Karaoke
* Library
* Lounges
* Observation lounge
* Ping pong tables
* Pool tables
* Shops&nbsp;– Only open when the ship is at sea to avoid merchandising licensing and local taxes
* Spa
* Teen lounges
* Theatre with Broadway-style shows

Some ships have bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, sky-diving simulators, miniature golf courses, video arcades, ziplines, surfing simulators, water slides, basketball courts, tennis courts, chain restaurants, ropes obstacle courses, and even roller coasters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCartney |first1=Scott |title=They're Putting a Roller Coaster on a Cruise Ship |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/theyre-putting-a-roller-coaster-on-a-cruise-ship-11578479401 |access-date=26 March 2020 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=8 January 2020 }}</ref>

The casino floors typically open when the ships enter international waters, usually 12 nautical miles from the coastline. Beyond that limit, they are generally governed by the laws of the nation in which they are registered.<ref>{{cite news |first=Daisy |last=Dumas |title=Onboard gambling: what law applies in a cruise ship casino miles out to sea?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/jun/07/cruise-ship-gambling-laws-australia-policies-international-waters#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20law%20onboard,in%20which%20they%20are%20registered. |access-date=3 March 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=7 June 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Cruise Ship Casino: What You Need to Know|url=https://emberslasvegas.com/cruise-ship-casino-what-you-need-to-know/ |access-date=3 March 2025 |work=Embers Lasvegas |date=7 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:H2OZone.JPG|H2OZone aboard {{ship||Freedom of the Seas|ship|2}}
File:Promenade on the Allure od the Seas (7710182244).jpg|Promenade on the {{ship||Allure of the Seas}}
File:Brilliance of the Seas (Miniature Golf) (987099703).jpg|Golf course on {{ship||Brilliance of the Seas}}
File:Molecular Bar Aboard the Celebrity Equinox before Christmas (6690335041).jpg|Molecular Bar aboard the {{ship||Celebrity Equinox}} before Christmas
File:Overall view from Deck 4 -- Formal Brunch Aboard the Celebrity Equinox, 12-09-2011 (6857450109).jpg|Formal brunch aboard the ''Celebrity Equinox''
File:Simulateur de surf.jpg|Surf simulator on {{ship||Oasis of the Seas}}
File:Ripcord by I-FLY (53178676941).jpg|Skydiving simulator on {{ship||Spectrum of the Seas}}
File:Junior suite, Radiance of the Seas 03.jpg|A junior suite on {{ship||Radiance of the Seas}}
File:Overall room view of Sky Suite 1198 aboard the Celebrity Equinox (6686283819).jpg|A luxury suite aboard the ''Celebrity Equinox''
File:Bridge of a Modern Cruise Ship.jpg|Bridge of {{MS|Nautica}}
</gallery>

===Crew===
Crew are usually hired on three to eleven month contracts which may then be renewed as mutually agreed, depending on service ratings from passengers as well as the cyclical nature of the cruise line operator. Most<ref>{{Cite web|last=wandereatwrite|date=19 September 2020|title=What Working on Cruise Ships is Really Like: Pros & Cons |url=https://wandereatwrite.com/working-on-cruise-ships-pros-cons/|access-date=15 October 2021|website=Wander Eat Write}}</ref> staff work 77-hour work weeks for 10 months continuously followed by two months of vacation.<ref name="cruisejunkie.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.cruisejunkie.com/ot.html |title=High Seas, Low Pay; Working on Cruise Ships |last=Klein |first=Ross A. |website=Cruisejunkie.com |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref><ref name="vancouverobserver.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.vancouverobserver.com/life/travel/2010/04/13/cost-cruising?page=0,3 |title=The cost of cruising |last=Klein |first=Ross A. |work=The Vancouver Observer |date=13 April 2010 |access-date=15 October 2013 }}</ref>

There are no paid vacations or pensions for service, non-management crew, depending on the level of the position and the type of the contract. Non-service and management crew members get paid vacation, medical, retirement options, and can participate in the company's group insurance plan.

The direct salary is low by North American standards,<ref name="vancouverobserver.com"/> though restaurant staff have considerable earning potential from passenger tips. Crew members do not have any expenses while on board, because food and accommodation, medical care, and transportation for most employees, are included. [[Bard College at Simon's Rock]] professor Francisca Oyogoa states that "Crewing agencies often exploit the desperation of potential employees."<ref>{{cite journal |first=Francisca |last=Oyogoa |title=Cruise Ships: Continuity and Change in the World-System |journal=  Journal of World-Systems Research|year=2016 |volume=22 |issue=1 |page=33 |url=http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/613/746 |doi=10.5195/jwsr.2016.613|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Living arrangements vary by cruise line, but mostly by shipboard position. In general two employees share a cabin with a shower, commode and a desk with a television set, while senior officers are assigned single cabins. There is a set of facilities for the crew separate from that for passengers, such as mess rooms and bars, recreation rooms, prayer rooms/mosques, and fitness center, with some larger ships even having a crew deck with a swimming pool and hot tubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cruiseshipjob.com/frequent.htm |title=Cruise Ship Jobs – Frequently Asked Questions |website=Cruiseshipjob.com |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

The [[International Labour Organization]]'s 2006 Maritime Labour Convention<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilo.org/global/standards/maritime-labour-convention/lang--en/index.htm|title=Maritime Labour Convention, 2006|publisher=International Labour Organization |access-date=15 October 2021}}</ref> is also known as the "Seafarers' Bill of Rights".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.itfseafarers.org/ILOMLC.cfm|title=ILO Maritime Labour Convention|website=International Transport Workers Federation|access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816211800/https://www.itfseafarers.org/ILOMLC.cfm|archive-date=16 August 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Business model===
Most cruise lines since the 2000s have to some extent priced the cruising experience ''à la carte'', as passenger spending aboard generates significantly more than ticket sales.<ref name="vancouverobserver.com"/> The passenger's ticket includes the stateroom accommodation, room service, unlimited meals in the main dining room (or main restaurant) and buffet, access to shows, and use of pool and gym facilities, while there is a daily gratuity charge to cover housekeeping and waiter service. However, there are extra charges for alcohol and soft drinks, official cruise photos, Internet and wi-fi access, and specialty restaurants. Cruise lines earn significantly from selling onshore excursions offered by local contractors; keeping 50% or more of what passengers spend for these tours.<ref name="vancouverobserver.com"/> In addition, cruise ships earn significant commissions on sales from onshore stores that are promoted on board as "preferred" (as much as 40% of gross sales). Facilitating this practice are modern cruise terminals with establishments of duty-free shops inside a perimeter accessible only by passengers and not by locals.<ref name="vancouverobserver.com"/> Ports of call have often oriented their own businesses and facilities towards meeting the needs of visiting cruise ships. In one case, [[Icy Strait Point]] in Alaska, the entire destination was created explicitly and solely for cruise ship visitors.<ref name="frommer-2010">{{cite book | title=Frommer's Cruises and Ports of Call | url=https://archive.org/details/frommerscruisesp00heid | url-access=registration | first1=Matt | last1=Hannafin | first2=Heidi |last2=Sarna | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | year=2010 | page=[https://archive.org/details/frommerscruisesp00heid/page/595 595]}}</ref>

On "cruises to nowhere" or "nowhere voyages", some cruise ships make two- to three-night round trips without visiting any ports of call.<ref name="Mayntz">Compare: {{cite web|last= Mayntz |first= Melissa |url= http://cruises.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Cruise_to_Nowhere |title= Cruise to Nowhere |website= Cruises.lovetoknow.com |access-date= 2018-11-02 | quote = A two-night, three-day cruise to nowhere can offer a quick vacation for a very reasonable price. Ships depart from their home port and sail in a loop to and from the same port, without any other stops.}}</ref> However in 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|Customs and Border Protection]] cracked down on the enforcement of maritime laws, and foreign-flagged ships could no longer sail without calling in a foreign port along the way. By this interpretation, even if a cruise to nowhere enters international water, legally the cruise is not considered to have left the US because the ship never touches a foreign country or territory.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bretz |first1=Sarah |title=Why You Can't Take a Cruise to Nowhere Anymore (And What to Take Instead) |url=https://cruiseline.com/advice/how-to-book/choose-a-destination/cruise-to-nowhere |publisher=Cruiseline.com |access-date=27 July 2025}}</ref>

Travel to and from the port of departure is usually the passengers' responsibility, although purchasing a transfer pass from the cruise line for the trip between the airport and cruise terminal will guarantee that the ship will not leave until the passenger is aboard. Similarly, if the passenger books a shore excursion with the cruise line and the tour runs late, the ship is obliged to remain until the passenger returns.<ref name="MontereyHerald">{{cite web | url=http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_16673097 | title=In search of bargains at sea: Deciphering the deals from cruise lines | access-date=15 October 2021 | last=Mullally |first=Linda | date=21 November 2010 | work=[[Monterey Herald]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630030116/http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_16673097 | archive-date=30 June 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Luxury cruise lines such as [[Regent Seven Seas Cruises]] and [[Crystal Cruises]] market their fares as "all-inclusive".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1865 | title=Top 5 Luxury All-Inclusive Cruises | last=Faust |first=Chris Gray | date=3 March 2020 | publisher=[[Cruise Critic]] | access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> For example, the base fare on Regent Seven Seas ships includes most alcoholic beverages on board ship and most shore excursions in ports of call, as well as all gratuities that would normally be paid to hotel staff on the ship.<ref name="RegentIncluded">{{cite web | url=http://www.rssc.com/experience/all-included/ | title=The Regent Experience | access-date=15 October 2021 | publisher=Regent Seven Seas Cruises }}</ref> The fare may also include a one-night hotel stay before boarding, and the air fare to and from the cruise's origin and destination ports.<ref name="RegentIncluded" />

Many cruise lines have [[loyalty program]]s. Using these and by booking inexpensive tickets, some people have found it cheaper to live continuously on cruise ships instead of on land.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/05/20/cruise-ship-retire-angelyn-burk/ |title=Accountant retires on cruise ships to avoid cost of land living |author= Sydney Page |date=May 20, 2022 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref>

Some cruises incorporate themes in an [[experience economy]] offering, such as sports or leisure activities, food, or history.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cruise Ship Tourism|edition=second|editor1=Ross Dowling|editor2=Clare Weeden|publisher=CABI|year=2017|isbn=978-1780646084|page=527}}</ref><ref name=McCarthy>{{cite news|title=Exciting Theme Cruises for Every Passion|newspaper=US News and World Report|author=Kyle McCarthy|date=April 14, 2016|url=https://travel.usnews.com/features/exciting-theme-cruises-for-every-passion}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=USA Today|title=Finding community on a theme cruise: From 'Star Trek' lovers to motorcycle enthusiasts|author=Nathan Diller|date=October 20, 2022|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2022/10/20/themed-cruises-passengers-find-community/8179899001/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lallani |first=Shayan S. |date=2024-10-02 |title=Cultural globalization at sea: the rise of the modern Caribbean cruise industry |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2024.2343452 |journal=Globalizations |volume=21 |issue=7 |pages=1290–1308 |doi=10.1080/14747731.2024.2343452 |bibcode=2024Glob...21.1290L |issn=1474-7731|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The [[High Seas Rally]] is one such themed cruise, combining a cruise and a [[motorcycle rally]].<ref name=McCarthy/>

===Cruise ship utilization===
Cruise ships and former liners sometimes find use in applications other than those for which they were built. Due to slower speed and reduced seaworthiness, as well as being largely introduced after several major wars, cruise ships have also been used as [[Troopship|troop transport]] vessels.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} By contrast, ocean liners were often seen as the pride of their country and used to rival liners of other nations, and have been requisitioned during both World Wars and the [[Falklands War]] to transport soldiers and serve as [[hospital ship]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/15/captain-christopher-burne|title=Captain Christopher Burne obituary |first=John|last=Shirley|date=15 June 2012|work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

During the [[1992 Summer Olympics]], eleven cruise ships docked at the [[Port of Barcelona]] for an average of 18 days, served as floating hotels to help accommodate the large influx of visitors to the Games. They were available to sponsors and hosted 11,000 guests a day, making it the second largest concentration of Olympic accommodation behind the Olympic Village.<ref>{{cite report|title=The impact of the Games on tourism: Barcelona: the legacy of the Games, 1992–2002|url=https://www.sportsdestinations.com/management/economics/impact-olympic-games-tourism-8492|author=Duran, Pere|date=2005|publisher=Centre d’Estudis Olímpics, [[Autonomous University of Barcelona|UAB]]|page=11|location=Barcelona|access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> This hosting solution has been used since then in Games held in coastal cities, such as at [[2000 Summer Olympics|Sydney 2000]], [[2004 Summer Olympics|Athens 2004]],<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.sportcal.com/News/PressReleases/5293|title=Athens 2004 Seeks Eight Cruise Ships for Accommodation Programme|website=SportCal.com|publisher=Athens 2004 Organising Committee|date=1 May 2002|access-date=15 October 2021|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029174545/https://www.sportcal.com/News/PressReleases/5293|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[2012 Summer Olympics|London 2012]], [[2014 Winter Olympics|Sochi 2014]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rbth.com/news/2013/07/10/cruise_liners_to_turn_into_floating_hotels_for_sochi_winter_olympics_27947.html|title=Cruise liners to turn into floating hotels for Sochi Winter Olympics|website=Russia Beyond|date=10 July 2013|access-date=14 November 2021|author=Svetozarsky, Aleksei}}</ref> [[2016 Summer Olympics|Rio 2016]] and was going to be used at [[2020 Summer Olympics|Tokyo 2020]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://standbynordic.com/cruise-ships-to-ease-room-shortage-during-olympics/|title=Cruise ships to ease room shortage during Olympics|website=standbynordic.com|date=27 March 2019|access-date=14 November 2021|author=Jarvis, Howard}}</ref>

Cruise ships have been used to accommodate displaced persons during hurricanes. For example, on 1 September 2005, the U.S. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] (FEMA) contracted three Carnival Cruise Lines vessels ({{ship||Carnival Fantasy}}, the former {{ship||Carnival Holiday}}, and the {{ship||Carnival Sensation}}) to house [[Hurricane Katrina]] evacuees.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701960_pf.html |title=$236 Million Cruise Ship Deal Criticized |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Weisman |first=Jonathon |date=28 September 2005 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> In 2017, cruise ships were used to help transport residents from some Caribbean islands destroyed by [[Hurricane Irma]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2017/09/11/hurricane-irma-cruise-line/|title=Cruise Lines Are Sending Ships to Rescue Hurricane Irma Victims in the Caribbean |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|last=Zillman |first=Claire |date=11 September 2017 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> as well as Puerto Rico residents displaced by [[Hurricane Maria]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2017/09/28/royal-caribbean-cancels-cruise-sends-ship-to-help-puerto-rico-after-hurricane-maria/|title=Royal Caribbean cancels cruise, sends ship to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria |work=Boston Herald |last=Putterman |first=Samantha |date=28 September 2017 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

The cruise ships have also been used for evacuations. In 2010, in response to the shutdown of UK airspace due to the eruption of Iceland's [[Eyjafjallajökull]] volcano, the newly completed {{ship||Celebrity Eclipse}} was used to rescue 2,000 British tourists stranded in Spain as an act of goodwill by the owners. The ship departed from Southampton for [[Bilbao]] on 21 April, and returned on 23 April.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jo |last=Palmer |date=22 April 2010 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8636000/8636568.stm |title=Stranded tourists return from Bilbao on Eclipse cruise |work=[[BBC]] |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> A cruise ship was kept on standby in case inhabitants of [[Kangaroo Island]] required evacuation in 2020 after a series of fires burned on the island.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4936/ |title=Cruise Ship on Standby for Bushfire Evacuations in Australia |last=Goldsbury |first=Louise |work=CruiseCritic |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

==Regional industries==
[[File:Prince George Wharf in Nassau Harbor.jpg|thumb|right|Four cruise ships docked at port of Nassau, the Bahamas]]
[[File:Cruise ships in Ushuaia -a.jpg|thumb|right|Cruise ships in [[Ushuaia]], [[Argentina]]]]
Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Others operate elsewhere in places like [[Alaska]], the South Pacific, the [[Baltic Sea]] and [[New England]]. A cruise ship that is moving from one of these regions to another will commonly operate a [[repositioning cruise]] while doing so. Expedition cruise lines, which usually operate small ships, visit certain more specialized destinations such as the Arctic and Antarctica, or the [[Galápagos Islands]].

The number of cruise tourists worldwide in 2005 was estimated at 14 million. By 2024 this had increased to 34.5 million.<ref name="2025_#">{{cite web |last1=Kuta |first1=Sarah |title=Cruise Industry Reports Significant Climb in Passengers |url=https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/cruise-passengers-increase-2024-clia-report-data |website=TravelPulse |publisher=Northstar Travel Group |access-date=7 June 2025 |ref=2025_#}}</ref> 

The second most popular region was continental Europe (13%), where the fastest growing segment is cruises in the [[Baltic Sea]].<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Cruise Baltic Status Report
  | year = 2007
  | page = 11
  | url = http://www.cruisebaltic.com/media(636,1033)/Cruise_Baltic_status_report_Jan_07.pdf
  | access-date = 5 February 2008
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080227163531/http://www.cruisebaltic.com/media(636,1033)/Cruise_Baltic_status_report_Jan_07.pdf
  | archive-date = 27 February 2008
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref> The most visited Baltic ports are Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Stockholm and Helsinki.<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Helsinki port guide
  | year = 2008
  | url = http://www.discoverthebaltic.com/index.htm
  | access-date = 3 July 2008
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090221172618/http://www.discoverthebaltic.com/index.htm
  | archive-date = 21 February 2009
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>
The seaport of St. Petersburg, the main Baltic port of call, received 426,500 passengers during the 2009 cruise season.<ref>{{cite web |title=More Tourists Choose to Arrive by Sea |first=Yelena |last=Zborovskaya
  | work = The St. Petersburg Times
  | year = 2009
  | url = http://www.sptimes.ru/story/29959
  | access-date = 6 October 2009
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100905121704/http://www.sptimes.ru/story/29959
  | archive-date = 5 September 2010
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>

According to 2010 CEMAR<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Cemar 2010 report
  | year = 2010
  | page = 1
  | url = http://www.crociereonline.net/forecast.htm
  | access-date = 12 May 2009
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090601104714/http://www.crociereonline.net/forecast.htm
  | archive-date = 1 June 2009
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref> statistics the Mediterranean cruise market is going through a fast and fundamental change; Italy has won prime position as a destination for European cruises, and destination for the whole of the Mediterranean basin. The most visited ports in [[Mediterranean Sea]] are [[Barcelona]] (Spain), [[Civitavecchia]] (Italy), [[Palma, Majorca|Palma]] (Spain) and [[Venice]] (Italy).

The first Chinese cruise company entered service in 2013. China's first luxury cruise ship, ''Henna'', made her maiden voyage from Sanya Phoenix Island International Port in late January of that year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Henna charts new course for China's cruise tourism|url=http://www.ttgmice.com/article/henna-charts-new-course-for-chinas-cruise-tourism/|publisher=TTGmice|access-date=14 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222195247/http://www.ttgmice.com/article/henna-charts-new-course-for-chinas-cruise-tourism/|archive-date=22 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Caribbean cruising industry===
[[File:CruiseShipsStThomas.jpg|thumb|right|Nearly 9,000 passengers from three Carnival ships visiting St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; from front to back: {{ship||Carnival Liberty}}, {{ship||Carnival Triumph}} and the {{ship||Carnival Glory}}]]
The Caribbean cruising industry is one of the largest in the world, responsible for over $2&nbsp;billion in direct revenue to the Caribbean islands in 2012.<ref name="f-cca.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.f-cca.com/downloads/2012-Cruise-Analysis-vol-1.pdf |title=Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economies |volume=I |publisher=Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association |author=((Business Research and Economic Advisors)) |date=September 2012 |page=2 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> Over 45,000 people from the Caribbean are directly employed in the cruise industry.<ref name="f-cca.com"/> An estimated 17,457,600 cruise passengers visited the islands in the 2011–2012 cruise year (May 2011 to April 2012.<ref name="f-cca.com"/>) Cruise lines operating in the Caribbean include [[Royal Caribbean International]], [[Princess Cruises]], [[Carnival Cruise Line]], [[Celebrity Cruises]], [[Disney Cruise Line]], [[Holland America]], [[P&O Cruises|P&O]], [[Cunard Line|Cunard]] and [[Norwegian Cruise Line]]. There are also smaller cruise lines that cater to a more intimate feeling among their guests. The three largest cruise operators are Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean International, and Star Cruises/Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Many American cruise lines to the Caribbean depart out of the [[Port of Miami]], with "nearly one-third of the cruises sailing out of [[Miami]] in recent years".<ref name="pattullo156">{{cite book | last = Pattullo | first = Polly | title = Last Resorts: The Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean | url = https://archive.org/details/lastresortscosto00patt | url-access = registration | publisher = Monthly Review Press | date = 1996-01-01 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/lastresortscosto00patt/page/156 156–158] | isbn = 978-0-85345-977-4}}</ref> Other cruise ships depart from [[Port Everglades]] (in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]]), [[Port Canaveral]] (approximately {{convert|45|mi|km}} east of [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]), [[New York City|New York]], [[Port of Tampa|Tampa]], [[Port of Galveston|Galveston]], [[Port of New Orleans|New Orleans]], [[Cape Liberty Cruise Port|Cape Liberty]], [[Baltimore]], [[Jacksonville, Florida#Seaports|Jacksonville]], [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Port of Mobile|Mobile]], and [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]. Some UK cruise lines base their ships out of [[Port of Bridgetown|Barbados]] for the Caribbean season, operating direct charter flights out of the UK.

The busiest ports of call in the Caribbean for cruising in the 2014 year are listed below:<ref name=cto2014>{{cite web|title=2014 Statistical Tables |url=http://www.onecaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/22June2015Lattab14Final.pdf|website=onecaribbean.org|publisher=Caribbean Tourism Organization|access-date=28 December 2022|page=6|date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank ||Destination||Passenger<br />Arrivals<br />(2014)<ref name=cto2014 />
|-
| 1||[[The Bahamas]]||4,804,701
|-
| 2||[[Cozumel, Mexico]]||3,404,858
|-
| 3||[[United States Virgin Islands]]||2,083,890
|-
| 4||[[Sint Maarten]]||2,001,996
|-
| 5||[[Cayman Islands]]||1,609,555
|-
| 6||[[Jamaica]]||1,423,797
|-
| 7||[[Puerto Rico]]||1,356,822
|-
| 8||[[Turks and Caicos Islands]]||971,838
|-
| 9||[[Belize]]||968,131
|-
| 10||[[Aruba]]||667,095
|-
| 11||[[Haiti]]||662,403
|-
| 12||[[Saint Lucia]]||641,452
|-
| 13||[[Curacao]]||629,145
|-
| 14||[[Barbados]]||557,898
|-
| 15||[[Antigua and Barbuda]]||522,342
|-
| 16||[[Dominican Republic]]||435,494
|-
| 17||[[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]||434,106
|-
| 18||[[British Virgin Islands]]||378,083
|-
| 19||[[Bermuda]]||356,093
|-
| 20||[[Dominica]]||286,573
|-
| 21||[[Grenada]]||235,140
|-
| 22||[[Martinique]]||177,786
|-
| 23||[[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]||85,170
|-
| 24||[[Trinidad and Tobago]]||42,820
|-
|}

===Alaskan cruising industry===
2016 was the most recent year of CLIA ([[Cruise Lines International Association]]) studies conducted around the cruise industry specifically in the US and more specifically Alaska. In 2016, Alaskan cruises generated nearly 5&nbsp;million passenger and crew visits, 20.3% of all passenger and crew visits in the US. (NASDAQ, 2017) Cruise lines frequently bring passengers to Glacier Bay National Park, Ketchikan, Anchorage, Skagway, and the state's capital, Juneau.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elliestraveltips.com/alaska-cruises-guide/ |title=Alaska Cruises: the Ultimate Guide for an Unforgettable Alaskan Cruise |first=Ellie |last=Ewert |date=25 January 2021 |website=elliestraveltips.com |access-date=9 March 2021 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Alaska cruise statistics
|-
!
!Total
!Share of<br />the U.S.<br />(%)
|-
|Passenger embarkations
|157,000
|1.3
|-
|Resident cruise passengers
|9,000
|0.1
|-
|Total passenger & crew visits
|4,897,000
|20.3
|-
|Direct expenditures
|$1,065m
|4.9
|-
|Total employment impact{{clarify|date=October 2019}}
|19,842
|5.1
|-
|Total wage impact{{clarify|date=October 2019}}
|$991m
|4.8
|}
Visitor volume is represented by overall visitors entering Alaskan waters and/or airspace. Between October 2016 and September 2017 Alaska had about 2.2&nbsp;million visitors; 49% of those were through the cruise industry. That 2.2&nbsp;million was a 27% increase since 2009, and the volume overall has steadily increased. Visitors generally spend money when travelling, and this is measured in two distinct areas: the cruising companies themselves and the visitors. There are no current numbers for cruise specific passenger spending ashore, but the overall visitor expenditure can be measured. Tours accounted for $394&nbsp;million (18%), gifts and souvenirs $427&nbsp;million (20%), food $428&nbsp;million (20%), transportation $258&nbsp;million (12%), lodging $454&nbsp;million (21%), and other $217&nbsp;million (10%). The second main area of economic growth comes from what the cruising companies and their crews spend themselves. Cruise liners spend around $297&nbsp;million on the items that come in their packages on board and ashore as parts of group tours: things like stagecoach rides and boat tours on smaller vessels throughout their ports of call. This money is paid to the service providers by the cruise line company. Cruise liner crew are also a revenue generator, with 27,000 crew members visiting Alaska in 2017 alone, generating about $22&nbsp;million. 2017 was also a good year for job generation within Alaska: 43,300 jobs were created, bringing in $1.5&nbsp;billion in labor costs, and a total income of $4.5&nbsp;billion was generated. These jobs were scattered across all of Alaska. Southeast Alaska had 11,925 jobs ($455&nbsp;million labor income), Southwest 1,800 jobs ($50&nbsp;million labor income), South Central 20,700 jobs ($761&nbsp;million Labor income), Interior 8,500 jobs ($276&nbsp;million labor income), Far North 375 jobs ($13 M labor income). Labor income is shown in the graph below.
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Employment
!Labor Income<br />US$ millions
|-
|Food and drink
|6,900
|173
|-
|Accommodations
|6,200
|163
|-
|Retail
|5,300
|108
|-
|Tours and activities
|5,000
|173
|-
|Transportation
|4,100
|173
|-
|Other
|2,800
|79
|-
!Total direct jobs/income from visitor spending
!30,400
!870
|-
!Direct Jobs / income from industry spending
!4,100
!133
|-
![[Indirect jobs|Indirect]] / induced jobs income
!8,800
!536
|-
!style="background:#ccccee;"|Total visitor industry-related jobs / income
!style="background:#ccccee;"|43,300
!style="background:#ccccee;"|1,539
|}

==Shipyards==
[[File:Adora Magic City by CNS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|First Chinese-built cruise ship ''[[Adora Magic City]]'' in Shanghai, 2023]]
The construction market for cruise ships is dominated by three [[European Union|European]] companies and one [[Asia]]n company:
* [[Chantiers de l’Atlantique]] of [[France]].
* [[Fincantieri]] of [[Italy]] with:
** [[Cantiere navale di Ancona|Ancona shipyards]] (located at [[Ancona]])
**  Marghera shipyards (located at [[Marghera]], [[Venice]])
** Monfalcone shipyards (located at [[Monfalcone]], [[Province of Gorizia|Gorizia]])
** [[Sestri Ponente]] shipyards<ref name=g24>{{cite news|title=Fincantieri Sestri Ponente the launch of the ultra-luxury ship Silver Muse|url=http://www.genova24.it/2017/04/fincantieri-sestri-ponente-varo-della-nave-extra-lusso-silver-muse-177497/|access-date=April 11, 2017|work=Genova 24|date=April 2, 2017}} [https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.genova24.it%2F2017%2F04%2Ffincantieri-sestri-ponente-varo-della-nave-extra-lusso-silver-muse-177497%2F&edit-text= Translation].</ref> (located at [[Genoa]])
** VARD [[Braila]] shipyards (located at [[Braila]])
** VARD [[Søviknes]] Shipyard (located in [[Norway]])
** VARD [[Tulcea]] shipyards (located at [[Tulcea]])
* [[Meyer Werft]] of Germany with two shipyards:
** [[Meyer Turku]] at [[Perno shipyard]] in [[Turku]], [[Finland]]
** [[Meyer Werft]] of [[Germany]].
* [[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries]] of [[Japan]].

{{As of|2024|3}}, 54 new ships have been ordered and are due to be delivered by 2028.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/03/54-cruise-ships-on-global-orderbook-as-of-march-2024/ | title=54 Cruise Ships on Global Orderbook as of March 2024 - Cruise Industry News &#124; Cruise News }}</ref>

As of August 2024, there are 62 ships on order until 2036, adding  154,146 berths.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/08/new-orders-from-carnival-and-olc-boost-global-cruise-ship-orderbook/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806181355/https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/08/new-orders-from-carnival-and-olc-boost-global-cruise-ship-orderbook/ | archive-date=6 August 2024 | title=New Orders from Carnival and OLC Boost Global Cruise Ship Orderbook - Cruise Industry News &#124; Cruise News }}</ref>

==Safety and security==
{{see also|Passenger ship#Safety regulations}}

===Piracy===
{{Main| Piracy}}
As most of the passengers on a cruise are affluent and have considerable ransom potential, not to mention a considerable amount of cash and jewelry on board (for example in casinos and shops), there have been several high-profile pirate attacks on cruise ships, such as on {{ship||Seabourn Spirit}} and {{ship||MSC Melody}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://databases.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/ftlaudcruise/ftlaudcruise_list.php |title=Database: Incidents involving cruise ships |website=sun-sentinel.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905065554/http://databases.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/ftlaudcruise/ftlaudcruise_list.php |archive-date=5 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Hooper">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/26/italian-cruise-ship-pirates |title=Italian cruise ship fends off pirates with gunfire |last=Hooper |first=John |date=26 April 2009 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

As a result, cruise ships have implemented various security measures. While most merchant shipping firms have generally avoided arming crew or security guards for reasons of safety, liability and conformity with the laws of the countries where they dock, cruise ships have small arms (usually [[semi-automatic pistol]]s) stored in a safe accessible only by the captain who distributes them to authorized personnel such as security or the [[master-at-arms]]. The ship's high-pressure fire hoses can be used to keep boarders at bay, and often the vessel itself can be maneuvered to ram pirate craft. A recent technology to deter pirates has been the [[Long Range Acoustic Device|LRAD]] or sonic cannon which was used in the successful defence of ''Seabourn Spirit''.<ref name="Hooper"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6664677.stm|title='I beat pirates with a hose and sonic cannon' |work=[[BBC News]] |date=17 May 2007 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

A related risk is that of terrorism, the most notable incident being that of the 1985 [[Achille Lauro hijacking|hijacking of ''Achille Lauro'']], an Italian cruise ship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/achille-lauro-hijacking-ends |title=This Day in History: US Navy fighter jets intercept Italian cruise ship hijackers |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=21 August 2018 |website=History.com |publisher=A&E Television Networks |access-date=24 March 2019 }}</ref>

===Crime on-board===
Passengers entering the cruise ship are screened by [[metal detector]]s. [[Explosive detection]] machines used include [[X-ray machine]]s and [[explosives trace-detection portal machine]]s (a.k.a. "puffer machines"), to prevent weapons, [[Narcotic|drugs]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Drugs |url=https://www.cruiselawnews.com/articles/drugs/ |website=Cruise Law News |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> and other contraband on board. Security has been considerably tightened since [[September 11 attacks|11 September 2001]], such that these measures are similar to [[airport security]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/regulation/226514-cruise-ships-facing-new-airport-like-security-measures|title=Cruise ships face airport-style security measures|last=Devaney|first=Tim|date=12 September 2014|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://traveltips.usatoday.com/international-cruise-ship-security-issues-9955.html|title=International Cruise Ship Security Issues |website=[[USA Today]] |last=Vaux |first=Robert |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

In addition to security checkpoints, passengers are often given a [[Cruise ship ID card|ship-specific identification card]], which must be shown in order to get on or off the ship. This prevents people boarding who are not entitled to do so, and also ensures the ship's crew are aware of who is on the ship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sourcesecurity.com/insights/co-3108-ga.3204.html|title=Tightening cruise ships' security: State of access control solutions onboard passenger ships|website=sourcesecurity.com |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> The Cruise Ship ID cards are also used as the passenger's room key. [[CCTV]] cameras are mounted frequently throughout the ship.

In 2010, the [[United States Congress]] passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/07/01/cruise.ship.bill/index.html|title=Cruise ship security bill clears Congress |work=[[CNN]]|last=Grinberg |first=Emanuella |date=1 July 2010 |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> after numerous incidents of sexual violence, passenger disappearances, physical assault, and other serious crimes. Congress said:

<blockquote>Passengers on cruise vessels have an inadequate appreciation of their potential vulnerability to crime while on ocean voyages, and those who may be victimized lack the information they need to understand their legal rights or to know whom to contact for help in the immediate aftermath of the crime.</blockquote>

Congress said both passengers and crew committed crimes. It said data on the problem was lacking because cruise lines did not make it publicly available, multiple countries were involved in investigating incidents on [[international waters]], and crime scenes could not be secured quickly by police. It recommended that owners of cruise vessels:
* install acoustic hailing and warning devices capable of working at a distance.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ207/PLAW-111publ207.pdf |title=Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=27 July 2010 |website=Congress.gov |publisher=United States Congress |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr3360 |title=H.R. 3360 (111th): Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=15 March 2019 |website=www.GovTrack.us |publisher=Civic Impluse, LLC |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref>
* install more security cameras
* install peep holes in passenger room doors
* limit access to passenger rooms to select staff at specific times

After investigating the [[death of Dianne Brimble]] in 2002, a [[coroner]] in Australia recommended:
* [[Australian Federal Police|Federal police officers]] travel on ships to ensure a quick response to crime,
* scanners and drug detection dogs check passengers and crew at Australian ports,
* an end to overlaps between jurisdictions, and
* flags of ships be disregarded for nations unable to investigate incidents thoroughly and competently.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coroners.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/18_brimblerecs2.pdf |title=THE "Brimble" Recommendations |last=Milledge |first=Magistrate Jacqueline M. |date=3 December 2010 |website=Coroners Court of New South Wales |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref>

The lobby group International Cruise Victims Association, based in Arizona, pushes for more regulation of the cruise industry, and supports victims of crimes committed on cruise ships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalcruisevictims.org/index.html |title=Victims Helping Victims: Together We Are Making A Difference |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=International Cruise Victims |access-date=16 March 2019 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230125415/http://www.internationalcruisevictims.org/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Overboard drownings===
Passengers and crew sometimes drown after going overboard in what the industry calls ''man-overboard incidents'' (MOBs). From 2000 to 2018 more than 300 people fell off cruise ships or large ferries,{{update inline|date=September 2023}} which is an average of about 1.5 people each month. Of those, only about 17 to 25 percent were rescued. Critics of the industry blame alcohol promotion for many passenger deaths, and poor labour conditions for crew suicides. They also point to underinvestment in the latest MOB sensors, a lack of regulation and consumer protection, and a lack of on-board counselling services for crew. The industry blames irresponsible behaviour by passengers, and says overboard sensors are unreliable and generate false alarms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://qz.com/1443797/why-do-people-keep-falling-off-cruise-ships-because-people-keep-stepping-onto-them/ |url-access=limited |title=People fall off cruise ships with alarming regularity. Can anything be done to stop it? |last=Spinks |first=Rosie |date=17 December 2018 |website=Quartz |publisher=Uzabase |access-date=28 September 2019 | quote=Since 2000, 284 people have fallen off cruise ships—and another 41 from large ferries—an average of about 1.5 people per month.  }}</ref>

Maritime lawyer Jim Walker estimates about half of all disappearances at sea involve some factor of foul play, and that a lack of police jurisdiction on international waters allows sexual predators to go unpunished.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/transcripts/381861_dateline_lostatsea_transcript.html |title=Lost at Sea |last=Lazaredes |first=Nick |date=28 February 2012 |website=SBS |publisher=Special Broadcasting Service |location=Australia |access-date=28 September 2019 |archive-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928015816/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/transcripts/381861_dateline_lostatsea_transcript.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Stability===
[[File:MS Royal_Princess.jpg|thumb|right|View of the stern of {{Ship||Royal Princess|2012|2}}]]
{{see also|Ship stability}}

Modern cruise ships are tall but remain stable due to their relatively low [[center of mass]]. This is due to large open spaces and the extensive use of aluminium, high-strength steel and other lightweight materials in the upper parts, and the fact that the heaviest components—engines, propellers, fuel tanks and such—are located at the bottom of the hull. Thus, even though modern cruise ships may appear tall, proper weight distribution ensures that they are not top-heavy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-top-heavy-cruise-ships.html |title=Why aren't cruise ships top heavy? |website=Beyond Ships |access-date=7 June 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21360-how-stable-are-cruise-ships-like-the-costa-concordia.html |title=How stable are cruise ships like the Costa Concordia? |website=New Scientist |last=Marks |first=Paul |date=16 January 2012 | access-date=14 November 2012}}</ref> Furthermore, large cruise ships tend to be very wide, which considerably increases their initial stability by increasing the [[metacentric height]].

A study by economic consultant G.P. Wild – commissioned by the cruise industry's trade group and released in March 2019 – argued that cruises are getting safer over time. The study claims that, even as capacity increased 55 percent between 2009 and 2018, the number of overall "operational incidents" declined 37 percent and the rate of man-overboard cases dropped 35 percent.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/07/18/is-cruising-safe-most-time-beware-what-can-go-wrong/?noredirect=on|title=Is cruising safe? Most of the time, but beware of what can go wrong.|date=18 July 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last=Sampson |first=Hannah |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

===Disease===
{{Main|Infectious disease on cruise ships}}

====Norovirus====
[[Norovirus]] is a virus that commonly causes [[gastroenteritis]],<ref name="FERG2">{{cite journal|vauthors=Ahmed SM, Hall AJ, Robinson AE, etal|date=August 2014|title=Global prevalence of norovirus in cases of gastroenteritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=Lancet Infect Dis|volume=14|issue=8|pages=725–30|doi=10.1016/S1473-3099(14)70767-4|pmid=24981041|pmc=8006533|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1260252}}</ref> and is also a cause of gastroenteritis on cruise ships.<ref name="CDC">{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm|title=Vessel Sanitation Program - Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships|author=CDC VSP|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=9 May 2016}}</ref> It is typically transmitted from person to person.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Moore MD, Goulter RM, Jaykus L|date=April 2015|title=Human Norovirus as a Foodborne Pathogen: Challenges and Developments|journal=Annual Review of Food Science and Technology|volume=6|issue=1|pages=411–33|doi=10.1146/annurev-food-022814-015643|pmid=25884284|doi-access=free}}</ref> Symptoms usually last between 1 and 3 days and generally resolve without treatment or long term consequences. The incubation period of the virus averages about 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/travel-related-infectious-diseases/norovirus|title=Norovirus – Chapter 4 – 2020 Yellow Book {{!}} Travelers' Health |website=CDC|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>

Norovirus outbreaks are often perceived to be associated with cruise ships. According to the United States CDC, the factors that cause norovirus to be associated with cruise ships include the closer tracking and faster reporting of illnesses on cruise ships compared to those on land; the closer living quarters that increases the amount of interpersonal contact; as well as the turnover of passengers that may bring the viruses on board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/norovirus/norovirus.htm|title=Facts About Noroviruses on Cruise Ships|date= October 15, 2018 |website=CDC|access-date=2019-10-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122112111/https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/norovirus/norovirus.htm |archive-date= Nov 22, 2019 }}</ref>

However, the estimated likelihood of contracting gastroenteritis from any cause on an average 7-day cruise is less than 1%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/travel-by-air-land-sea/cruise-ship-travel|title=Cruise Ship Travel – Chapter 8 – 2020 Yellow Book {{!}} Travelers' Health |website=CDC|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref> In 2009, during which more than 13&nbsp;million people took a cruise,<ref name="CDC" /> there were nine reported norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.<ref name="CDC" /> Outbreak investigations by the [[United States]] [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) have shown that transmission among cruise ship passengers is primarily person-to-person; potable water supplies have not been implicated. In a study published in the ''[[JAMA (journal)|Journal of the American Medical Association]]'', the CDC reported that, "Perceptions that cruise ships can be luxury breeding grounds for acute gastroenteritis outbreaks don't hold water. A recent CDC report showed that from 2008 to 2014, only 0.18% of more than 73 million cruise passengers and 0.15% of some 28 million crew members reported symptoms of the illness."<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2016-02-23|title=Cruise Ship Illness Declines|journal=JAMA|language=en|volume=315|issue=8|pages=743|doi=10.1001/jama.2016.0733|issn=0098-7484}}</ref>

Ships docked in port undergo surprise health inspections. In 2009, ships that underwent unannounced inspections by the CDC received an average CDC Vessel Sanitation Program score of approximately 97 out of a total possible 100 points.<ref name="wwwn.cdc.gov">{{cite web |publisher=US Center for Disease Control |title=Vessel Sanitation Program: Advanced Cruise Ship Inspection Search |url=http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionSearch.aspx |access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref> The minimum passing inspection score is 85.<ref name="wwwn.cdc.gov" /> Collaboration with the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program and the development of Outbreak Prevention and Response Plans has been credited in decreasing the incidence of norovirus outbreaks on ships.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/|title=Travel News, Tips, and Guides|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>

====Legionnaires' disease====
Other pathogens which can colonise pools and spas including those on cruise ships include ''[[Legionella]]'', the bacterium which causes [[Legionnaires' disease]]. ''Legionella'', and in particular the most virulent strain, ''Legionella pneumophila'' serogroup 1, can cause infections when inhaled as an aerosol or aspirated. Individuals who are immunocompromised and those with pre-existing chronic respiratory and cardiac disease are more susceptible. Legionnaires' has been infrequently associated with cruise ships.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5445a2.htm|title=Cruise-Ship—Associated Legionnaires Disease, November 2003 – May 2004|website=cdc.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ewgli.org/data/monthly_reports/2006/mr_dec06.pdf |title=EWGLinet Summary Report – December 2006 |website=ewgli.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127110955/http://www.ewgli.org/data/monthly_reports/2006/mr_dec06.pdf |archive-date=27 November 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6920799.stm | work=[[BBC News]] | title=Legionnaires' fear on cruise ship | date=30 July 2007 | access-date=15 October 2021 }}</ref>

====Enterotoxigenic ''Escherichia coli'' (ETEC)====
[[Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli|Enterotoxigenic ''Escherichia coli'']] is a form of ''[[Escherichia coli|E. coli]]'' and the leading bacterial cause of diarrhea in the developing world, as well as the most common cause of diarrhea for travelers to those areas.<ref name="WHO_ETEC">{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/immunization/research/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208072748/http://www.who.int/immunization/research/en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 December 2013|title=WHO &#124; Research and development|website=WHO}}</ref> Since 2008 there has been at least one reported incident each year of ''E. coli'' on international cruise ships reported to the Vessel Sanitation Program of the Centers for Disease Control, though there were none in 2015.<ref name="CDC" /> Causes of ''E. coli'' infection include the consumption of contaminated food or water contaminated by human waste.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medlineplus.gov/ecoliinfections.html|title=E. Coli Infections|website=medlineplus.gov|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>

====COVID-19====
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships}}
News outlets reported several cases and suspected cases of [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] associated with cruise ships in early 2020. Authorities variously turned away ships or quarantined them; cruise operators cancelled some port visits and ultimately suspended global cruise operations. People aboard cruise ships played a role in spreading the disease in some countries.<ref>Note for example the case of the {{ship||Ruby Princess}}.</ref>

==Environmental impact==
{{Main|Environmental impact of shipping}}
{{further|Cruise ship pollution in Europe|Cruise ship pollution in the United States}}
[[File:Harbor seals on Douglas breakwater.JPG|thumb|right|Smoke from cruise ships over Juneau, Alaska. In the foreground are harbor seals floating on the Douglas breakwater.]]
A 2019 study found that the levels of emitted particulate matter recorded on board pose a potential health danger to passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scutti |first=Susan |date=2019-01-24 |title=The air quality on cruise ships is so bad, it could harm your health, undercover report says |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/health/cruise-ship-air-quality-report/index.html |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

Cruise ships generate a number of waste streams that can result in discharges to the marine environment, including [[sewage]], [[graywater]], [[hazardous waste]]s, oily bilge water, ballast water, and solid waste. They also emit [[air pollutant]]s to the air and water. These wastes, if not properly treated and disposed of, can be a significant source of [[pathogen]]s, nutrients, and toxic substances with the potential to [[health threat|threaten]] [[human health]] and [[Aquatic toxicology|damage aquatic life]].<ref>{{source-attribution|Copeland, Claudia. [http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Dec/RL32450.pdf "Cruise Ship Pollution: Background, Laws and Regulations, and Key Issues"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217143715/http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Dec/RL32450.pdf |date=17 December 2008 }} (Order Code RL32450). [[Congressional Research Service]] (Updated 6 February 2008)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Engelson |first1=Andrew |title=Cruise Ship Invasion |url=https://hakaimagazine.com/features/cruise-ship-invasion/ |website=Hakai Magazine |access-date=24 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

Most cruise ships run (primarily) on [[heavy fuel oil]] (HFO), or "bunker fuel", which, because of its high sulphur content, results in [[sulphur dioxide]] emissions worse than those of equivalent road traffic.<ref name="Vidal 2016">{{cite web | last=Vidal | first=John | title=The world's largest cruise ship and its supersized pollution problem | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=2016-05-21 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/21/the-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-and-its-supersized-pollution-problem | access-date=2018-08-21}}</ref> The international [[MARPOL 73/78#Amendments|MARPOL IV-14 agreement]] for Sulphur [[Emission Control Area]]s requires that cruise ships must use fuel containing no more than 0.10% sulphur or make use of exhaust gas scrubbers to reduce sulfur oxide emissions to no worse than an engine running on <0.1% sulfur fuel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mandatory Fuel Oil Change Over Procedures as from 1 July 2010 {{!}} Marpol, Statutory {{!}} ANCO Maritime Activities Ltd |url=http://www.ancomaritime.com/files/Fuel_Oil_Change_over_procedures%20.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522170546/http://www.ancomaritime.com/files/Fuel_Oil_Change_over_procedures%20.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 May 2010 |publisher=ANCO |access-date=30 March 2019 |date=22 May 2010}}</ref> Cruise ships may use 60 percent of the fuel energy for propulsion, and 40 percent for hotel functions, but loads and distribution depend highly on conditions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stensvold |first1=Tore |title=Eksperter tviler på at lavt smøreoljenivå er hele forklaringen |url=https://www.tu.no/artikler/eksperter-tviler-pa-at-lavt-smoreoljeniva-er-hele-forklaringen/461654 |website=Tu.no |publisher=[[Teknisk Ukeblad]] |access-date=30 March 2019 |language=no |date=29 March 2019}}</ref>

It has been claimed that air pollution from maritime transport, including cruise ships, is responsible for 50,000 deaths per year in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=L'insoutenable pollution de l'air du transport maritime|url=https://fne.asso.fr/dossiers/l-insoutenable-pollution-de-l-air-du-transport-maritime|website=France Nature Environnement|language=fr|access-date=2022-07-08|publication-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ship pollution causes 50,000 deaths per year {{!}} Airclim|url=https://www.airclim.org/acidnews/2011/AN2-11/ship-pollution-causes-50000-deaths-year|website=www.airclim.org|access-date=2022-07-08|publication-date=}}</ref>

Some cruise lines, such as Cunard, are taking steps to reduce environmental impact by refraining from discharges (''[[Queen Mary 2]]'' has a zero-discharge policy) and reducing their [[carbon dioxide]] output every year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cunard.com/documents/legal%20docs/2010%20sustainability%20report.pdf|title=Cunard Sustainability Report|access-date=26 August 2014|archive-date=28 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828223746/http://www.cunard.com/documents/legal%20docs/2010%20sustainability%20report.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{update inline|date=September 2025}}

Cruise ships require electrical power, normally provided by diesel generators,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marineinsight.com/marine-electrical/how-is-power-generated-and-supplied-on-a-ship/ |title=How is Power Generated and Supplied on a Ship? |website=Marine Insight|date=9 October 2017|author=Anish|access-date= 26 September 2018 }}</ref> although an increasing number of new ships are fueled by [[liquefied natural gas]] (LNG).<ref>{{cite news |title=Why More LNG-Powered Cruise Ships Are Being Built |url=https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/why-more-lng-powered-cruise-ships-are-being-built/ |access-date=26 March 2020 |work=Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide |date=24 July 2019 }}</ref> When docked, ships must run their generators continuously to power on-board facilities, unless they are capable of using onshore power, where available. Some cruise ships already support the use of [[shore power]], while others are being adapted to do so.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/26/air-pollution-fears-fuel-fight-against-huge-new-london-cruise-ship-terminal-river-thames |title=Air pollution fears fuel fight against new London cruise ship terminal |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=26 September 2018 |first= Matthew |last=Taylor|access-date= 26 September 2018 }}</ref>

==Overtourism==
Large cruise ships have been identified as one of the major causes of [[overtourism]] in places like [[Venice]], [[Barcelona]], and [[Dubrovnik]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overtourism. What is overtourism and how can we avoid it - Responsible Travel |url=https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/what-is-overtourism |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=www.responsibletravel.com |language=en}}</ref>

Critics of the industry say it overwhelms the cities' infrastructure, causing overcrowding, damaging heritage sites, and changing the character of local neighbourhoods – as residential amenities and shops are replaced by tourist cafes and souvenir stands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overtourism in Venice - Responsible Travel |url=https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/overtourism-in-venice |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=www.responsibletravel.com |language=en}}</ref>

Cruise tourists contribute little economically to the places they visit. In Venice, short stay day trippers – including cruise tourists – account for 73% of all visitors, yet only contribute to 18% of the tourism economy. By contrast, overnight visitors contribute 50%.<ref name="euronews.com">{{Cite web |date=2023-05-13 |title=Venice cruise ships: Not everyone supports the ban, here's why |url=https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/05/13/ive-lived-in-venice-for-8-years-why-do-i-see-see-cruise-ships-here-when-theyve-been-banned |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref>

In Venice, campaigners have long been calling for a ban on large cruise ships entering the historic portion of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overtourism documentary by Responsible Travel |url=https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/overtourism-documentary |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=www.responsibletravel.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, they were successful. Ships weighing over 25,000 tonnes were banned from entering the [[Venetian Lagoon|Venice Lagoon]] along the [[Giudecca Canal]] in an attempt to protect the fragile lagoon ecosystem and to limit the damage to the underwater foundations of the city's historic centre.<ref name="euronews.com"/> At the time, [[UNESCO]] warned the city could be placed on its endangered list if ships were not diverted to another port.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tondo |first=Lorenzo |date=2021-06-21 |title=Venice may be put on endangered list if cruise ships not banned, says Unesco |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/21/venice-may-be-put-on-endangered-list-if-cruise-ships-not-banned-says-unesco |access-date=2023-06-28 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 2023, Barcelona Mayor, [[Ada Colau]], spoke out in favour of limiting the number of cruise ships arriving in the city. Currently up to 200,000 people disembark each month in peak season, Colau's new measures could halve this.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keeley |first=Graham |date=2023-03-30 |title=Barcelona's crackdown on cruise ship tourists: 'They just walk for four hours then leave' |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/barcelona-cracking-down-cruise-ship-tourists-2241828 |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> In a 2019 study by Transport and Environment, Barcelona ranked as the worst cruise port for air pollution in Europe.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burgen |first=Stephen |date=2019-06-07 |title=Barcelona port is worst in Europe for cruise ship air pollution |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/07/barcelona-port-is-worst-in-europe-for-cruise-ship-air-pollution |access-date=2023-06-28 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

From 2024, only 1,000 cruise passengers per day will be allowed to disembark in [[Bar Harbor, Maine|Bar Harbor]], Maine, United States. The average cruise ship holds 3,000 passengers. The move came after a 2021 survey showed the majority of local residents were unhappy with large cruise ships, and felt that the town was overrun by cruise tourists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-20 |title=Which European cities are trying to cut back the number of cruise ship visits? |first1=Rosie |last1=Frost |url=https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/04/20/cruise-ships-erosion-air-pollution-and-overtourism-are-driving-cities-towards-bans |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=euronews |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629080817/https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/04/20/cruise-ships-erosion-air-pollution-and-overtourism-are-driving-cities-towards-bans |archive-date= Jun 29, 2023 }}</ref>

==Sunken vessels==
{{Multiple image
| width             = 
| header            = Examples of Sunken Cruise Ships
| image1            = World Discoverer wreck.jpg
| width1 = 185
| image2            = Sea Diamond - Against Rocks.jpg
| width2 = 150
| image3            = Explorer-sinking-2.jpg
| width3 = 150
| image4            = Sunken cruise ship.JPG
| width4 = 210
| footer            = Images in Order of Appearance: {{MS|World Discoverer||2}}, {{MS|Sea Diamond||2}}, {{MV|Explorer|1969|2}} and {{ship||Costa Concordia}}
| align             = none
}}

* {{MV|Bianca C.||2}}: caught fire and sank on 24 October 1961, one dead.
* {{MS|Prinsendam|1972|2}}: caught fire and sank on 11 October 1980, with no fatalities.
* {{MS|Mikhail Lermontov||2}}: accidentally hit a rock 16 February 1986, one dead.
* {{MV|Jupiter|1961|2}}: sank on 21 October 1988 after accidentally colliding with the cargo ship ''Adige'', 4 dead.
* {{ship|MTS|Oceanos||2}}: accidentally sunk on 4 August 1991 after suffering uncontrolled flooding, no fatalities.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* {{MS|Achille Lauro||2}}: caught fire and sank 30 November 1994, two dead.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* {{SS|Galileo Galilei||2}}: caught fire and sank on May 21, 1999, with no fatalities.
* {{MS|World Discoverer||2}}: accidentally hit a reef on 30 April 2000, no fatalities.
* {{SS|Monterey||2}}: sank en route to the scrapyard on October 21, 2000, with no fatalities.
* {{SS|Federico C.||2}}: sank on 17 December 2000 due to possible sabotage, with no fatalities.
* {{MS|Sea Diamond||2}}: accidentally hit a reef and capsized on 6 April 2007, two dead.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* {{MV|Explorer|1969|2}}: accidentally sunk on 23 November 2007 after hitting an [[iceberg]], no fatalities.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* {{ship||Costa Concordia}}: sank accidentally on 13 January 2012 after hitting some rocks, 32 dead.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/world/europe/port-vies-to-dismantle-italian-cruise-ship.html?_r=0|title=Aging Tuscan Port Vies to Dismantle Costa Concordia|last=Pianigiani|first=Gaia|date=13 May 2014|newspaper=NYTimes|access-date=20 May 2014|archive-date=22 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122145103/https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/enter-email?response_type=cookie&client_id=lgcl&redirect_uri=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2014%252F05%252F14%252Fworld%252Feurope%252Fport-vies-to-dismantle-italian-cruise-ship.html%253F_r%253D0|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Ship||Dongfang Zhi Xing||2}}: capsized and sank in a storm on June 1, 2015, killing 442 people.
* {{Ship||Hableány||2}}: a river cruise ship, sank on 29 May 2019 after accidentally colliding with the river cruise ship ''Viking Sigyn'', 28 dead.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thorpe |first=Nick |date=26 September 2023 |title=River Danube: Ukrainian captain jailed after fatal river tour boat crash |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66921562 |access-date=29 July 2024 }}</ref>
* ''[[Bayesian (yacht)|Bayesian]]'' : a [[super yacht]], who sank due to a huge [[storm]], in 2024, at the [[Aeolian Islands]], in [[Italy]], causing 7 dead.

==See also==
{{Portal|Oceans|Transport}}
* [[List of cruise ships]]
* [[List of largest cruise ships]]
* [[List of ocean liners]]
* [[River cruise]]
* [[Cruiseferry]]
* [[Lido (swimming pool)|Lido]]
* [[List of busiest cruise ports by passengers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last1=Berger|first1=Arthur Asa|title=Ocean Travel and Cruising: A Cultural Analysis|date=2004|publisher=Haworth Hospitality Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0789021984}}
*{{cite book|last1=Butler|first1=Manuel|title=Cruise Tourism: Current Situation and Trends|date=2010|publisher=World Tourism Organization|location=Madrid|isbn=9789284413645}}
*{{cite book|last1=Cartwright|first1=Roger|last2=Baird|first2=Carolyn|title=The Development and Growth of the Cruise Industry|date=1999|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0750643849}}
*{{cite book|last1=Cudahy|first1=Brian J.|title=The Cruise Ship Phenomenon in North America|date=2001|publisher=Cornell Maritime Press|location=Centreville, MD, USA|isbn=978-0870335297}}
*{{cite book|last1=Dawson|first1=Philip|title=Cruise Ships: An Evolution in Design.|date=2000|publisher=Conway Maritime Press.|location=London|isbn=9780851776606}}
*{{cite book|last1=Dickinson|first1=Robert H.|last2=Vladimir|first2=Andrew N.|title=Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry|date=2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=Hoboken, NJ, USA|isbn=9780471749189|edition=2nd}}
*{{cite book|last1=Douglas|first1=Norman|last2=Douglas|first2=Ngaire|title=The Cruise Experience: Global and Regional Issues in Cruising|date=2004|publisher=Pearson Hospitality Press|location=Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia|isbn=978-1862505124}}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Dowling|editor-first=Ross K.|title=Cruise Ship Tourism|date=2006|publisher=CAB International|location=Wallingford|isbn=978-1845930486}}
*{{cite book|last=Garin|first=Kristoffer A.|title=Devils on the Deep Blue Sea: the dreams, schemes, and showdowns that built America's cruise-ship empires|date=2005|publisher=Viking|location=New York|isbn=978-0670034185}}
*{{cite book|last1=Klein|first1=Ross A.|title=Cruise Ship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise industry|date=2002|publisher=New Society Publishers|location=Gabriola Island, BC, Canada|isbn=978-0865714625}}
*{{cite book|last=Middlemiss|first=Norman L.|title=World Cruise Ships: The History and Development of Cruising|date=1997|publisher=Shield Publications|location=Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK|isbn=978-1871128154}}
*{{cite book|last1=Munsart|first1=Craig|title=A Cruise Ship Primer: History & Operations|date=2015|publisher=Schiffer Publishing|location=Atglen, PA, USA|isbn=9780870336386}}
*{{cite book|last1=Peter|first1=Bruce|title=Cruise Ships: A Design Voyage|date=2017|publisher=Ferry Publications|location=Ramsey, Isle of Man|isbn=9781911268086}}
*{{cite book|last1=Quartermaine|first1=Peter|last2=Peter|first2=Bruce|title=Cruise: Identity, Design and Culture|date=2006|publisher=Laurance King Publishing|location=London|isbn=9781856694469}}
*{{cite book|last1=Saunders|first1=Aaron|title=Giants of the Sea: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising|date=19 December 2013|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1848321724}}
*{{cite book|last=Ulrich|first=Kurt|title=Monarchs of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners|date=1998|publisher=Tauris Parke|location=London|isbn=978-1860643736}}
* Ward, Douglas, ''Berlitz Ocean Cruising and Cruise Ships'', published annually
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |title=Why cruise lines keep cutting their ships in half |language=en |archive-date=2021-08-11 |website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|date=6 December 2019 |author=Fran Golden |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-04/why-cruise-lines-keep-cutting-their-ships-in-half-for-stretching |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811225100/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-04/why-cruise-lines-keep-cutting-their-ships-in-half-for-stretching}}

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{{commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Cruise ships}}
{{Tourism}}
{{ModernMerchantShipTypes}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruise Ship}}
[[Category:Cruise ships| ]]
[[Category:Ship types]]