Global InformationCruise ship information
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on tours known as "shore excursions". On "cruises to nowhere" or "nowhere voyages", some cruise ships make two- to three-night round trips without visiting any ports of call.[1]
Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners.[2] However, they have added amenities to cater to water tourists, with recent vessels being described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums".[3]
As of April 2024,[update] there were 314 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 581,200 passengers.[4] Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011[update].[5] 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.[6]
- ^ Compare: Mayntz, Melissa. "Cruise to Nowhere". Cruises.lovetoknow.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
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.
- ^ "What Is the Difference Between an Ocean Liner and Cruise Ship?". cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ Klassen, Christopher (6 September 2017). "What's the Difference between a Cruise Ship and an Expedition Vessel in Galapagos?". Santa Cruz Galapagos Cruise. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "2021 Worldwide Cruise Line Passenger Capacity". Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ "Cruise Market Watch Announces 2011 Cruise Line Market Share and Revenue Projections". Cruise Market Watch. 11 December 2010.
- ^ Yeginsu, Ceylan (19 March 2021). "Why U.S. Cruises Are Still Stuck in Port". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.