A
cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships that operate on ocean or rivers and which markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of passengers. Though ...
is a company that operates
cruise ship
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 "s ...
s and markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of their passengers. 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.
Because of mergers and consolidations, a cruise line may also be a brand of a larger holding corporation. For example, as noted below,
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise line with headquarters in Doral, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Its logo is a funnel (ship), funnel shaped like a whale's tail, with a red, white, and blue colo ...
and
Holland America Line
Holland America Line is an American-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States.
Holland America Line was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and from 1873 to 1989, it operated ...
are cruise lines within the larger parent corporation
Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is a British-American cruise operator with a combined fleet of over 100 vessels across 10 cruise line brands. A dual-listed company, Carnival is composed of two companies – Panama-incorporated, US-headquartered Carniv ...
. This industry practice of using the brand, not the larger parent corporation, as the cruise line is also followed in the member cruise lines in
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA); the listing of cruise ship sales, transfers, and new orders; cruise line market share; and the member-based reviews of cruise lines.
Cruise ships can cruise in oceans or rivers. The listing of cruise lines below includes separate lists for both areas. Cruise lines operating ocean and river ships can be found in both lists.
List of cruise lines by size
the cruise industry was estimated to be around 23.8 billion with 13.9 million annualised passengers. The following is a list of the largest cruise lines with over 1,000 passengers annually and their market share by passengers and revenue as of 2021 according to ''Cruise Market Watch''. The list also includes the combined market share of each of the cruise line holding companies:
Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is a British-American cruise operator with a combined fleet of over 100 vessels across 10 cruise line brands. A dual-listed company, Carnival is composed of two companies – Panama-incorporated, US-headquartered Carniv ...
,
Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival C ...
,
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is a holding company that is domiciled in Bermuda and based in the United States. It operates three cruise lines as wholly owned subsidiaries: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cr ...
,
TUI Group
TUI Group is a German leisure, travel and tourism company. TUI is an acronym for ''Touristik Union International'' ("Tourism Union International"). TUI AG was known as Preussag AG until 1997 when the company changed its activities from mining to ...
, and
Genting Hong Kong
Genting Hong Kong Limited ( zh, 雲頂香港有限公司) was a holding company that operated cruise and resort businesses. It was headquartered in (海洋中心), Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (). It was p ...
.
Legend:
* Bold: Major cruise company
* ''Italic'': Subsidiary of a major cruise company
List of ocean cruise lines
Operational
The following is a list of operational ocean cruise lines.
Club Med 2
''Club Med 2'' is a five-masted computer-controlled staysail schooner owned and operated by Club Med and operated as a cruise ship. It combines the power of seven computer-operated sails with more traditional diesel-electric power, having four d ...
Shipping line still in service
The following is a list of defunct ocean cruise line with their shipping line is still in service.
Defunct
The following is a list of defunct ocean cruise line.
List of river cruise lines
Operational
The following is a list of operational river cruise line.
Defunct
The following is a list of defunct river cruise line.
See also
*
List of ferry operators
The following is a list of ferry operators.
Africa
* Algerie Ferries/ENTMV (Algeria – Spain, France)
*Comarit (Morocco – Spain, France, Italy)
* Comanav (Morocco – Spain, France)
* Cotunav (Tunisia – France)
* El Salam Maritime (Egypt ...
*
List of cruise ships
This is a list of cruise ships, both those in service and those that have ceased to operate. Ocean liners are included on this list only if they also functioned as cruise ships. (See: list of ocean liners.)
As some cruise ships have operated und ...
*
List of largest cruise ships
The Symphony of the Seas is the world's largest passenger cruise ship. Measuring 362m (1,188ft) long, the ship has a capacity of nearly 9,000 passengers and crew, features 23 swimming pools and 18 decks.
Cruise ships are large passenger ships us ...
References
{{Companies by industry
Cruise Lines
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships and markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of their passengers. Cruise lines have a dual character; th ...
cruise lines
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships and markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of their passengers. Cruise lines have a dual character; th ...
Cruise lines
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships and markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of their passengers. Cruise lines have a dual character; th ...