cruise ship

A cruise ship is a passenger vessel used for recreational voyages, where the actual sea voyage itself and the amenities on the ship are part of the cruise experience, along side various other destinations on the way.

Transportation to a destination is not the primary purpose of the cruise, as many cruise ships return to the same port they left from at the end of the cruise. The open sea experience on a cruiser is itself the reward for this type of activity. Ships that are purposed for transportation to a specific destination are known as ocean liners. These used to be popular in the first half of the 20th century, before air travel became widespread and reduced the costs and duration of large distance trips. However, individuals who are seeking a unique or retro traveling experience may still embark on an ocean liner.

Cruise ships are often luxurious and can cater to their passenger's every needs over several weeks. For this reason, cruising is an important section of tourism, with more than 19 million tourists having been on a cruise in 2011 alone. The largest cruise ships in the world at the moment are Royal Caribbean International's MS Oasis of the Seas, and its sister ship MS Allure of the Seas. The Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian / American joint venture based in Miami, Florida. The MS Oasis of the Seas measures 225,282 gross tons, and can accommodate over 6000 passengers.

When it comes to organization, cruise ships are very much like a floating hotel, in terms of what services are offered. Some cruise ships may even carry indoor or outdoor swimming pools, library, theater, gyms, spa, casino, lounges, clubs and shops. Cruse ships also come with a restaurant and a dining area, as well as various separate dining rooms for VIP passengers.

The crew on cruise ships is usually hired with a pre-determined 4 to 6 months contract, which can be renewed depending on each crew-member's performance and positive feedback from passengers. While senior officers are usually provided with their own private cabin, general employees will usually share a cabin with a shower. A separate employee lounge and fitness center is also common on cruise ships. Employees may benefit from free accommodation and meals during the cruise, as well as offers for special interline cruises.

You'll find bloggers talking about cruise ships at sites like cdc.gov and journalism.fiu.edu.

by RawMichelle Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Original Technorati articles tagged “cruise ship”

• in Social Media
  Michael Lamendola— Blogging Cruise Ship Singer and Crime Thriller Novelist
  Travel Blogs and Videos From Michael Lamendola's Around the World Cruises
  by transmediartist / on Sep 19, 2011
• in Travel
  Death Toll Rising after Cruise Boat Sinking in Russia
  A Russian cruise ship crashed in stormy seas, and over 100 people are feared dead.
  by jenna3967 / on Jul 12, 2011
• in Family
  Stranded at Sea...Leave Your Fishing Pole at Home
  Boredom on a stranded ship at sea can be alleviated for Honeymooners by waiting to have sex before marriage.
  by samkkeller / on Nov 11, 2010

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “cruise ship”

 

• No More Hope For Couple That Jumped From Cruise Ship

  
  — Authority:
  SYDNEY – All rescue efforts to find the couple that jumped from the Carnival cruise ship have been halted. Authorities are convinced the young couple is no longer alive
  1 week ago

• Authorities call off search for two missing cruise ship passengers

  
  eTurboNews - Travel and Tourism Industry News — Authority: 511
  SYDNEY, Australia - After scouring hundreds of miles of waters off Australias coast, authorities on Friday called off a search for two cruise ship passengers who are believed to have fallen overboard read more
  1 week ago

• Authorities call off search for two missing cruise ship passengers

  
  eTurboNews - Travel and Tourism Industry News — Authority: 511
  After scouring hundreds of miles of waters off Australias coast, authorities on Friday called off a search for two cruise ship passengers who are believed to have fallen overboard. read more
  1 week ago

• 48 Hours Update: "New" Evidence in Disappearance of Cruise Passenger George Smith

  
  — Authority:
  Saturday night, CBSs "48 Hours" will air what is being described as "important new evidence" in the mysterious disappearance of George Smith during his honeymoon cruise. The episode is called "48 Hours: Murder at Sea?" You may recall that George Smith from the Greenwich Connecticut area was enjoying his honeymoon ...
  1 week ago

• 21 Websites to Find Maritime Jobs Online – Part 2

  
  — Authority:
  With several maritime jobs websites online, it is difficult to keep a track of every single one for the latest job offers. Here are some more of the top most job websites which features opportunities from the offshore and maritime industry.
  1 week ago

• New Cruise ship jobs legislation for Carnival, Royal Caribbean and others

  
  Cruise Ship News — Authority: 142
  If you are employed by a cruise company to work oboard one of their ships, then there will be a new legislation that will come into force on August 20, 2013. This will mean that if you are looking for new cruise ship jobs for Carnival, Royal Caribbean or any of the other top companies then you can rest assured that ...
  1 week ago

• Crimes at Sea

  
  — Authority:
  

Not everyone wants to focus on the dangers and some horrors of taking a cruise – but as we have often said before at Prow’s Edge, it is worth knowing the dangers, wise to be aware of the problems so that one can be cautious and actually enjoy a problem free cruise.

 And this is not just about Prow’s ...
  1 week ago

• Carnival Cruise Lines Hosts Another Cruise Accident

  
  — Authority:
  Once again Carnival Cruise Lines finds itself in the news. This time two passengers were lost at sea off the coast of Australia after either falling or jumping off the Carnival Spirit. Evidently, the missing couple went overboard at approximately 9 PM off the coast of Australia. The pair was part of a larger group ...
  1 week ago

• Queen Mary 2 Queens Grill Versus MSC Preziosa Yacht Club

  
  Tips for Travellers — Authority: 126
  Cunard Queen Mary 2 Queens Grill versus MSC Preziosa Yacht Club. This article was one I wrote for MyTravelMoney.co.uk and compares the premium offer on these 2 very different cruise lines to see which is better. Image from mytravelmoney.co.uk Daniel (the MD of MyTravelMoney.co.uk ) is someone that I have got ...
  1 week ago

• Two Passengers Overboard From Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship

  
  — Authority:
  Newspapers in Australia are reporting that two passengers disappeared from a Carnival cruise ship. A 26-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man were unaccounted for when the cruise ship docked in Sydney Harbor today.  The couple were last seen on deck last night, but failed to disembark when the Carnival Spirit ...
  1 week ago

• Ships

  
  — Authority:
  [IMG: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IyQrp3puiV8/UYrPDzT4hSI/AAAAAAAAsns/IVlkqQ93tAo/s320/ships-may08+(2).jpg][IMG: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eEm4n8U6mo8/UYrPEducZtI/AAAAAAAAsnw/qRAiW52eAx0/s320/ships-may08+(3).jpg][IMG: ...
  1 week ago

• Tourist Arrivals Increase For March

  
  — Authority:
  Tourism is Jamaica’s second largest earner of foreign currency. Over the last 3 years, the industry has consistently been breaking its own records, setting a new record of 3.3 million visitors in calendar year 2012. However, if we focus on … Read more ›
  1 week ago

• Hurtigruten celebrates in style

  
  — Authority:
  The 120th anniversary of the founding of Norways Hurtigruten this summer brings a rare opportunity to travel off the beaten track. The coastal express, which provides a scheduled service to ports between Bergen and Kirkenes, is to make 11 visits to Lyngenfjord (above). On-board concerts and menus inspired by the ...
  1 week ago

• V.Ships Leisure Appointed as Titanic II Ship Manager

  
  — Authority:
  An artist’s rendering of the Titanic II. Photo: Blue Star Line Australian billionaire, Clive Palmer, announced this week that the he has appointed V.Ships Leisure as the official ship manager of his Blue Star Line’s Titanic II project. V.Ships Leisure, the passenger shipping arm of V.Ships, is the world’s ...
  1 week ago

• Is It Safe to Walk the Decks of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships at Night?

  
  — Authority:
  Last week I ran across an interesting blog article by a thirty-three year old woman who sailed aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship out of Tampa with her long time boyfriend. Around 2:00 AM one night, she craved a cigarette and proceeded to an upper deck to smoke and look at the stars.  She encountered a naked man ...
  1 week ago

• Tour the new-look Ventura

  
  — Authority:
  Take a guided tour of the newly-refurbished Ventura with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen - whose dulcet tones are somehow drowned out by the music in the early moments of this video. Appropriately enough, the Changing Rooms star takes a look at what P&O; have achieved with a multi-million pound refit of the ...
  1 week ago

• Estimating the Cost of Fuel for Big Luxury Vehicles

  
  — Authority:
  Most people can estimate, by way of their own experience, just how much fuel their car or motorbike consumes in a day or week. But for a big business manager—or a lucky millionaire with luxury transport to take care of—fuel … The post Estimating the Cost of Fuel for Big Luxury Vehicles appeared first on ...
  1 week ago

• Sunday Seasoning #156

  
  — Authority:
  Every week we select a photo from the Londonist Flickr pool , taken in the last seven days, that illustrates this season or time of year in London. This week, Mike King has captured the changeably cloudy/sunny nature of London’s skies over the last few days. And a cruise ship.
  2 weeks ago

• Gastrointestinal Virus Plagues Passengers Aboard HALs Veendam Cruise Ship

  
  — Authority:
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that sixty (60) of the 1237 passengers (4.85%) aboard the HAL Veendam cruise ship exhibited symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting during the last cruise. Ten (10) of the 574 crew members (1.74%) also reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. ...
  2 weeks ago

• It’s the end of The World!Or, more accurately, the stern...

  
  — Authority:
  It’s the end of The World! Or, more accurately, the stern of a pretty large boat with a pretentious name. I hadn’t realised when I saw her, but The World is technically the largest “privately owned yacht” on the planet, at a whopping 644 ft. Each of the cabins are private aparartments, in which the lucky ...
  2 weeks ago

Comments about cruise ship