List of cruise lines
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships and markets cruises to the public.[1] 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 and Holland America Line are cruise lines within the larger parent corporation Carnival Corporation & plc. 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);[2] the listing of cruise ship sales, transfers,[3] and new orders;[4] cruise line market share;[5] and the member-based reviews of cruise lines.[6]
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 is estimated to be around US$45.6 billion with around 26 million passengers annually. The following is a list of the largest cruise lines with over 1,000 passengers annually and their market share by passengers and revenue as of 2018 according to Cruise Market Watch. The list also includes the combined market share of each of the cruise line holding companies: Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and Genting Hong Kong.[7]
Legend:
- Bold: Major cruise company
- Italic: Not owned by a major cruise company
Cruise line | Parent company | Passengers (thousands)[7] |
Revenue (US$ millions)[7] |
Passengers % | Revenue % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carnival Corporation & plc | 12,302.30 | 18,305.16 | 47.4% | 39.4% | |
Carnival Cruise Line | Carnival Corporation & plc | 5,716.5 | 4,166.89 | 22% | 8.9% |
Princess Cruises | Carnival Corporation & plc | 1,667.5 | 4,228.85 | 6.4% | 9.1% |
Costa Cruises | Carnival Corporation & plc | 1,560.6 | 2,235.62 | 6% | 4.8% |
AIDA Cruises | Carnival Corporation & plc | 1,183.7 | 2,128.28 | 4.6% | 4.6% |
Holland America Line | Carnival Corporation & plc | 831.5 | 2,589.60 | 3.2% | 5.6% |
P&O Cruises | Carnival Corporation & plc | 623.4 | 1,031.85 | 2.4% | 2.2% |
P&O Cruises Australia | Carnival Corporation & plc | 499.6 | 548.02 | 1.9% | 1.2% |
Cunard Line | Carnival Corporation & plc | 169.6 | 823.79 | 0.7% | 1.8% |
Seabourn Cruise Line | Carnival Corporation & plc | 49.9 | 552.26 | 0.2% | 1.2% |
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 5,963.80 | 9,389.80 | 23% | 20.2% | |
Royal Caribbean International | Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 4,987.0 | 6,525.18 | 19.2% | 14% |
Celebrity Cruises | Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 909.5 | 2,447.45 | 3.5% | 5.3% |
Azamara Cruises | Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 67.3 | 417.17 | 0.3% | 0.9% |
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | 2,471.20 | 5,833.20 | 9.5% | 12.6% | |
Norwegian Cruise Line | Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | 2,269.8 | 3,897.80 | 8.7% | 8.4% |
Oceania Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | 132.5 | 1,057.97 | 0.5% | 2.3% |
Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | 68.9 | 877.43 | 0.3% | 1.9% |
MSC Cruises | Mediterranean Shipping Company | 3,010[8] | 4,108.00 | 10.2% | 9.8% |
Genting Hong Kong | 525.80 | 2,309.02 | 2.1% | 5% | |
Dream Cruises | Genting Hong Kong | 258.1 | 1,024.45 | 1% | 2.2% |
Star Cruises | Genting Hong Kong | 227.6 | 722.72 | 0.9% | 1.6% |
Crystal Cruises | Genting Hong Kong | 40.1 | 561.85 | 0.2% | 1.2% |
(Other) | |||||
Tallink Silja | Other | 9,800 | 967 | ||
Viking Line | Other | 6,411.537 | |||
Disney Cruise Line | Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | 589.5 | 1,006.77 | 2.3% | 2.2% |
TUI Cruises | TUI AG (50%) Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (50%) |
523.8 | 1,057.84 | 2% | 2.3% |
Pullmantur Cruises | Other Springwater Capital (51%) Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (50%) |
370.4 | 467.67 | 1.4% | 1% |
Hurtigruten | Hurtigruten, Inc. | 246.2 | 952.52 | 0.9% | 2% |
Viking Cruises | Other | 163.2 | 604.43 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
Cruise & Maritime Voyages | Other | 122.9 | 487.95 | 0.5% | 1% |
Celestyal Cruises | Louis PLC | 118.8 | 377.17 | 0.5% | 0.8% |
Marella Cruises | TUI AG | 106.4 | 338.00 | 0.4% | 0.7% |
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines | Bonheur | 106.2 | 156.31 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Silversea Cruises | Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 81.0 | 685.00 | 0.3% | 1.5% |
Phoenix Reisen | Other | 81.0 | 257.28 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises | Hapag-Lloyd AG | 72.3 | 147.21 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Compagnie du Ponant | Artémis | 51.1 | 185.77 | 0.2% | 0.4% |
Windstar Cruises | The Anschutz Corporation | 46.9 | 186.32 | 0.2% | 0.4% |
Quark Expeditions | Travelopia | 31.1 | 123.51 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Saga Cruises | Saga plc | 30.8 | 97.88 | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Lindblad Expeditions | Other | 26.1 | 103.79 | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Star Clippers | Star Clippers Ltd | 21.6 | 85.57 | 0.1% | 0.2% |
American Cruise Lines | Other | 19.9 | 68.31 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Voyages to Antiquity | Other | 11.5 | 45.73 | >0.0% | 0.1% |
Paul Gauguin Cruises | Other | 9.8 | 38.71 | >0.0% | 0.1% |
SeaDream Yacht Club | Other | 8.6 | 33.99 | >0.0% | 0.1% |
Travel Dynamics | Other | 6.4 | 20.22 | >0.0% | >0.0% |
Blount Small Ship Adventures | Other | 5.9 | 23.31 | >0.0% | 0.1% |
Orion Expedition Cruises | Other | 5.1 | 20.32 | >0.0% | >0.0% |
Grand Circle Cruise Line | Other | 3.8 | 12.15 | >0.0% | >0.0% |
Hebridean Island Cruises | Other | 1.4 | 2.13 | >0.0% | >0.0% |
Total | 26,001.0 | 46,571.9 | 100% | 100% |
List of ocean cruise lines
Operational
The following is a list of operational ocean cruise line.
Shipping line still in service
The following is a list of defunct ocean cruise line with their shipping line is still in service.
Name | Status | Headquarters | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Club Cruise | No longer operates cruise ships | ![]() |
Continues to charter cruise ships to other companies |
Far East Shipping Company | No longer operates cruise ships | ![]() |
|
Finnlines | No longer operates cruise ships | ![]() |
|
Kristina Cruises | No ships in operation | ![]() |
Last cruise ship Kristina Katarina sold in 2013 |
Ocean Star Cruises | No ships in operation | ![]() |
|
Silja Line | No longer operates cruise ships | ![]() |
|
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.
Name | Headquarters | Notes |
---|---|---|
1AVista | ![]() |
River cruises in Europe |
AmaWaterways | ![]() |
River cruises in Europe, Asia and Africa |
American Cruise Lines | ![]() |
Paddle-steamer cruises on US rivers |
Aqua Expeditions | ![]() |
Privately owned (Francesco Galli Zugaro), eco-friendly river cruises on Amazon and Mekong rivers |
American Queen Steamboat Company | ![]() |
Mississippi river |
A-ROSA Flussschiff | ![]() |
River cruises in Europe, offered ocean-going cruises with A-Rosa blu 2002-04 |
Australian Pacific Touring (APT) | ![]() |
Privately owned (McGeary family), river cruises in Europe, Asia and Africa, shares many ships with AmaWaterways |
Avalon Waterways | ![]() |
River cruises in Europe, Egypt, Asia and South America |
Century Cruises | ![]() |
Operates along the Yangtze river |
CroisiEurope | ![]() |
Privately owned (Schmitter family), river cruises in Europe and Asia |
Crystal Cruises | ![]() |
Owned by Genting Hong Kong, river cruises in Europe |
DouroAzul | ![]() |
Owned by Mystic Invest, river cruises in the Douro, Portugal |
Emerald Waterways | ![]() |
Owned by Australian river cruise operator Scenic, river cruises in Europe and Asia |
European Waterways | ![]() |
Operates converted trading barges on European Rivers |
Grand Circle Cruise Line | ![]() |
Owned by Grand Circle Corporation, river cruises in Europe |
Great Lakes Cruise Company | ![]() |
Privately owned (Conlin family), Great Lakes and river cruises in USA and Canada |
Hansa Touristk | ![]() |
Privately owned (Kilian family), offers ocean and river cruises (Europe, Asia) |
Heritage Line | ![]() |
River cruises in Asia |
Lüftner Cruises | ![]() |
Privately owned (Lüftner family), river cruises in Europe |
Nicko Cruises | ![]() |
Owned by Mystic Invest, river cruises in Europe and Asia |
Orthodox Cruise Company | ![]() |
River cruises in Russia |
Pandaw River Expeditions | ![]() |
River cruises in Asia |
Paradise Cruises | ![]() |
Ha Long Bay |
Phoenix Reisen | ![]() |
Privately owned (Zurnieden family), river cruises in Europe, Egypt, Asia and South America |
Plantours Kreuzfahrten | ![]() |
Offers ocean and river cruises (Europe, Asia) |
President Cruises | ![]() |
Operates along the Yangtze river |
Reisebüro Mittelthurgau | ![]() |
Owned by Twerenbold Group, river cruises in Europe |
Riviera Travel (DBA Riviera River Cruises) | ![]() |
Luxury river cruises in Europe on the Rhone, Rhine, Danube, Duoro, Seine, Main and Moselle.[15] Travel Brand of the Year 2017.[16] |
Sanctuary Retreats | ![]() |
River cruises in Asia |
Scenic | ![]() |
Owned by coach tour operator Transit Scenic Tours, river cruises in Europe and Asia |
Tauck River Cruises | ![]() |
Privately owned (Tauck family), river cruises in Europe |
The River Cruise Line | ![]() |
River cruises in Europe |
Uniworld River Cruises | ![]() |
River cruises in Europe, Egypt and Asia |
Victoria Cruises | ![]() |
The only American-based cruise line operating along the Yangtze River |
Victoria Mekong Cruises | ![]() |
Partnership between Vietnam-based hospitality managers Thien Minh Group and Wendy Wu Tours |
Viking River Cruises | ![]() |
River cruise line of Viking Cruises with operating HQ in Basel, Switzerland, marketing HQ in USA (California) |
Vodohod | ![]() |
Owned by UCL Holding, river cruises in Russia |
Yangtze Gold Cruises | ![]() |
Operates along the Yangtze River |
Defunct
The following is a list of defunct river cruise line.
Name | Headquarters | Notes |
---|---|---|
DDSG | ![]() |
|
Transocean Tours | ![]() |
Since 2014 German branch of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, river cruises in Europe |
TUI FlussGenuss | ![]() |
Former river cruise branch of TUI Group, ceased operations in 2014 |
See also
References
- "Cruise line definition". Travel industry dictionary. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- "Member Cruise Lines". Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- "Ship sales and transfers". Cruise industry news. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- "Cruise ship orderbook". Cruise Industry News. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- "Cruise line market share". Cruise market watch. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- "Member reviews of cruise lines". Cruise Critic. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- "2018 Worldwide Cruise Line Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- "Best and worst cruise lines 2020 revealed: Where did Viking Ocean Cruises and MSC place?". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- "Vi slutar kryssa - tack för oss!". Birka Cruises (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2018-04-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "南海邮轮官方网站". www.nanhaicruises.com.
- "Classic International Cruises Pty Ltd". Press Release. Lawler Partners. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- "Cruise West".
- "Ocean Cruise Line". www.simplonpc.co.uk.
- "Explore Our Rivers". Riviera River Cruises. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- "Which? Awards 2017 winners revealed". Which? News. May 17, 2017.