Not all cruises are the same, and some types of cruise suit some types of tourists better than others. This article explains the eight major types of cruise, what to expect from each, and some key facts about the cruise industry today.
What is a cruise?
A cruise is a holiday where you travel by, and stay on, a ship or boat. There are many different types of cruise, which are explained below. For a more in-depth look at the industry, including its benefits and drawbacks and the top cruise destinations around the world, see this article on cruise tourism.
Cruising is more popular than ever. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a record 37.2 million people took an ocean cruise in 2025, up from 34.6 million in 2024. Cruises have a reputation for being more suited to older travellers, but this is changing: around a third of cruise passengers are now under 40, and around a third of cruises involve multiple generations. Cruises are also a convenient way to visit several destinations on one trip (a multi-centre holiday).
Video: How does cruise tourism work?
What are the different types of cruise?
The different types of cruise are as follows:
- River cruise
- Expedition cruise
- Mega cruise
- Yacht
- Luxury cruise
- Themed cruise
- Adventure cruise
- Single cruise
Each of these types of cruise is explained in more detail below.
River cruises
A river cruise is, as the name suggests, a cruise taken down a particular river. Due to the fact that rivers are much smaller than seas and oceans, so too are river cruise ships. You travel along inland waterways, and there will be the chance to stop off at various city ports – you are also able to see a lot of scenery on river cruises as you will generally always have land directly to each side of you. This is very different to ocean cruises, where all you can see on ‘days at sea’ is an expanse of sparkling blue water.
Douglas Ward, the world’s leading expert on cruising, says this of river cruises: A river cruise represents life in the slow lane, sailing along at a gentle pace, soaking up the scenery, with plentiful opportunities to explore riverside towns and cities en route. It is a supremely calming experience, an antidote to the pressures of life in a fast-paced world, in surroundings that are comfortable without being fussy or pretentious, with good food and enjoyable company.
A river cruise is favoured by those looking for a relaxing and slower-paced trip. These types of cruise are a huge part of the travel and tourism industry, with trips on the following rivers being particularly common:
- Nile
- Danube
- Ganga
- Mississippi
- Yangtze
- Rhine
- Douro
There are also river day cruises, which take place on short sections of river, often flowing through a city centre, such as in Chester, Amsterdam, Paris or Cairo.
Expedition cruise
An expedition cruise is one of the types of cruise aimed at adventurous travellers who want to do a lot more than simply relaxing while on a cruise. They again tend to be smaller ships than ocean liners, as they travel to more far-flung places. Should Be Cruising says that these ships also have shallower drafts than regular cruise ships, so they can access smaller inlets and shallow harbors.
There are so many activities available on expedition cruises. If you’re cruising in warmer waters you might go scuba diving, and if cruising in colder waters such as the Arctic, you might go trekking across the top of a glacier. Expedition cruises vary widely: you might go on a historic expedition cruise where the focus is on history, or a nature cruise to look at plants or animals in different locations. Antarctica, the Arctic, the Galapagos Islands and voyages to see the Northern Lights are popular examples.
Expedition cruise groups are smaller and more intimate, and passengers are usually accompanied by expert guides, such as naturalists, historians and marine biologists. Expedition cruising is one of the fastest-growing parts of the cruise industry.
Mega cruise
Mega cruise ships are among the most popular types of cruise. These ships typically accommodate 5,000 or more guests and are the type of ship that most people picture when they hear the word ‘cruise’. They are usually more than 300 metres long. Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships, Icon of the Seas (2024), Star of the Seas (2025) and Legend of the Seas (2026), are the largest cruise ships ever built, at around 250,000 gross tonnes and with space for up to around 7,600 guests. Other large mega cruise ships include:
- Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
- Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
- Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
- Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
- Mardi Gras (Carnival)
- Iona (P&O Cruises)
- AIDAnova (AIDA Cruises)
- Costa Smeralda (Costa Cruises)
- MSC Grandiosa (MSC Cruises)
- Spectrum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
These ships have an incredible amount of amenities on board. From cinemas to water slides and coffee chains, themed restaurants, libraries, go-karting tracks, theatres and so much more. Cruises on these ships tend to be 7-14 days although can be much longer. They visit typical holiday or tourist destinations with interesting things to see. Passengers can book shore excursions through the cruise line or explore the ports independently.
You’ll find these cruise ships have a lot of restaurants (most cruises are all inclusive), multiple pools, and a lot of cabins, as well as large numbers of crew members to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Most have apps that passengers can use to order food & drink, navigate the ship, book excursions, see what activities are taking place on board and more!
Yacht
Yacht holidays are associated with luxury and with wealthy people, such as celebrities and royalty, many of whom own or charter their own yacht and use it regularly. You might see yachts docked in places such as Puerto Banus in Marbella or St. Tropez in France – yachts are docked at marinas, which are harbours with facilities designed specifically for smaller boats.
Yacht charters usually carry a small number of guests, typically up to 12 on larger superyachts. Guests can charter a ‘bareboat’ yacht and sail it themselves if they are qualified, or choose a crewed charter with a skipper, chef and other staff. Small-ship yacht cruises, carrying a few dozen to a few hundred passengers, are also increasingly popular.
Luxury cruise
This type of cruise is a subtype of other cruises – you can have luxury ocean cruises and luxury river cruises, as well as luxury yacht trips of course. But what makes a cruise luxury? They tend to offer a much higher quality of service: private dining rooms, butlers, gourmet restaurants with world-class chefs, opulent decor, strict dress codes and more. As you would expect, they are a lot more expensive than other cruises. Well-known luxury cruise lines include Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Explora Journeys, while Cunard is famous for its traditional ocean liner experience.
Themed cruise
When it comes to fun, a themed cruise is the way to go. This type of cruise tends to occur mostly on ocean liners – for example, Disney has its own cruise line offering ocean cruises entirely themed around Disney movies and characters. From singing the movie soundtracks at the incredible evening shows to relaxing on Disney’s private island to fireworks at sea, you get the whole magical experience on a cruise ship.
It isn’t only Disney who offer themed cruises, however. There is a type of cruise for absolutely every niche, hobby, interest and so on. It is also important to distinguish between full-ship theme cruises, where a particular group or brand will charter the whole ship, so everyone will be on-board for the theme cruise, and partial-ship theme cruises. This is where the group would book a number of cabins and take over certain areas, such as a particular bar, deck space or a conference room.
Examples of themed cruises include:
- Music cruises, often with the band or artist on board
- Science fiction and fan cruises, such as Star Trek-themed sailings
- 70’s Rock and Romance Cruise
- Bridge cruises
- Disco and decade-themed cruises
- Knitting cruises
- Cruises for cat-lovers
- Azamara golf cruises
You can find more details about various themed cruises HERE.
Adventure cruise
An adventure cruise is very similar to an expedition cruise. One minor difference is that adventure cruises usually involve a level of physical activity – as opposed to just, perhaps, making observations as you might on an expedition cruise. With an adventure cruise, the main focus is on the off-vessel activities you take part in. This could be anything from kayaking to horse riding, snorkelling or even camping. Read more about adventure tourism.
Singles cruise
A singles cruise is another popular sub- type of cruise. While many cruises have designated meet-ups for solo cruisers, there are also dedicated cruises for single people. Often these are aimed at older travellers – usually 50 and over. With no single supplement and a ship full of other solo travellers, these cruises are popular with people looking to make new friends, find a partner or simply travel independently.
One of the most popular cruise lines offering the typical single cruise is Saga. Passengers can benefit from ‘Singles Mingle’ drink parties, cabin stewards, 24-hour room service, a nightly turndown service, an open seating arrangement and much more. Fred. Olsen and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) also offer solo-friendly cruises, with NCL known for its studio cabins designed for solo travellers.
Types of cruise: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about types of cruise.
What are the main types of cruise?
The main types of cruise are river cruises, expedition cruises, mega cruises, yacht cruises, luxury cruises, themed cruises, adventure cruises and singles cruises.
What is the difference between a river cruise and an ocean cruise?
River cruises use smaller ships on inland waterways such as the Danube, Rhine and Nile, stopping at riverside towns and cities with land in view most of the time. Ocean cruises use larger ships, visit coastal ports and often include days at sea.
What is the largest cruise ship in the world?
Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships, Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, are the largest cruise ships ever built, at around 250,000 gross tonnes.
How many people go on a cruise each year?
According to CLIA, a record 37.2 million passengers took an ocean cruise in 2025.
What is an expedition cruise?
An expedition cruise uses a smaller ship to visit remote destinations, such as Antarctica, the Arctic or the Galapagos Islands, with expert guides and activities ashore.
Types of cruise- further reading
If you found this article on the types of cruise useful, you may also be interested in these:
- 50 types of transport from around the world
- Types of airlines | Made SIMPLE
- Types of hotels | Understanding tourism
- 150 types of tourism! The ultimate tourism glossary
- Types of rail transport | Understanding tourism
- Cruise tourism explained
- Water transport and tourism
- Types of water transport
