Cruise Lines

Alphabetical Index of Cruise Line Companies

American Cruise Lines - American Cruise Lines is a small-ship cruise line based in the United States. The line operates four small ships along the Eastern Seaboard of the US.

Bora Bora Cruises - USA

Carnival Cruise Lines - Carnival Cruise Lines is a cruise line operating a large number of cruise ships. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, it is now a branded division within Carnival Corporation & plc, a publicly traded company which owns a number of different cruise brands.

Celebrity Cruises -  Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997 Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. Today the company is headquartered in Miami, Florida in the United States. The signature "X" on Celebrity ship funnels is the Greek letter chi, for "Chandris".

Costa Cruises - Costa Crociere S.p.A. (English: Costa Cruises) is an Italian cruise line with 14 ships, including the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Luminosa. It is part of Carnival Corporation.

Crystal Cruises - Crystal Cruise Lines, most commonly seen as Crystal Cruises, is a luxury cruise ship line founded in 1988 and notable for its two medium-sized, high-end ships. The line is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the large Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha. Crystal ships have been routinely voted as the best cruise ships by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler and other magazines; and guidebooks usually score the three ships among the top 20 of all cruise ships afloat.

Cunard Line - By 2001 Carnival was the largest cruise company, followed by Royal Caribbean and P&O Princess Cruises, which had recently demerged from its parent P&O. When Royal Caribbean and P&O Princess agreed to merge, Carnival countered with a hostile takeover bid for P&O Princess. Carnival rejected the idea of selling Cunard to resolve antitrust issues with the acquisition. European and U.S. regulators approved the merger without requiring Cunard's sale. After the merger was completed, Carnival moved Cunard's headquarters to the offices of Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita, California.

Cunard Line - Queen Victoria (QV) Cruise Ship

Disney Cruise Line - Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned by The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz as part of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines - Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a UK based, Norwegian-owned cruise shipping line with five cruise ships. The company headquarters are in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom and is owned by Bonheur and Ganger Rolf. The company is part of the Fred. Olsen Group.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises - Hapag-Lloyd Cruises was formed in 1970 as a merger of two 19th century companies, Hapag, which dated from 1847, and Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) or North German Lloyd (NGL), which was formed in 1856.

Holland America Line - In 1989, HAL became a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the largest cruise line in the world. Today, the premium cruise leader operates 14 ships to seven continents and carries nearly 700,000 cruise passengers a year.

Louis Cruise Lines - Louis Cruise Lines is a Cyprus-based cruise line that operates cruises from Cyprus, France, Italy and Greece (the operations from Greece were previously marketed under the name Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines, but as of 2008 there is no mention of the brand on Louis' website)[2]. The company also charters several ships to Thomson Cruises. Louis Cruise Lines was established in 1987 as a sister company of Louis plc.

MSC Italian Cruises - MSC Cruises is a division of Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC). As of March 2008, MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise operator in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Originally founded as Lauro Lines by Achille Lauro, the company entered the cruise business in the 1960s, operating two ships, the Angelina Lauro and MS Achille Lauro, both of which met fiery ends. After the Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St. Thomas in 1979, Lauro Lines, also called Flotta Lauro, met bad times, now operating just one ship, the Achille Lauro. In 1985 the Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front, and the much-publicised event further dropped passenger numbers. In 1987 Flotta Lauro was purchased by Mediterranean Shipping Company and renamed StarLauro Cruises. In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank. After this event, the company name was changed to MSC Cruises.

Norwegian Coastal Voyage (Hurtigruten) - Hurtigruten - The Norwegian Coastal Voyage around the majestic coastline of Norway have been described as "The World's Most Beautiful Voyage". You will experience the natural delights of a land of ever changing moods, where every day is an unforgettable experience, with fresh horizons and new discoveries.

Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in Miami, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or seating arrangements for meals, nor is formal attire required. Norwegian Cruise Line has a sister company, NCL America. NCL itself is jointly owned by Star Cruises (who in turn are owned by the Genting Group based in Malaysia) and Apollo Management, with both companies owning 50% of NCL.

Oceania Cruises - Oceania Cruises is a United States-based shipping company that operates three luxury cruise ships on world-wide itineraries. It is currently the world’s largest upscale cruise line, offering good-quality food and itineraries at a cheap price when compared to other upscale cruise lines. Since April 2007, Oceania Cruises is owned by Apollo Management.

Ocean Village Cruises - Ocean Village - The company's first ship, Ocean Village, was transferred from P&O Cruises in 2003. Ocean Village Two was transferred from AIDA Cruises, Carnival PLC's Germany-based brand with a similar ideology as Ocean Village, in 2007. On 30 October 2008, it was announced that the Ocean Village brand would cease its operations in late 2010. Both Ocean Village ships will be transferred to the fleet of P&O Cruises Australia, as Carnival Corporation & PLC forecasts better growth potential in Australia. Ocean Village Two will leave the Ocean Village fleet in December 2009 and Ocean Village in late 2010.

Orient Lines - Orient Lines was a cruise line specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993—2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, who had previously owned Ocean Cruise Lines. Orient Lines was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998, and ceased operations in March 2008. The brand was sold to new owners in June 2008, and was planned to restart operations in April 2009. However, due to the economic downturn in 2008 the re-launch of the Orient Lines brand has been delayed indefinitely.

P & O Cruises - P&O Cruises is a United Kingdom-based cruise line that operates six cruise ships based in the United Kingdom. It is one of the many cruise lines operated by Carnival Corporation & plc. P&O Cruises was a part of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company until 2003 and as such it was the first cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first cruises in the 1840s.

Princess Cruises - Princess Cruises is a premium American cruise line, with offices in the Valencia section of the city of Santa Clarita, California, and operating cruise ships. The Company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index: however Princess Cruises and Cunard Line are now both owned by Carnival Corporation & plc with whom they share the same offices. The company was made famous by The Love Boat TV series, in which two of its ships, the Island Princess and Pacific Princess were featured.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises - Regent Seven Seas Cruises is a cruise line, formerly known as Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Luxury cruises are offered to over 300 ports on six continents, including Antarctica. Their vessels are designed for hundreds of guests, rather than thousands. All ships are distinct in their accommodations, service, dining and amenities. Most of the Regent vessels offer all-balcony, all-suite accommodations, and many of the cabins have butler service from the English Guild of Butlers. Several of the ship dining rooms are operated under the auspices of Le Cordon Bleu. These are the only restaurants at sea today operated by Le Cordon Bleu chefs. This luxury cruise line has trips to exotic places such as the Baltic Sea, French Polynesia and Antarctica, and it offers around-the-world cruises, as well.

Royal Caribbean International - Royal Caribbean Cruises is a Miami, Florida -based cruise line brand owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., with 21 ships in service and two under construction. All ships since 1991 have names ending in "of the Seas."

Royal Olympia Cruises -

Silversea Cruises - Silversea Cruises is a luxury cruise line that operates four luxury, all-suite cruise ships that sail itineraries all around the world throughout the year. The line is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with sales offices in London, Monaco & Sydney and is owned by the Lefebvre Family of Rome, Italy.

Star Cruises - Star Cruises is the third-largest cruise line in the world behind Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises, and dominates the Asia-Pacific market. Star Cruises owns 50% of the Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, and 100% of Cruise Ferries brands with a total combined fleet of 22 ships and over 35,000 berths. The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange.

Star Cruises is credited with almost single handedly developing the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Its foray into the global shipping market has allowed it to tap into lucrative and more mature markets in North America and Europe. Its services cater to Asian passengers as well as to North Americans, Europeans and Australians interested in Asian destinations.

Swan Hellenic - Swan Hellenic is a British cruise line specialising in tours of historical or cultural interest aimed at the upper end of the cruise market.

The Yachts of Seabourn - Seabourn Cruise Line is an ultra luxury cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida. The line operates all around the world, from short seven day Caribbean cruises to exotic 100+ day cruises around the world. It is owned by Carnival Corporation, part of the "World's Leading Cruise Lines" marketing group, which also includes Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises, and AIDA Cruises. Passengers typically range in ages from the 40s to the 60s, but kids are still welcome. The company refers to itself as The Yachts of Seabourn. Seabourn specializes in (relatively) small yachts, small enough to fit in many exotic ports around the world that large cruise ships can't reach. All cabins are suites and are well equipped with some of the best amenities available at sea. All have designer soaps, flat screen televisions, DVD players, and Bose Wave sound systems.

Windstar Cruises - Windstar Cruises is a cruise ship line notable for its modern computer-controlled sailing ships. The line was established as Windstar Sail Cruises in 1984, and its first ship, the msy Wind Star, launched in 1986, followed by the Wind Song and Wind Spirit. Two additional ships were ordered from the French "Ateliers et chantiers du Havre" shipyard: the Wind Surf and the Wind Saga. These two ships were to be larger than the originals, holding over twice the amount of passengers and reaching a length of 660 ft compared to the smaller vessels of 440 ft in length.