Synonyms

cruise ship

American

noun

a passenger ship built or used for pleasure cruises, usually taking passengers on an extended cruise with occasional calls in various places of interest.

Etymology

Origin of cruise ship

First recorded in 1715–25

Compare meaning

How does cruise-ship compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

ocean liner vs. cruise ship

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

New cruise ships take a test run to make sure everything runs as planned—from fire alarms to açaí bowls.

From The Wall Street Journal

A search is under way for a British man who fell overboard from a cruise ship off the coast of Tenerife.

From BBC

An 18-year-old Central Florida student was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month while vacationing with her family.

From BBC

The entertainment company is betting big on new cruise ships, which Seaport Research’s David Joyce says could add over $2.8 billion of revenue and over $500 million of operating income next year.

From Barron's

Such a scene might not seem unusual for a Friday night on a cruise ship, but this wasn’t a typical sailing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023