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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.

Away from the cruise ship passengers and conventioneers, you’ll find people passionate about their own unique corners of the LBC.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Thirteen passengers have fallen ill with the deadly rodent-borne virus after an outbreak on a cruise ship, and others are under quarantine.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

This bad news comes on the heels of a hantavirus outbreak onboard a Dutch cruise ship earlier this month that grabbed global attention with 11 cases, three of them fatal.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

Clark said the hantavirus species behind the cruise ship outbreak that triggered a global health scare after three people died was known to be endemic in the area of Argentina where the ship departed from.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Meanwhile, the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.