Whether you are looking for a peaceful voyage around the fjords of Norway or a lively Caribbean adventure, there is something to suit everyone, it has been claimed.
According to the Passenger Shipping Association, the cruise industry has diversified to such an extent that holidaymakers will now find everything from small, intimate yachts to resort-style superliners with capacity to hold over 5,000 passengers.
The variety of ships available and the staggering number of destinations served by today's cruise lines, means cruisers of all ages and budgets should have no trouble finding a holiday to suit them.
"Between that extremely small one and that mega resort there are many others, some of which are luxury, some of which are expedition ships - if you want to see the Amazon, for example, or Antarctica or the northern lights - and we have family-oriented ships and adult-only ships, so there is a cruise for everyone now," said PSA spokesperson Penny Guy.
A recent report by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Association of British Travel Agents revealed that 44 new cruise ships are currently on order.
Written by Fiona Mayers