Cruise Ship: Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：a large passenger ship for pleasure voyages (cruise ship)

cruise ship 🔊

/kruːz ʃɪp/

A large passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, offering accommodation and entertainment like a floating hotel.

Cruise ship sailing on calm ocean with multiple decks and pools

a large passenger ship for pleasure voyages 🔊

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/ə lɑːrdʒ ˈpæsɪndʒər ʃɪp fɔːr ˈplɛʒər ˈvɔɪɪdʒɪz/

A cruise ship is a big vessel designed for leisure travel, providing accommodations, dining, and entertainment like a resort at sea.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Cruise from Dutch 'kruisen' (to cross) + ship from Old English 'scip' (vessel).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'cruise ship' as a floating hotel that 'cruises' smoothly across the ocean for fun.

📖 Example

My family saved up to book a cabin on a cruise ship that sails around the Mediterranean. 🔊 My family saved up to book a cabin on a cruise ship that sails around the Mediterranean.

🔗 Collocations

board a cruise ship – to go onto a cruise ship to start the journey

luxury cruise ship – a high-end cruise ship with premium amenities

cruise ship cabin – a private room on a cruise ship

🔄 Synonyms

ocean liner (n.) – A large passenger ship, historically for transatlantic travel, now also used for cruises.

passenger ship (n.) – Any ship designed to carry passengers, not necessarily for leisure.

pleasure craft (n.) – A boat or ship used for recreational purposes.

🚫 Antonyms

cargo ship (n.) – A ship designed to carry goods, not passengers.

fishing boat (n.) – A small vessel used for catching fish, not for leisure travel.

🌱 Derivatives

cruise (v./n.) – to sail for pleasure; a voyage on a cruise ship

cruising (n.) – the activity of taking a cruise

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'cruise' originated from 17th-century Dutch sailors who used 'kruisen' to describe crossing the sea in a zigzag pattern, later evolving into leisure voyages by the 19th century.