Cruise ship travel is now one of the biggest tourist industries in the world, with millions of passengers taking to the waves every year. Some of the more popular destinations for cruise ships leaving from the US include Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, Central and South America, and Florida.

In recent years, demand for cruise travel has grown to the extent that the majority of cruises are sold-out affairs, and as a result cruise ship firms literally can't build new ships fast enough.

The industry average length of cruise is around a week, but there are cruises available that can last anywhere between a few hours and a few months.

Any ship sailing in international waters is required to display a flag of registry from a licensed country. The majority of ships suitable for sailing in international waters therefore bear a flag pertaining to the Bahamas, the United Kingdom, Panama, the Netherlands, Norway, Liberia, and the USA. The reason that these countries are allowed to register vessels is that they have the necessary infrastructure in place to do the required safety and sanitation checks.

The safety standards for ocean-going ships are set by an independent body, and are upheld by government organisations within these flag registry states. For example, in America, the CDC is charged with inspecting sanitary standards on ships bearing an American flag.

A typical modern cruise ship is a melting pot of cultures from around the globe, where people from all over the world can meet and share experiences in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere.

Unfortunately, this is not all good news, as this also means that a large variety of local diseases can be spread throughout the ship if sanitation guidelines are not universally followed. The globe-trotting nature of cruise ships is also a risk factor, in that a typical cruiser will stop at a number of ports around the world, with a number of different people getting off and embarking on the voyage at each port, which increases the risk of spreading disease from one to another. The close and crowded environment on board a cruise ship means that any diseases brought on board can be spread very quickly across the ship. Therefore, it is vital that the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation are upheld by passengers and crew members aboard a cruise ship if their journey is to be a pleasant one.