The frigid geographical environment in the Arctic has shaped the exploration attribute of the polar cruise shipping network. In this study, the typical characteristics and special structure of the Arctic adventure cruise shipping network are investigated by using the network analysis method based on the data of 172 adventure cruise itineraries in the Arctic. It is found that the Arctic adventure cruise itineraries are dominated by 8–17 days of medium itineraries, and the ratio of one-way itineraries to round-trip itineraries is about 1:1. There are differences in the centrality of different ports, forming two core ports Reykjavík and Longyearbyen and a sub-core port Kangerlussuaq. The overall contact strength of the Arctic adventure cruise shipping network is low. Under the joint influence of such factors as centrality and contact strength, the Arctic constitutes the dual-core clusters of Iceland and Svalbard Islands and a sub-core cluster of Greenland.

Drawing upon the organisational socialisation and sensemaking literatures, this article examines the implications of potential mismatches between prospective cruise workers' perceptions and their subjectively defined reality of working on board. The study reveals how individuals make sense of this mismatch and how they define their onboard experiences. Participants, who were former cruise ship workers, were asked about their perceptions and expectations relating to working on board — before joining the ship, while on board and after returning home. Though claiming to have few prior expectations, direct questions about surprises when joining the ship highlighted that participants had tacit expectations. Participants differentiated between working and living on board, and although their expectations of work were realistic, their expectations of life on board proved unrealistic. Their awareness of being in an unusual working environment led them to describe the cruise ship as another world, which was described as impossible for people who had not lived in that world to understand. The liminality of their situation, betwixt and between two social worlds, appeared an important feature of their sensemaking, although in many cases it was not until they returned home that they fully recognised this. This revealed a mismatch not only between their tacit expectations and experienced reality, but also between the cruise ship workers and their peers and family back on land. Reflecting on their return home, participants displayed a degree of nostalgia for working on board, and romanticised about cruise ship life which was portrayed as carefree and secure, involving both freedom and captivity.

Cruise tourism is the fastest growing segment of leisure tourism. With its growth has come concern about the impact of cruise tourism on coastal and marine environments, local economies, and on the sociocultural nature of port communities. These three areas are key elements in analyses focused on responsible tourism, and form a critical base from which to consider strategies to ensure the sustainable development of cruise tourism. The goal of this article is to illustrate how a responsible tourism lens measures the impact of cruise tourism and, with its focus on the perceptions of host communities, more effectively addresses grassroots concerns. Case examples are used to identify and describe challenges faced by governments, communities, and the cruise industry. Analysis of these issues and challenges gives direction for how cruise tourism can grow in ways that are both sustainable and responsible.

As worldwide cruise passenger numbers demonstrated a trend towards a maturing industry in recent years (passenger numbers still increasing but at a declining rate), this study was undertaken to investigate the motivations influencing cruise tourists' decision to cruise. Motivation data are vital for cruise companies to plan for the future. The study provides a valuable and timely insight into the motivations of 306 North American cruise tourists. A structured questionnaire was conducted on board a cruise ship operated by a major cruise company serving ports-of-call along the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard and the Caribbean. Data were collected on 6 cruise itineraries for a 6-week period from May 31 to July 6, 2008. Three aspects of potential tourist motivation were explored using 7-point Likert scales, including, information sources, vacation attributes, and motives derived from the Leisure Motivation Scale. The analysis is structured in relation to the respondents' cruise itinerary and cruise experience. The influence of tested motivations varied with cruise experience but not cruise itinerary. For cruise tourists, personal- and Internet-based information sources are deemed most influential, and their desire to cruise is primarily driven by the need for stimulus-avoidance. Some significant implications for cruise companies have emerged.

Cruise tourism is undoubtedly a high growth segment of the tourism industry, averaging an annual passenger growth of 7.4% since 1990. Behind this growth is a significant shift in the profile of the cruise passenger. What used to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience reserved for an older generation, now attracts repeat passengers, with as high as 85% having cruised before. Remarkably, the average age of cruisers has dropped from 65 years in the early 1970s, to 46 years in 2008, calling for a deeper understanding of the new generations of cruisers.