When is a ship not a ship?

There's a cruise for everyone, and when it comes to the ship that you sail on, the exact same can be said. The better known larger ships such as those of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Cruises and the like, each have ship that differ in a number of factors such as passenger capacity (up to 6,000), ship size based on it's weight or tonnage, it's technology and engineering advancements and shipyard where it was built. These are known as classes, for example Royal Caribbean have Quantum class, Icon class, Voyager class, etc, each with their distinctive similar features but also small variations that give them their own character and charm.

Generally, we can group ships under the following:

• Mega cruise ships, eg. Wonder of the Seas

• Large cruise ships eg. Majestic Princess

• Mid-size cruise ships - Carnival Spirit

• Small cruise ships - Azamara Quest (Azamara)

• River vessels - Jane Austen (Riviera Travel)

• Expedition ships -

• Sailing ships - Wind Surf (Windstar)

• Mega super yachts / hotel yachts - Evrima (Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection)

• Discovery Yachts - Scenic Explorer II