Every year, more and more Americans are experiencing a new way to travel - taking a cruise aboard an ocean liner. Over the past 20 years, there has been a tenfold increase in the number of cruise ship passengers worldwide, with the $15 billion industry enjoying an estimated annual growth of over 8 percent. There are now nearly 200 cruise ships carrying 10 million passengers annually to ports around the world. The worldwide passenger total is expected to hit 17 million by 2010.

The North American market dominates the industry, with Americans comprising around 80 percent of the worldwide passenger total. In fact, one-fourth of the 6.8 million worldwide cruise passengers in 1997 sailed from the single busiest port of Miami, Florida.

Cruising, once limited to the elite upper class, is now a mainstream activity - about half of all cruise ship passengers have middle-class incomes or lower. Family cruises, such as those offered by Disney, cater to parents with small children. There are many other cruises with special themes, including whale watching, football, Star Trek, Elvis Presley, and chocolate, each one tailored to attract a particular type of customer.

Carnival, the world's largest cruise line, operates a fleet of 77 ships under 12 different brand names. Earlier this year, it launched the Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, capable of carrying over 2,600 passengers.

Although ocean cruises sometimes last a month or longer, the average length of a cruise vacation is seven days. However, many cruise lines offer shorter excursions lasting two or three days. Departing from popular ports like Miami, New Orleans, or Galveston, passengers can travel to destinations around the Caribbean, including Belize, Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico.

Some cruise lines even feature "cruises to nowhere," where the ship departs, sails the ocean for a couple of days, then returns to the same port.

Activities and entertainment aboard typically include Internet cafes, swimming pools, rock climbing, skating, nightclubs, cabaret shows, magic and comedy acts, casinos, fitness centers, dancing, art auctions, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, trivia quizzes, Bingo, volleyball, shuffleboard, ping pong, and various other games and sports. And that's just aboard the ship! Once the boat has docked at a destination, there are even more exciting opportunities, including shopping and sightseeing excursions.

Last but not least, there is eating. The plentiful and tasty food is a popular feature of most cruise ships (on-board meals are typically included in the price of the cruise, meaning passengers can eat as much as they want, whenever they want). On many ships, it's even possible to get a hot slice of pizza 24 hours a day!

By Jeff Richards