In the past, round trips by ship or cruises were considered a luxury and were intended for people with high purchasing power. The first cruises began in the 19th century during steamboat transportation, from whence the continuous development of maritime cruises can be traced over the following years. With the increase in the standard of living in the world, but also with the increase in supply on the cruise market, there has been a significant growth on the demand side. The demand for maritime cruises has been increasing over the years in all world markets. Although it still does not have a large share of the global tourism market, it is still continuously in a phase of growth. Interested consumers are offered a handful of itineraries with different destinations from the Caribbean, the Mediterranean to Antarctica. Also, the duration of the cruise varies from a few days to a few months, and the ships are increasingly better and more modernly equipped, thus becoming an attraction for consumers. Cruise prices include almost everything needed for an extraordinary and unique trip such as accommodation, food and drinks, all-day entertainment and transportation between destinations. A cruise is also a less stressful way to travel because time is not wasted on transportation to the destination. Passengers are free to eat, drink, watch TV, socialize or sleep in comfort while the ship travels to the next destination. As a result of the growing demand for this attractive way of travel, global cruise companies are being formed that have ships with a capacity of up to several thousand passengers. Nowadays, cruises are available at prices that vary a lot and range from cheap i.e. budget cruises to very luxurious cruises with numerous benefits. Modern trends in the cruise market dictate that every individual can find a cruise that perfectly suits their budget and taste. Round trips by ship can have numerous positive and negative impacts on a tourist destination. Positive impacts are seen through economic effects and the development of the infrastructure of coastal destinations or ports of call, while negative impacts imply consequences for the environment and a reduction in the quality of life of the local population. Apart from the ships themselves, another key factor of cruise tourism is the behaviour of passengers during their stay in the tourist destination. With a good knowledge of their characteristics and consumer habits, the destination can adapt its offer to their wishes and thus maximize profit or benefit. Some of the variables that can be tried to be examined are: how much visitors are willing to spend in the destination, where they stay the most, which products and services they spend the most on, whether they travel alone or with others, etc. In addition to destinations, cruise companies also take into account information about the needs, preferences and lifestyle of travellers to find out what influences the decision-making process of buying a cruise trip. Research and analysis of the characteristics of cruise passengers can have positive consequences both for tourist destinations and cruise companies, but also for the passengers themselves.