The cruise industry is the fastest growing travel sector in the world. The cruise line industry generated more than $35 billion to the U.S. economy in 2009. In 2009, the industry created nearly 314,000 jobs in the U.S. Each cruise ship has more than 60 safety, environmental and health inspections each year. The cruise industry has evolved to be a leader in innovation and technological advancement. Cruise vacations are fun, safe and offer a wide variety of amenities and recreational activities that appeal to all vacationers. In fact, nearly 13.5 million travelers worldwide enjoyed a cruise vacation in 2009. The cruise line industry is committed to protecting the fragile natural environments in which we operate and we have a strong record of developing and implementing sound environment practices. Passengers aboard our cruise ships are encouraged to be "green." Many ships provide guest opportunities to recycle trash, reuse towels and use flow restrictive shower heads and recyclable clothes hangers. This book is essential reading for practicing researcher, students and scholars of subject and also the informed/interested general reader. CONTENTS: Economy and Cruise Industry; Job Creation by Cruise Industry; Safety and security on the board; Environmental and Health Issues on Cruise; International Regulation in Cruise Business; The Fastest Growing Travel Sector.