In the 21st century, the global cruise market is continuing to grow and evolve at a record pace. Accompanying this growth, research on cruises is being conducted within the field of tourism studies, constituting a new research area. In recent years, mainly in the United States, many researchers have actively conducted research focusing on cruise marketing and management.
Previous research, however, has failed to determine the origins of the cruise, with most researchers recognizing it as coming from 19th-century Europe, but without conclusive evidence.
Along with the definition of the cruise, a verification of historical fact shows the cruise to have originated in ancient Roman times. The third Roman emperor, Caligula, created several huge vessels, one of which was a cruise boat.
The purpose of this study is to elicit new information regarding the origins of the cruise, based on tourism archeology. Tourism Studies is an interdisciplinary study comprising several academic areas. This paper consists of research from both archaeological and tourism studies.
