Sea cruises are one of the most popular tourism destinations, attracting millions of travelers from all over the world. Comfortable sailing on the azure waters of the ocean, a variety of entertainment, and the opportunity to visit unique places – all this makes cruises unforgettable adventures. One of the features of cruises is the opportunity to visit several different countries and cities in a short period. Passengers can enjoy different cultures, architecture, and gastronomy, and several stops in exotic places in one trip.
In addition, a wide range of entertainment is provided on board the cruise ship: swimming pools, spas, restaurants, and theaters – all for the comfort and relaxation of passengers. Sea cruises also offer active vacations, including all kinds of excursions. Today on the market there is a huge number of offers from cruise companies, and all of them compete not only in the quantity and quality of services provided but also in the expressiveness of their visual identity.
With the word “cruise” most travel lovers have approximately the same associations – a huge liner, boundless ocean, luxurious cabin, romantic evenings in the company of a loved one. And many cruise companies visualize these associations for their logos. How successful this move, we will see today because below we have collected for you a list of logos of the world’s most popular cruise companies.
The visual identity of the AIDA Cruises company is bright, memorable, and unique. The badge is composed of a graphical part, which boasts a stylized red kiss image in a bold black outline, and the “AIDA” lettering, executed in a heavy geometric sans-serif typeface; with each character in its color: sky-blue, red, yellow and grass-green. The composition is accompanied by a very thin black arched line, which goes vertically through the center of the lips emblem in the upright direction.
The Azamara Cruises logo is executed in a pleasant and calm blue color palette composed of two shades. The choice of the color scheme is quite understandable as blue is the first association with the waters, the sea, and the ocean. The bold geometric lettering in dark blue is written in two levels under a stylish abstract emblem. The straight cuts and lines of the characters balance the tenderness of the graphical part, which boasts two circular brush-style strokes in a light shade of blue and a four-pointed star in its upper right part. The star is set in the same deep shade of blue as the inscription part of the badge.
The prototype of the current Carnival Cruise Line logo was created in 1972, and featured the blue, red, and white tricolor, from the Empress of Canada ship, one of the largest Canadian vessels, launched in 1960. The current design with the Whale Tail emblem in the same color palette was introduced only in 2008 and has gone through some minor modifications by today. The emblem of the company is a three-dimensional depiction of the ship’s funnel, which looks much more like an airplane wing. The emblem is accompanied by a bold and stable title case wordmark in a dark shade of gray, with the characters featuring long and sharp serifs on the ends of the bars.
The Celebrity Cruises logo is somewhat very different from all other insignias in this list. The badge of the company is super minimalistic and that’s what makes it look progressive and stylish. There are just three elements on the logo: the name of the company is composed of two parts, separated by a graphical symbol. The lettering is executed in the title case of a traditional sans-serif typeface with clean contours of the characters, in a smooth yet deep shade of blue. The same color is used for the brand’s emblem, an enlarged “X” symbol, which stands for exclusivity, uniqueness, and luxury.
At first glance, the Costa Cruises logo may seem too simple. But it is far from the truth. The letter “C” from the Costa emblem represents the union of two elements in a sinuous embrace: the land, represented by the lower yellow part of the logo; and the sea, represented by the upper blue part, which depicts the experience of being at sea while cruising with Costa. And to hide the significant meanings behind the minimalistic and laconic emblem takes a lot of work. The blue and yellow emblem is accompanied by bold blue lettering, written in the title case of a heavy geometric sans-serif typeface with neat contours of the characters.
The Crystal Cruises company boasts a very elegant and chic visual identity, which is executed in a turquoise and black color palette, which looks bright and vivid on a white background. The emblem of the brand is composed of two mirrored seahorses drawn in turquoise facing each other. In between the heads of the sea creatures, there are five sharp long lines and five small rhombuses above them, making up a stylized crown. The graphical part of the badge is accompanied by two-leveled lettering in black, with the enlarged “Crystal” and smaller “Cruises”, written in a clean full-shaped geometric sans-serif typeface.
The Cunard Line logo looks classy and chic due to the use of traditional heraldic elements. The main hero of the company’s emblem is a lion rampant in a crown. Holding a globe, the animal is drawn in golden strokes against a transparent background and enclosed into a wide pine wreath frame the top part of the frame is decorated by an enlarged crown too. The golden emblem is placed above a massive uppercase lettering in bright red. The capital characters of the inscription are executed in a stable and strong sans-serif font, which adds strength and stability to the tender and sophisticated emblem.
The visual identity of the Disney Cruise Line is based on the main symbols of the mother company, the silhouette of Mickey Mouse’s head, and the signature of Walt Disney. The red Mickey emblem is drawn over a striped blue and white flag, which is placed on the left side of the composition. As for the right part, it features two lines of lettering, written against a transparent background. The top line is the iconic Disney logotype, set in bright red, while the bottom “Cruise Line” inscription is written in blue capitals of an art-decoish sans-serif font, with the first letters of both words enlarged.
Holland America is an elegant mid-sized company, which traditionally attracts more mature passengers by emphasizing the classic cruise entertainment experience. And the company’s logo is fully in line with its style and values. The sophisticated badge is executed in a deep and calm shade of blue, with a classic emblem placed above a two-lined lettering, with the name of the company in an elegant serif, and the “Savor the Journey” motto in the uppercase of a lightweight and clean sans-serif typeface. The emblem of the company is a white medallion with a blue shop image on it. The oval frame of the medallion also features the same shade of blue.
MSC Cruises is one of the leading companies in its segment, hence its logo is widely recognizable. It is a combination of a sharp emblem and two-leveled lettering, with the enlarged serif “MSC” set above the “Cruises” in small capitals of the same font. The MSC Emblem is a roundel with a lowercase abbreviation inside, where the “M”, placed on top, is slightly larger and has a wavy line under it. The frame of the roundel is stylized like the wind rose but with twelve triangular rays. It might also resemble a geometric image of a sun, and both explanations suit the company’s profile and specialization.
Norwegian Cruise Line is widely known for its “freestyle cruises” that have changed the traditional idea of a cruise vacation. The company’s liners have been redesigned to offer guests a free choice of dining and entertainment venues during their voyage. And this concept of the company is beautifully reflected in its logo, namely the graphical part. The company’s logo is a light blue banner with a square top and wavy bottom line. The white “NCL” abbreviation is written over the banner and accompanied by a white wave, which repeats the contour of the banner’s border. The emblem is complemented by a massive black lettering in a geometric sans-serif typeface.
The Oceania Cruises logo is quite modest yet elegant and does a good job of reflecting the company’s scope and strengths. The main element here is the lettering, written in two levels, with the upper one slightly enlarged. Both lines of the inscription are executed in a classy serif typeface; with traditional shapes of the bars and serifs. The largest letter in the wordmark is the “O”, which also has a graphical emblem inscribed into it: the composition of two short wavy lines in a light turquoise overlap the left part of the “O” ‘s contour.
The visual identity of the P&O Cruises company is set in quite a simple composition, yet has a touch of chic and excellence in the clean lines and an elegant color palette. The badge is formed by a medium-weight uppercase wordmark in a smooth shade of blue, with the abbreviation and the “C” slightly larger than other characters. The blue inscription is placed under a solid gold emblem, which depicts a stylized sun and the horizon line, with elongated and sharpened peaks, which add uniqueness and edginess to the badge.
The Princess Cruises logo is a very stylish and memorable logo, which brilliantly combines the depictions of the brand’s name and its essence. The emblem of the company can easily compete with the Starbucks’ Mermaid. It is a blue and white image of a woman turned in profile, to the right, with the face drawn in white, and the blue hair waving like smooth waters. The beauty of the woman’s face and the thickness and softness of the blue waves create a very sophisticated badge. The emblem of the brand is accompanied by an uppercase light-gray lettering in a fine serif font.
The logo of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises company is all about expensive elegance, which is modest, yet luxurious. The brand’s badge is based only on the lettering, which is executed in two different styles, but in one shade of gold, which makes it look harmonious. The upper line of the logo is an enlarged cursive “Regent” wordmark with beautiful elongated and curved lines, making up a sophisticated inscription, accompanied by a stable and strict uppercase sans-serif “Seven Seas Cruises” in a geometric style, which stabilizes the composition and adds professionalism and confidence.
The visual identity of the Royal Caribbean International company is based on a stylized geometric emblem, which is a combination of a crown and an anchor. The brand is drawn in bold white lines on a solid blue square segment of a rectangular banner. On the right from the dark blue square, there is a wide light-blue and a narrow yellow parts of the banner, with the white serif “Royal Caribbean” written on blue, and the dark uppercase “International” in sans-serif — on yellow. The logo of the company was created by a famous designer Romero Britto, who is famous for the Absolut Vodka logo.
The Seabourn Cruise Line logo is designed with a strong respect for traditional symbolism and true elegance. The badge is combined with a gradient goldcrest, which is divided into four segments — two solids and two transparent with thin baby lines in gold. The three-dimensional glossy shield-shaped emblem is placed above the black uppercase wordmark in a sophisticated sans-serif typeface with slightly flared bars and clean contours of the full-shaped characters. Both elements of the logo are placed on a plain white background, making up a fresh and contrasting image.
The Silversea Cruises visual identity is stable, confident, and strong. Executed in plain black and placed on a transparent background, the logo of the company is composed of a stylized uppercase inscription and a small graphical icon, set in the shape of a rhombus, with three waves coming out of a flag-like shape on top. The lettering on the badge is written in capitals of a custom serif typeface with extended contours and sharp serifs, which are drawn in different directions, creating unique geometry. Another thing about the inscription is the merged letters “R” and “S” in the middle of the wordmark, which support the waves of the emblem.
The logo of Viking Ocean Cruises is executed in a red and black color palette which in combination with the white background makes up a perfect tricolor, evoking a sense of style, professionalism, and quality. The emblem, placed on top of the composition, is a traditional Viking ship with a large sail in white and red stripes. The decorative element of the ship, set under the sail, is also colored red and placed at a slight distance from the black body, supporting the striped pattern. Under the emblem, there is a large uppercase “Viking” lettering in a clean and distinctive serif typeface with straight medium-weight bars and small sharp and thin serifs.
The Windstar Cruises logo looks very delicate and fine, due to the use of a fresh and clean blue color palette and the visual accent on the lettering. It is a two-leveled inscription with the name of the company, written in the uppercase of a classy serif font, in a medium shade of blue, with the enlarged “W” decorated by a light-blue wavy line and a five-pointed star. The “Cruises” part is set in a smaller size and thinner line, but the same font, making up a smooth transition from the top line to the “180 form the ordinary” tagline, placed at the bottom of the badge and executed in a simple geometric sans-serif.
The cruise industry dates back to the 19th century. For a long time, traveling by ship was the only way to go abroad. The first commercial cruise ship was launched in 1824 under the flag of Ireland. Gradually, excursions on ships became very popular, which led to the emergence of modern cruise lines. Today, sea cruises are one of the most popular tourist destinations, because they give you the opportunity to see several countries or cities in one trip.
In this article, we have gathered your logos and emblems of the world’s most reputable players in the cruise tourism segment. We have seen different designs and typefaces, interesting compositions, and ideas. And probably, you have already chosen the company, which will be organizing your next holiday.