Cruise holidays have become increasingly popular in the past two decades, with passenger numbers increasing every year. The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in several cruise ships being held in quarantine or stranded at sea with mass disruption and cancelled holidays for millions of vacationers. The pandemic highlights the significance of risk perceptions as risk influences travel decision-making. Little research exists on risk perceptions in ocean cruising, or how risk potentially influences tourists’ decision-making for a cruise as a holiday. Findings revealed a cruise is perceived as a safe holiday, but health risks are a significant concern. Non-cruisers perceive more risk in getting sick onboard, and cruisers develop strategies to minimize risks, and both groups acknowledge risk is inherent in travel. Findings reveal critical insight into how both cruisers and non-cruisers interpret health and safety risks in cruising, and is a significant empirical contribution to understanding risk in relation to cruising.