Cruise ships tend to focus on warm temperate climates and calm seas, although continuous growth in sectors such as Alaska, as well as growing interest in northerly sectors such as Iceland, Scandinavia and the Baltic ports and the emergence of Antarctica and the southernmost areas of South America, are testament to the diversity in choice that is now available for cruise tourists
Invariably, tourists make judgements about visiting parts of the world by taking into account a broad spectrum of personal circumstances and by accessing new information or relying on prior learning about the place to be visited .These decisions are highly personalized and are likely to include: a desire to learn new things, a drive to satisfy personal motives; the need to address latent curiosity; the opportunity to relax and escape routines; and the requirement to experience a different climate to that which is the norm .
This need to identify an appropriate and desirable environment while on vacation raises questions about how tourists regard climate from a comfort perspective. According to Burton , it is possible to identify comfort zones for various tourist activities that take into account factors such as temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall, cloud and sunshine. Based on an analysis of world climates, Burton presents a five-stage model to describe tourists' clothing regimes in relation to climate type