​The growth and increased popularity of cruises is accompanied by a number of sustainability issues concerning the environment, the port economies and societies; on board and at shore. The sustainability imperative ultimately leads to operational, economical as well as image-related challenges for the sector's decision-makers and stakeholders. This collection of peer-reviewed papers, presented during the 3rd International Cruise Conference (Dubrovnik, Croatia), seeks to address those issues and contribute to their management in the mid-term.