The Fairy Cruise project examines the architectural development of cruise ships from 20th century ocean liners to today's luxury resorts. It analyses their design, their interiors and the lifestyle on board and emphasizes their influence on architectural theories and social trends. Despite various points of criticism, cruise ships function as self-contained societies and borderline spaces that are orientated towards Michel Foucault's concept of heterotopias. The study reconsiders their influence on high-density residential and service megastructures while highlighting their role in consumerist escapism and adaptation to socio-political and economic changes. It is a floating microcosm, a world within a world, a cruise city. The project was developed within the context of the University of Innsbruck.