The expansion of urban development and commercial centers within the geographical boundaries of ports and cities has significantly contributed to the growth of national income. However, maritime-based countries face the challenge of staying competitive in the dynamic port-city landscape. To address these issues, this paper employs a bibliometric approach to review existing literature on port-cities, identifies challenges faced by port-cities as cruise visitor attractions, and proposes a new framework for their sustainable future in the maritime cruise industry. By analysing 73 journal articles through VoS Viewer and employing content analysis with NVivo 12 software, the paper presents a problem-solving guideline framework that can aid nations in tackling major challenges related to port-city development and cruise tourism.