Various propulsion systems, applicable for a G/T 47,000 class mid-size cruise ship, are discussed and a comparative study on stern forms and hull resistance characteristics is carried out, in relation to these propulsion systems. Based on shipyard production logs on similar cruise ships, a reference hull form of a single shaft propulsion system with center-skeg, is generated. Then two new stern hull forms are derived by using a hull transform technique: consisting of one stern form using a twin-skeg system and the other using the Azipod system. Using a CFD-based commercial flaw analysis program, WAVIS (WAve and VIScous flaw analysis system for hull form development), various hydrodynamic characteristics, including wave profiles and ship hull resistance, are compared for three hull forms.