The History of Cruise Ships
Cruise ships are also known as a cruise liner and are used
for passenger ships for pleasure voyages. Transportation is not the primary
focus since they often return to the same port but instead it is about
exploring, adventure, luxury, and relaxation. Cruise ships are a large part of the
tourism industry.
The world's biggest cruise ships are Royal Caribbean
International's Oasis of the Seas and its sister ship Allure of the Seas.
The earliest ocean travelling vessels were not concerned
with passenger traffic but instead with the volume of cargo they could care.
Black Ball Line in New York, in 1818, was the first shipping
company to offer regularly scheduled service from the United States to England
and to be concerned with the comfort of their passengers.
By the 1830's, steamships were introduced and dominated the
transatlantic market of both passenger and mail transportation.
The dawn of cruises for pleasure has been linked to the year
1844.
During the 1850's and 1860's there were remarkable
improvements to the quality of the voyage for passengers; as ships began to
cater solely to passenger traffic.
Prior to the dominance of air travel (commercial success in
the late 1960's) passenger liners were the preferred mode of travel. The habit
of cruising grew gradually out of the practice of transatlantic crossings,
which never took fewer than four days. In the competition for passengers, ocean
liners added luxuries—the Titanic being the most famous example—such as fine
dining and well-appointed staterooms.
By the early 20th century the notion of the superliner was
developed and Germany led the market in the development of these immense and elaborate
floating hotels. These superliners tried to abolish the discomforts of ocean
travel (minimize the movement of the sea). The Mauritania and the Lusitania, were
both owned by the Cunard Line of England, started the custom of dressing for
dinner and promoted the romance of the voyage. But of course, speed was still
the deciding factor in the design of these ships.
The White Star Line was owned by American financier J.P.
Morgan. White Star Line introduced the most luxurious passenger ships ever seen
in both the Olympic (complete with swimming pool and tennis court) and the Titanic.
The sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage devastated the company. Cunard
bought out the White Star Line in 1934.
World War I interrupted the building of new cruise ships.
Many older liners were used to transport troops. The years between 1920 and
1940 were considered the most glamorous years for transatlantic passenger
ships. During World War II cruise liners were transformed into troop carriers
and all transatlantic cruising ended until after the war.
The 1960's witnessed the early stages of the modern cruise
industry. Cruise ship companies concentrated on vacation trips in the
Caribbean, and created a “fun ship” image- a need to appeal to a wide market
including young families (a need for entertainment for children and teenagers).
Cruise ships focused on creating a relaxed and a laid-back environment and for providing
wide-ranging on-board entertainment. There was a decrease in the role of ships
for transporting people to a particular destination; rather, the emphasis was
on the voyage itself. The new cruise line icon/picture was solidified with the
popularity of the TV series “The Love Boat” which was popular from 1977 until
1986.
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