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First American Cruise Crossed The Atlantic
This cruise ship was the SS Savannah, this used steam power for a portion of the journey. This took 27 days to cross the atlantic mostly under sail with steam power used for about 72 hours. This had limited commercial success because of the space it took up. -
Cunard Contract
The Cunard agreement of 1840 was among the first shipping agreements to be written by the Cunard Line after opening steamship shipping on the Atlantic. The agreement stipulated the terms, duties, wages, and working conditions of seamen and mariners aboard a Cunard ship. -
P&O Cruises
In 1844, PO (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) made history by running one of the world's first pleasure cruises. PO had originally been formed for transporting passengers and mail between the Iberian Peninsula and Britain but came to offer recreational cruises as a response to increased travel demand among the wealthy class. That year, the company launched a cruise from Southampton to the Mediterranean to allow tourists to sightsee. -
Mark Twain published “The Innocents Abroad”
Mark Twain composed The Innocents Abroad in 1869, a travelogue of wit and insight derived from his 1867 European and Holy Land journey. Book II trailed a group of American tourists on a pilgrimage voyage of the Quaker City and presented scathing indictments of foreign cultures, religion, and American tourist innocence. Twain's acidic satire and popular critique made the book an instant success, and he emerged as a prominent American writer. -
First Purpose-Built Pleasure Cruise
The Prinzessin Victoria Luise was the first cruise ship ever built specifically for such a purpose. It was commissioned in 1900 by Hamburg-America Line, a German shipping line. Unlike its forebears, which were passenger ships for transportation purposes, the Victoria Luise was constructed specifically to entertain tourists. Richly decorated rooms, luxurious dining rooms, and recreational facilities were all constructed with comfort and entertainment in mind for wealthy tourists. -
The Titanic Disaster
Titanic disaster happened on 15 April 1912 when the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York and sank. Over 1,500 died in one of the deadliest sea disasters ever. The Titanic was seen as an engineering masterpiece and was even referred to as "unsinkable," but it lacked technical flaws in that it did not have enough lifeboats to accommodate everyone on board. -
Cunard And White Star Merge
The Cunard Line and White Star Line merged in 1934, during the Great Depression, when both were in financial trouble. To ride out the economic downturn and protect their transatlantic trade, the British government encouraged and subsidized the merger. The merged company was named Cunard-White Star Line, combining the fleets and resources of two of the most well-known ocean liner companies in history. -
Princess Cruise Lines started operations
Princess Cruises began in 1965 when Princess Cruises' first founder, Stanley B. McDonald, chartered the ship Princess Patricia to conduct winter cruises between California and Mexico. The first cruise was the start of Princess Cruises, which went on to become the world's top cruise line. In 1967, the company chartered the Princess Italia, one of the first modern ships ever built with cruising in mind, and began offering regular Panama Canal cruises. -
Royal Caribbean launched the Sovereign of the Seas
Royal Caribbean introduced the Sovereign of the Seas in 1988, which transformed cruising. The first Sovereign-class lead ship, at launch, it was the largest and most upscale cruise ship in the world and set new benchmark levels for size, amenities, and onboard amenities. With a passenger capacity of over 2,000 individuals, Sovereign of the Seas carried over one dining area, a large pool deck, and a number of entertainment venues. -
Cruise ships started to offer a wide range of amenities
In the early 2000s, the cruise ships began offering a range of amenities and turned the cruise more into a sea resort. This is due to competition among the cruise ships to make the travel experience of the tourists more luxurious and diverse. The ships began offering a range of dining options, such as specialty restaurants, spas, fitness centers, casinos, and even an ice rink or a climbing wall. -
Flowrider
Royal Caribbean introduced the FlowRider, a groundbreaking surf simulator, on Voyager of the Seas in 2004. The groundbreaking amenity was the first on a cruise ship and allowed passengers to surf the open sea's waves like riding the waves. The FlowRider created a manmade wave for new and experienced surfers, an thrilling and new addition to the ship's onboard amenities. This latest addition was part of Royal Caribbean's strategy to deliver more active, adventure-based activities -
Royal Caribbean built the Symphony of the Seas
Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas was handed over on March 23, 2018, following a three-year construction period at French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire. With an overall length of 362 meters and 228,081 gross tons, it is the world's largest cruise ship at delivery, outgrowing its predecessor Harmony of the Seas. The ship features seven distinct neighborhoods, like Central Park and the Royal Promenade, which feature several dining, entertainment, and recreational venues.