Today, taking a cruise for a vacation is a normal, every-day event. However, it has not always been that way. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that it has only been a little over 40 years that warm Caribbean cruises wereavailable from Miami. Prior to that, a „cruise‟ was atransatlantic sailing between Europe and North America – a means of transportation from one continent to another.

Here’s a quick history lesson on some little known factsthat totally changed one industry and created a totally new one! The industry we are now a part of!

How Cruising Began

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Was this the first documented cruise?

The Year? 1712The Ships? The Duke & The DuchessThe Captain? Captain Woodes RogersThe itinerary? 1708-1711

Circumnavigationaround the world

The crew? 333 men

But did you know that Woodes Rogers(ca. 1679 – 15 July 1732) was a pirate hunter and the captain of the ship that rescued Alexander Selkirk, whose adventure is believed to have inspired Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe! 2

1800’s

Today’s cruise industry grew from commerce on the highseas -- yes, there were passenger voyages too, but it was not a primary focus, nor on a scheduled basis. But that changes in 1818 when Black Ball Line, operating out of New York, became the first shipping companyto offer a scheduled passenger service from the US to England.

The plan was to depart of the fifth of the month from New York, while ships were to sail from Liverpool on the seventeenth, beginning in January 1818.

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Named for the newly elected president, the JAMES MONROE inaugurated this service on the cold, windy morning of January 5, 1818, when she departed New York under Captain James Watkinson with eight passengers and a cargo consisting of apples, flour, cotton, cranberries, hops, and wool.

The departure had been advertised in the Commercial Advertiser since the October 24, 1817 newspaper edition.

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The first paddle-steamer to make a long ocean voyage was the SS Savannah, built in 1819 expressly for the service of scheduled passenger crossings.

Savannah was an American hybrid sailing ship/side-wheel steamer built in 1818. She is notable for being the first steamship in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She departed NYC for Liverpool on May 22 1819, sighting Ireland after 23 days at sea.

In spite of her historic voyage, she was not a commercial success as a steamship and was converted back into a sailing ship shortly after returning from Europe.

Paddle wheel

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Even with a scheduled passenger service company, taking to the open seas was still considered a mode of transportation to get from one land to another in the same way we consider air, train, bus and automobile travel. In fact, they weren't called cruises, but “crossings” as people were "crossing" from one land to another. Passengers boarded the ship in one country, spent several days "at sea" and then arrived at a destination.

Holland America Line was even named for these ”crossings”. Their voyages were from Holland…to America. Hence, their name. 1800’s  

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• By 1830’s steamships were introduced and dominated the transatlantic market.

• English companies dominated the market at this time• Led by British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet (later

Cunard Line)

On July 4, 1840, Britannia, the 1st ship under Cunard Line• Left Liverpool with a cow onboard to supply fresh milk to the

passengers on a 14-day transatlantic crossing• Paddle-wheeler

During the 1850s and 1860s there was a marked enhancement in the quality of the cruise for passengers

• Ships began to focus solely to passengers, rather than cargo they were transporting

• Luxuries like electric lights, more deck space, and entertainment were added

This type of ocean-crossing transportation continued to gain popularity, especially in the luxury customer segment

• Very elite customers – who were served everything on a silver platter 7

In fact, rumor has it that the word “POSH” comes from the days of ocean travel between England and India. The most interesting version of the story involves Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company w/c from 1842 to 1970 was the major steamship carrier of passenger and mail between England and India.

The P.& O. route went through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, with no air conditioning and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees

easily. The cabins on the port side on the way to India got the morning sun and had the rest of the day to cool off, while the starboard ones got the afternoon sun, and were still quite hot at bed time.

On the way home, the opposite was true.

The cooler cabins, therefore, were the more desirable and were reserved for the most important and richest travelers. Their tickets were stamped P.O.S.H (Port Out, Starboard Home) to include this accommodations – in large violet letters, according to one recollection.

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Things were quite different on the lower decks. People that were just hoping to get from one place to another and were forced to scrape by in an area where they were packed as tightly as a can of sardines. If you wanted to enjoy the trip, you had to be wealthy.

Cruising 3rd Class;

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• Prior to boarding, you had to pass a health inspection. If you arrived in America and failed your health inspection, the cruise line had to ship you back

• You will be separated from all other classes• Once onboard, you are told where you can go on the ship.

Single men and women are separated and assigned specific sleeping locations. Married couples w/ or w/o children are placed together

• You sleeping accommodation is a bunk or rack, usually constructed of steel pipe with fabric stretched over the framework, at least 3 bunks in height. Pillows are not provided, but, depending on the ship, a simple blanket may be offered.

• The bathrooms are communal – bathing facilities are divided by sex (if they have facilities)

• There is no air conditioning and fresh air is often lacking, since steerage is often below the water line, w/c translates to no portholes

Third – Class Cruising

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• While your 1st Class co-cruisers are dining in style, your dining experience consist of long tables w/ tightly spaced seating. Meals are served from large tureens. There is no menu – everyone eats the same food, soups or stews usually made from the cheapest cuts of meat

• There are few stewards and meals are self-service• Of course, there is no shipboard entertainment• 3rd class passengers are considered commodities rather than guests and

are treated as such, but are also eagerly sought because they, rather than the 1st class passengers generated high profits – simple mathematics

• If your lucky to be aboard an express liner, typically about 6 days. On slower, older ships, crossing of two to three weeks are the norm

3rd-Class Cruising… continued

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1900’s• By the 20th century the concept of the “superliner” was

developed and Germany led the market in the development of this massive and ornate floating hotels

• The design of these liners, as is done today, is structured to make the cruise as smooth and enjoyable as possible. This includes the addition of elegant accommodations and scheduled onboard activities.

• During this time the Mauritania and the Luisitania, both owned by the Cunard Line, started the tradition of dressing for dinner and advertised the romance of cruising the high seas

• Speed was still the deciding factor in the design of these ships. And, in order to make them as last as possible, there was no space for large public rooms, and passengers were required to share the dining tables

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• The White Star Line, owned by American bussinessman J.P. Morgan, introduced the most luxurious passenger ships ever seen in the Olympic (complete w/ swimming pool and tennis court) and Titanic.

• Space and passenger comfort now were in focus over speed in the design of these ship-resulting in larger, more stable liners. The sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage in 1912 devastated the White Star Line, and in 1934, Cunard brought out White Star.

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• During WWI and WWII, cruise ships were converted into troop carriers and all transatlantic cruising ceased until war was ended.

• Following the end of each war European lines took advantage of transporting refugees to America and Canada, and business travelers and tourists to Europe. The lack of American ocean liners at this time forced the U.S. govt. to subsidize the building of cruise liners in order to complete. In addition, after WWII, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 was created

• W/in this act, Sec. 27 was written – It is also known as the Jones Act, and deals w/ cabotage. This law requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed wholly by U.S. citizens.

• The purpose of the law was to support the U.S. merchant marine industry. However, the impact of this law today is much more reaching.

Company Mergers and Changes since 1980

1983 – Cunard and Nowegian American Cruise merged to become Cunard

1984 – Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Viking Line merged to become Norwegian Cruise Line

1985 – Chandris, Fantasy Cruises merged to become Celebrity, Fantasy Cruises

1986 – Eastern Western, Sundance Cruises merged to become Admiral Cruises

- Cunard, Sea Goddess Cruise merged to become Cunard Sea Goddess

1987 – Windstar Sail Cruises, Holland America Line merged but still operate separately

1988 – Royal Caribbean purchased Admiral Cruises

- Princess Cruises purchased Sitmar Cruises

- Carnival purchased Holland America and Windstar

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1993 – Delta Queen Steamboat purchased American Hawaii Cruises

1995 – Delta Queen Steamboat changes the name to American Classic Voyages Co.

- Sun Line and Epirotiki Cruises become Royal Olympic Cruise

1996 – Regency Cruises ceases operation

2000 – Premier Cruise Line ceases operations

- Cape Cananveral Cruise Line ceases operations

2001 – Renaissance Cruise Line ceases operations

- American Classic Voyages Co. files for bankruptcy

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