The journey of cruise ships from delivering mail to becoming luxury rides
When you think of ships, your mind inadvertently races to the one and only Titanic, right? But apart from the ones that take you to almost every part of the world, there are other water vehicles too that are meant to help you relax and have a good vacation. We are talking about cruise ships over here. From dipping in the pool, dancing in the discos to enjoying a fine dinner, a cruise ship is built to cater to almost every possible form of entertainment and luxury that one can imagine!
But the cruising experience of the 21st century is unrecognisable from when it began in the 1800s. Do you know that initially, such giant ships were not intended for tourism? Instead, they used to deliver mails. Let’s look at the evolution of cruise ships from sending mail to becoming a popular holiday destination.
The origin of transatlantic cruises
The origin of passenger cruises can be traced back to almost 200 years ago. Back then, ships were majorly used for transporting mail and cargo. In 1817, a New-York based ship, called the Black Ball Line, was the first one to provide a comfortable service between North America and England. By the 1830s, steam ships were dominating the market of transatlantic passenger transport. The British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet (now Cunard) redefined passenger comfort by taking a cow aboard the ship to supply fresh milk to its passengers during the fortnight-long journey!
The birth of the modern cruise
Three sailors, Captain Richard Bourne, Arthur Anderson and Brodie McGhie, started a steam service between Spain, Portugal, and London. This journey was known as the Iberian Peninsula. They received their first contract for delivering mail in 1837. However. they were so successful that they were incorporated into the Royal Charter. They used ships to deliver mail to Alexandria, Egypt, via Malta and Gibraltar. In 1840, Cunard, a British shipping company, began delivering mail across the Atlantic using their ship Britannia. Later, in 1845 and 1852, ships also began travelling to India, Hong Kong and Australia, respectively.
Then, the first leisure cruise line was started in 1844 by the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. They initially began their services in the Mediterranean but quickly expanded to India, Australia, and New Zealand. New modes of entertainment, including dancing, parties, card game, and guarded tours, were introduced. However, only higher-class Europeans were allowed to enjoy these services!
In March 1891, a German ship called Augusta Victoria sailed the Mediterranean and the near East carrying 241 passengers. This was the first cruise that had twin propellors. It was also one of the fastest ships at that time. Travellers aboard described it as a ‘floating hotel.’
Another luxury boat, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, was designed to look like a private yacht instead of a commercial ship. It had 120 first class cabins, a gymnasium, a library, and a dark room where the photographers could develop pictures!
By 1900s, cruise ships became an epitome of luxury and travel. In fact, a German shipping magnate came up with the idea of cruise travel in the North Atlantic during winter. Several companies used this concept to build cruises that can easily be transformed between summer and winter cruising.
How World War I changed the cruise industry
Due to World War I, people started using most ships for military purposes. Because of this, leisure cruising stopped. Ocean travel only resumed after World War II ended. However, a downfall in the economy didn’t let the business flourish, leading many cruise companies to bankruptcy.
Further, the introduction of air travel in the second half of the 20th century reduced the ocean business. Another reason was that cruises were not designed to dock at shallow places and had windowless cabins. To address this problem, Cunard developed a luxury cruise, the Queen Elizabeth 2, in 1968. The speciality of this cruise was that the company hired international celebrities to perform during the journey.
Well, Queen Elizabeth 2 carried more than 2,500,000 passengers and travelled more than 6,000,000 miles before retiring in 2008. It had glass elevators and private balconies instead of ocean-view cabins. Between 1975-1980, other features like deck chairs, arcades, discos, and shuffleboard were also introduced. These additions were definitely a game changer in the cruise industry.