How Cruising Began

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 were
available from Miami. Prior to that, a
cruise was a
transatlantic sailing between Europe and
North America a means of transportation
from one continent to another.
Heres a quick history lesson on some little
known facts
that totally changed one industry and
created a totally new one! The industry we
are now a part of!
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Was this the first documented cruise?

The Year?
The Ships?
The Captain?
The itinerary?
The crew?

1712
The Duke & The Duchess
Captain Woodes Rogers
1708-1711
Circumnavigation
around the world
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
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Defoes Robinson Crusoe!

1800s
Todays cruise industry grew from commerce on the high
seas -- 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 company
to 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.

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

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 Hollandto
America. Hence, their name. 1800s
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 By 1830s 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
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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;

Third Class Cruising

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
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3rd-Class Cruising continued

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

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1900s
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.
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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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