Photos show how cruising has changed over the last century, evolving into a $7 billion industry carrying nearly 30 million every year

Hannah ToweyMar 1, 2023, 23:30 IST

Buffet lunch by the swimming pool on the 1950s cruise ship "Independence At Sea."J. Rogers/ClassicStock/Getty Images

A hundred years ago, the idea of taking a transatlantic voyage solely for pleasure was unheard of.
In 2019, cruise ships carried nearly 30 million passengers across dozens of lines.

In the 19th century, the idea of "cruising," or traveling by sea for leisure as opposed to necessity, was a strange one.

A Cruise Ship to Monaco on June 2, 1966.REPORTERS ASSOCIES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Some credit the origin story of the cruise to American writer Mark Twain, who chronicled his "Great Pleasure Excursion" onboard the Quaker City steamship in his 1869 book "The Innocents Abroad."

Writer Mark Twain relaxes on a ship deck with his feet on the railings.Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images

Some credit the origin story of the cruise to American writer Mark Twain, who chronicled his "Great Pleasure Excursion" onboard the Quaker City steamship in his 1869 book "The Innocents Abroad."

Along with 73 fellow passengers, Twain set off on a five-month journey from New York City to Europe and Jerusalem, for a price of $1,250 per person.

United States, Union Navy side wheel steamer USS Quaker City, 1854, color illustration.DEA PICTURE LIBRARY/De Agostini via Getty Images

While this may have been the first time the notion of cruising entered the zeitgeist, the world had yet to see its first cruise ship intentionally constructed for leisurely sea travel.

Prinzessin Victoria Luise, considered the world's first cruise ship.Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

While this may have been the first time the notion of cruising entered the zeitgeist, the world had yet to see its first cruise ship intentionally constructed for leisurely sea travel.

The world's first cruise ship is considered to have been the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, created by German Jewish shipping executive Albert Ballin.

German businessman Albert Ballin (1857 - 1918), general director of German shipping company the Hamburg America Line.Estate of Emil Bieber/Klaus Niermann/Getty Images

Not everyone was a believer, with one colleague warning Ballin that travelers "would surely not submit themselves to the hazards and discomforts of a long voyage just for the incidental fun of it."

Passenger on the deck of a cruise ship circa 1930.Corbis via Getty Images

Not everyone was a believer, with one colleague warning Ballin that travelers "would surely not submit themselves to the hazards and discomforts of a long voyage just for the incidental fun of it."

The 407-foot Prinzessin Victoria Luise was designed in par with Europe's luxury hotels, with amenities including a ballroom, gymnasium, dining hall, library, and an art gallery ...

Inside the S.S. Prinzessin Victoria Luise's main parlor room.Detroit Publishing Company photograph collection (Library of Congress)

The 407-foot Prinzessin Victoria Luise was designed in par with Europe's luxury hotels, with amenities including a ballroom, gymnasium, dining hall, library, and an art gallery ...

... plus 120 first-class staterooms.

Interior of S.S. Prinzessin Victoria Luise, a stateroomDetroit Publishing Company photograph collection (Library of Congress)

In 1900, the ship embarked on its maiden voyage, a 35-day cruise in from Germany to Venezuela and the West Indies. Later itineraries included trips to the Baltic Seas, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean.

Advertisement for tours and cruises to the West Indies by the Hamburg American Line, New York, 1903.Jay Paull/Getty Images

In 1900, the ship embarked on its maiden voyage, a 35-day cruise in from Germany to Venezuela and the West Indies. Later itineraries included trips to the Baltic Seas, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean.

The oldest cruise line still in existence today is P&O Cruises, which launched its first "pleasure cruise" in 1904: a retrofitted mail steamer renamed the Vectis.

P. & O. Electric Ship Strathaird, 22,000 Tons, 1932.Amanda Waite/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

The White Star Line, another major player in the early days of cruising, built three luxury cruise ships a few years later: the Olympic, Britannic, and the ill-fated Titanic.

Leaflet of the British White Star Line about the 'Olympic' and 'Titanic' transatlantic liners, circa 1910.Roger Viollet via Getty Images

The White Star Line, another major player in the early days of cruising, built three luxury cruise ships a few years later: the Olympic, Britannic, and the ill-fated Titanic.

In 1912, The Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship ever built, with a passenger capacity of 2,435 people — but we all know the end of that story.

The Titanic had less than one-third of the passenger capacity of today's largest cruise ship.Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images

The sinking of the Titanic was one of the deadliest civilian maritime incidents in history, prompting a wave of safety regulations.

The front page of the St.Louis Post-Dispatch of 16th April 1912.FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The industry barely held on during The Great Depression and World War II, but experienced a resurgence during the economic boom of the 1950s.

A cruise between San Francisco and Hawaii on the SS Lurline, mid July 1954.Gene Lester/Getty Images

The first-class sections of early cruise ships featured lavish interiors ...

The Louis XIV salon in the First Class section of the steamer 'SS France.'Neurdein/Roger Viollet via Getty Images

... with relatively spacious first-class cabins (especially compared to the bunk rooms on the lower decks).

First class cabin of transatlantic liner Augustus, circa 1930s.Photo by: Touring Club Italiano/Marka/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Unlike today's hectic cruise buffets, dining on the ship was a special occasion — and one to dress up for.

Afternoon tea on a cruise on the way to the West Indies, circa January 01, 1930George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images

Instead of arcades and waterslides, passengers entertained themselves with games like golf ...

January 01, 1900: Two women practice their golf swings on the deck of the cruise ship S.S. California.© Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

... boxing ...

Two women passengers boxing aboard Cunard liner 'Berengaria' watched by fellow passengers and an officer, circa July 1923.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

... and tennis.

Passengers playing tennis aboard the liner SS Cap Areona.Fox Photos/Getty Images

Even some of the earliest ships had pools on deck, though much smaller (and dirtier) than any you'll find on today's cruises.

Passengers making use of the swimming pool on board the luxury liner RMS Orontes, launched in 1902.J. B. Helsby/Getty Images

Sunbathing has endured as a popular cruise-goer pass time ...

Passengers sunbathing on the deck of the French ocean liner Normandie, circa 1937.Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images

... though "electric light baths," an early version of the tanning bed, has not.

A passenger onboard a liner in an electric light bath, circa 1923.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

As for nightlife, the ballroom was the place to be.

Guests dancing in the ballroom aboard Cunard liner 'Berengaria' at Southampton Docks.Puttnam/Getty Images

In the late 1950s, the rise of affordable plane travel momentarily slowed the cruise business — only to later aid the industry by making major ports more accessible.

A mid-morning snack on the cruise ship 'Agamemnon', anchored off Agia Galini in southern Crete, Greece, 12th April 1959.Garry Hogg/Getty Images

In the late 1950s, the rise of affordable plane travel momentarily slowed the cruise business — only to later aid the industry by making major ports more accessible.

But perhaps the biggest turning point for the cruise industry was the hit-show "Love Boat" set onboard Princess Cruises.

LOVE BOAT - "Not Now, I'm Dying/Eleanor's Return/Too Young to Love" which aired on November 24, 1979.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The series, which aired from 1977 to 1986, helped expand cruising's customer base beyond just newlyweds and retirees, CNN reported.

"'The Love Boat' really created the cruise industry," Michael L. Grace, one of the show's scriptwriters, told CNN. "You had 50 million people watching, and they all wanted to go on a cruise."ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Between when the show first aired and the late 1990s, the number of cruise-goers had multiplied ten-fold, according to the outlet.

More than a thousand couples renew their vows at sea aboard Grand Princess on February 9, 1999, during the "Love Boat National Holiday."Tim Chapman/Getty Images

From then on, the ships just kept getting bigger. In 1988, Royal Caribbean launched the Sovereign of the Seas, frequently cited as the world's first "mega ship" at 73,000 tons.

Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas (2005)Creative Commons

From then on, the ships just kept getting bigger. In 1988, Royal Caribbean launched the Sovereign of the Seas, frequently cited as the world's first "mega ship" at 73,000 tons.

The cruise touted two pools, a casino and nightclub, multiple restaurants, plus a theater and concert venue.

The casino on board the cruise ship 'Majesty of the Seas,' circa 1993.© Carl & Ann Purcell/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

The wow-factor amenities onboard the so-called "floating hotels" set the stage for modern-day cruising, where the ship is as much of a destination as the ports.

The surf center on the upper deck on board the "Freedom of the Seas", the world's largest cruise ship, docked on April 24, 2006 in Hamburg, Germany.Lutz Bongarts/Getty Images

Carnival was the first cruise line to add water slides to its ships, with the industry's first "substantial" waterslide of 115 feet debuting on the Carnival Fantasy in 1990, according to The Points Guy.

The water slide onboard the Carnival Conquest in 2007.MyLoupe/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Carnival was the first cruise line to add water slides to its ships, with the industry's first "substantial" waterslide of 115 feet debuting on the Carnival Fantasy in 1990, according to The Points Guy.

But it was Disney who "changed the game" for onboard amenities when it debuted its first cruise ship in 1998, Joe Kleiman of InPark Magazine told Condé Nast Traveler.

The Mickey Mouse Pool is one of the options available for water activities on the pool deck of the Disney Dream cruise ship.Marjie Lambert/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

But it was Disney who "changed the game" for onboard amenities when it debuted its first cruise ship in 1998, Joe Kleiman of InPark Magazine told Condé Nast Traveler.

Then in 2001, P&O, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean Cruises merged, overtaking Carnival as the world's largest cruise line with a fleet of 41 ships.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Sea and a Carnival Cruise ship anchored off the shore of Grand Cayman Island.MyLoupe/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Between 2009 and 2019, the number of people going on cruises steadily increased each year from 17.8 million to 29.7 million, according to Statista— until COVID sent those numbers crashing down.

A drone image shows decommissioned cruise ships being dismantled at Aliaga ship-breaking yard in the Aegean port city of Izmir, western Turkey, October 2, 2020.REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Between 2009 and 2019, the number of people going on cruises steadily increased each year from 17.8 million to 29.7 million, according to Statista— until COVID sent those numbers crashing down.

Today, major cruise lines are returning back toward pre-pandemic booking levels, with Royal Caribbean announcing its single largest booking day in 53 years on Black Friday.

Cruise ships docked at the Port of Miami on December 31, 2021 in Miami, Florida.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Today, major cruise lines are returning back toward pre-pandemic booking levels, with Royal Caribbean announcing its single largest booking day in 53 years on Black Friday.

As the industry grows, so do the ships. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas setting sail in 2024 will have a whopping 20 decks and measure 1,198 feet — making it the largest cruise ship in the world.

Royal Caribbean International

As the industry grows, so do the ships. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas setting sail in 2024 will have a whopping 20 decks and measure 1,198 feet — making it the largest cruise ship in the world.

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Photos show how cruising has changed over the last century, evolving into a $7 billion industry carrying nearly 30 million every year

In the 19th century, the idea of "cruising," or traveling by sea for leisure as opposed to necessity, was a strange one.

Some credit the origin story of the cruise to American writer Mark Twain, who chronicled his "Great Pleasure Excursion" onboard the Quaker City steamship in his 1869 book "The Innocents Abroad."

Along with 73 fellow passengers, Twain set off on a five-month journey from New York City to Europe and Jerusalem, for a price of $1,250 per person.

While this may have been the first time the notion of cruising entered the zeitgeist, the world had yet to see its first cruise ship intentionally constructed for leisurely sea travel.

The world's first cruise ship is considered to have been the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, created by German Jewish shipping executive Albert Ballin.

Not everyone was a believer, with one colleague warning Ballin that travelers "would surely not submit themselves to the hazards and discomforts of a long voyage just for the incidental fun of it."

The 407-foot Prinzessin Victoria Luise was designed in par with Europe's luxury hotels, with amenities including a ballroom, gymnasium, dining hall, library, and an art gallery ...

... plus 120 first-class staterooms.

In 1900, the ship embarked on its maiden voyage, a 35-day cruise in from Germany to Venezuela and the West Indies. Later itineraries included trips to the Baltic Seas, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean.

The oldest cruise line still in existence today is P&O Cruises, which launched its first "pleasure cruise" in 1904: a retrofitted mail steamer renamed the Vectis.

The White Star Line, another major player in the early days of cruising, built three luxury cruise ships a few years later: the Olympic, Britannic, and the ill-fated Titanic.

In 1912, The Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship ever built, with a passenger capacity of 2,435 people — but we all know the end of that story.

The sinking of the Titanic was one of the deadliest civilian maritime incidents in history, prompting a wave of safety regulations.

The industry barely held on during The Great Depression and World War II, but experienced a resurgence during the economic boom of the 1950s.

The first-class sections of early cruise ships featured lavish interiors ...

... with relatively spacious first-class cabins (especially compared to the bunk rooms on the lower decks).

Unlike today's hectic cruise buffets, dining on the ship was a special occasion — and one to dress up for.

Instead of arcades and waterslides, passengers entertained themselves with games like golf ...

... boxing ...

... and tennis.

Even some of the earliest ships had pools on deck, though much smaller (and dirtier) than any you'll find on today's cruises.

Sunbathing has endured as a popular cruise-goer pass time ...

... though "electric light baths," an early version of the tanning bed, has not.

As for nightlife, the ballroom was the place to be.

In the late 1950s, the rise of affordable plane travel momentarily slowed the cruise business — only to later aid the industry by making major ports more accessible.

But perhaps the biggest turning point for the cruise industry was the hit-show "Love Boat" set onboard Princess Cruises.

The series, which aired from 1977 to 1986, helped expand cruising's customer base beyond just newlyweds and retirees, CNN reported.

Between when the show first aired and the late 1990s, the number of cruise-goers had multiplied ten-fold, according to the outlet.

From then on, the ships just kept getting bigger. In 1988, Royal Caribbean launched the Sovereign of the Seas, frequently cited as the world's first "mega ship" at 73,000 tons.

The cruise touted two pools, a casino and nightclub, multiple restaurants, plus a theater and concert venue.

The wow-factor amenities onboard the so-called "floating hotels" set the stage for modern-day cruising, where the ship is as much of a destination as the ports.

Carnival was the first cruise line to add water slides to its ships, with the industry's first "substantial" waterslide of 115 feet debuting on the Carnival Fantasy in 1990, according to The Points Guy.

But it was Disney who "changed the game" for onboard amenities when it debuted its first cruise ship in 1998, Joe Kleiman of InPark Magazine told Condé Nast Traveler.

Then in 2001, P&O, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean Cruises merged, overtaking Carnival as the world's largest cruise line with a fleet of 41 ships.

Between 2009 and 2019, the number of people going on cruises steadily increased each year from 17.8 million to 29.7 million, according to Statista— until COVID sent those numbers crashing down.

Today, major cruise lines are returning back toward pre-pandemic booking levels, with Royal Caribbean announcing its single largest booking day in 53 years on Black Friday.

As the industry grows, so do the ships. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas setting sail in 2024 will have a whopping 20 decks and measure 1,198 feet — making it the largest cruise ship in the world.