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Steam Engines Introduced
The stream ships such as the Great Western were used to transport mail and cargo from Europe to America, as they developed they started to transport passengers as well. Passengers were all migrants as they only every bought a one way ticket to settle in a new country. -
Cunard, world's first cruise line
First company to offer a scheduled regular service from the UK to America -
SS Great Britain Introduced
The were the first ships to be made completely of iron and had a propeller rather than a paddle wheel, therefore were a lot faster than before. -
First advertised cruise
P&O began advertising cruises from Southampton to Gibraltar, Malta and Athens. -
Signalling introduced
Signal light systems have been introduced, white light on mast, green light on starboard and red on port side. Lights were added to make them visible at night. -
Electricity was Introduced
Servia sets sail- The first steel ship which meant it was lighter and faster it also had electrical lighting and en suite bathrooms -
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Luxury ships Introduced
Ships became more luxurious to cater for the more wealthy. Cruises were becoming a status symbol. Cruise ships were the way to travel long distances as air travel wasn't yet fully developed. -
Wireless communication was Introduced
Ships could now communicate between other ships at sea, but at land as well. If anything were to happen they could signal for help. -
Titanic
It was known for being the "unsinkable" ship. It was the biggest ship when it was launched. There were not enough lifeboats on ship to save everyone, they only had half of the required lifeboats. -
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Social and Economic Changes
Cruise operators had to adapt to compete with cheap holidays to Spain, Portugal and Greece. Modern ships started to be introduced, carrying more passengers and bringing the cost of cruising down to more affordable levels to appeal to the mass market. -
First private facilities launched
The QE2 was launched and was the first big Atlantic liner with private facilities in every cabin. -
Thomson Cruises Launched
They were launched in 1995 but in 2017 TUI announced that Thomson cruises would be rebranded as Marella Cruises. -
P&O Princess merged with Carnival Cruises
They merged together and now are the world's largest integrated cruise company. Together they form the worlds largest integrated cruise company. Carnival is integrated with tour operators. -
Ocean Village launched
This was launched for people who weren't a cruise type of person. They were more of a party ship that was cheap, fun and informal where passengers could relax. -
Queen Mary 2 Launches
It is one of the largest luxury ocean liner ever built operated by Cunard line based in Southhampton England and travels to NYC. It measures 345 metres in length and has a tonnage of about 149,215 tons. This ship has 14 passenger decks and can accommodate up to 2,695 guests.
It offers accommodation, fine dining like broadway style shows and live music. The facilities they provide are a spa, gym and pools.It appeals to travellers looking for a high end comfortable cruise experience. -
Oasis Class Ships Launched
They can hold over 4000 passengers and crew. (15 years later they have now double in size carrying 8000). These ships also made it more affordable for people. -
Multigenerational families
Cruises are being marketed as the perfect holiday for grandparents, parents and children because there are different activities for everyone on board. NCL cruises have stated that between 15 and 20% of their guests are a part of a multigenerational family. -
Virgin Cruises Launched
They were launched in 2014 and then rebranded to Virgin Voyages in 2016. Within the group there is an Airline, Tour operator and a Retailer meaning the brand is vertically integrated. -
MS Roald Amundsen Launched
This cruise ship has 11 decks, weighs 20,890 tons and can carry 530 passengers. The ship is named after a Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who was known for his Antarctic expeditions. It has a hybrid engine that uses battery power in addition to traditional diesel engines to cut down on fuel consumption and pollution, making it more enviromentally friendly compared to other ships. It mainly travels to remote locations in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as other polar regions. -
Cost of living crisis
Although cruises remain popular, they have had to offer more affordable packages to attract customers during the cost of living crisis -
Increase in demand post-covid
There was a big demand for long cruises and cruises overall because of lockdown, no one could go on them. This lead to P&O to launch their 2023 itinerary early because of the demand.