Heralded as the safest and largest ship afloat when she launched, the tragic RMS Titanic liner sank on her maiden voyage in April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg in the north Atlantic. Around 1,500 people lost their lives, due to the fact there were only lifeboats for 1,178 people – about one third of her total capacity.
On this groundbreaking ship, amenities were built to meet the highest standards of comfort and luxury; London's Ritz hotel was one design reference, while public areas and cabins were decorated in styles ranging from Louis XV to the Renaissance, to give the feel of a floating hotel or great house. The first class lounge in the style of Paris's Palace of Versailles was a particularly distinctive feature. The open deck was where people would gather to socialise, while some mothers even scoured the passenger list before boarding to identify eligible bachelors for their daughters to meet while sailing. Discover more Titanic secrets here.
Cunard’s RMS Aquitania entered service in 1914 and made its maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York in May the same year. After the horror of the Titanic disaster it was a journey which naturally received a lot of press attention. Accommodating 3,200 passengers across three classes, elegant public spaces were designed by British architect Arthur Joseph Davis whose previous work included the decor of London’s Ritz Hotel. Unique features included a Louis XVI dining saloon, smoking room, old English garden and the first music hall on a ship, showcasing the Tiller Girls dance troupe.
During the First World War, the production of cruise ships stopped and the existing ones were used to transport troops. This Cunard Steam Ship ticket from Newburg, NY to London, shows assigned sleeping quarters and mess hall and dates from around 1918.
Post-war, trade and voyages on transatlantic routes were in full swing by the mid-1920s. Fashionable French ocean liner the SS Île de France made her maiden voyage to New York in 1927 where thousands turned out to see the ship. Featuring a sumptuous Art Deco interior, shooting gallery, merry-go-round for kids, and luxurious first class dining room that was three decks high, the ship would carry wealthy and famous passengers from the worlds of film, aristocracy, the arts and sport. Captain Joseph Blancart even became a celebrity in his own right.
No expense was spared on the interior design of this decadently luxurious ship, from pillars of Lalique glass in the first class dining room to the wide staircases and elegant open spaces in which passengers could socialise. The first class dining hall was where guests feasted on the most sophisticated French cuisine of the period; in the central kitchen, 76 chefs and more than 100 assistants turned out 4,000 meals each day.
Dubbed "just about the most beautiful ship afloat" by The New Yorker, Cunard’s Queen Mary made her maiden voyage to Cherbourg and New York in May 1936. With a similar Art Deco interior, the pioneering and undeniably glamorous ship was in direct competition with SS Normandie.
During the Second World War, many cruise ships like Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary were converted into troopships to transport Allied soldiers. On the Queen Elizabeth, the beauty parlours and women’s hair saloon were kept open for the servicewomen aboard.
The third Union-Castle Line vessel bearing the name, the 453 passenger, 17,029 ton SS Braemar Castle was built in 1952 by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, taking its maiden voyage the same year. A mail and passenger ship, the route was the Round Africa service via the Cape and Durban. Features included a swimming pool, deck quoits and double and single cabins. This picture shows TV comedian Terry Thomas at King George V dock in London, aboard the ship.
Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), a veritable style icon of a luxury liner, was launched by the Queen in Clydebank. The ship's maiden voyage – the classic transatlantic route – was from Southampton to New York in May 1969. Accommodating 1,892 passengers, it also had three swimming pools, a 481-seat cinema and a hospital on board.
Before she was retired in 2008, QE2 made 806 transatlantic crossings. A highlight of any trip onboard was afternoon tea in the Queens Room (pictured here) which always featured elegant cakes, fruit and plain scones and of course, cucumber sandwiches. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 70,000 bottles of champagne were drunk every year on the ship.
In 1977, Norwegian Caribbean Line (now Norwegian Cruise Line) acquired and developed cruising’s original private island, the 268-acre Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. This was the first time a cruise line had exclusive control of a private island. Formerly a US military installation and satellite tracking station, Great Stirrup Cay is a protected marine life sanctuary, and removal of anything from the ocean is prohibited.
Produced by Aaron Spelling and mainly set on luxury cruise ship Pacific Princess (a Princess Cruises vessel in real life) iconic American comedy drama The Love Boat first aired on TV in 1977. The series, which made number five in the popularity ratings in 1980-81, revolved around the passengers’ romantic and humorous adventures. The series’ theme song was released as a single a year later by Charo.
Norwegian Cruise Line converted the former SS France into the world’s largest and longest cruise ship, renaming it Norway. With capacity for 2,000 passengers, the vessel was the first and only purpose-built transatlantic ocean liner that was rebuilt for the luxury market, with more spacious accommodation and public spaces. This made the industry sit up and competitors soon began to order larger ships.
New-build ship Carnival Tropicale entered the market in 1982 as the first of a new generation of modern liners. Its construction reportedly kicked off the start of a multi billion-dollar shipbuilding boom. Accommodating 1,022 passengers, Tropicale was the cruise line’s "test ship" for new vessels, and appeared in an episode of the A-Team in 1985. Features included three outdoor pools and international cuisine.
Princess Cruises’ original Royal Princess was named at a ceremony in Southampton by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The ceremony was attended by members of the public, employees and local and international dignitaries. The 1,260-capacity ship was, at the time, the most luxurious ship that sailed for P&O. With no inside cabins, Royal Princess was the first large vessel to feature an all outside cabin concept; something then only seen on premium vessels, as well as two decks of cabins with balconies.
In 1988, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line launched Sovereign of the Seas, at that time the world’s largest "mega" cruise ship in service, accommodating 2,690 passengers and weighing more than 73,000 tonnes. Features included a shipboard atrium complete with grand piano and glass elevators, sweeping staircases, fountains in marble pools, as well as an entire deck for cabins with private balconies.
In December 1999, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas set a record for the most guests on a cruise (3,497). A number of innovations were introduced on this ship’s debut, including the first ice skating rink and rock climbing wall at sea, plus the 308-feet-long Royal Promenade, a shopping, dining and entertainment boulevard.
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Norwegian Cruise Line ushered in a new era of cruising when it introduced Freestyle Cruising and Freestyle Dining on board Norwegian Sky in 2000. While nearly all cruises had previously involved fixed dining times and formal attire, Norwegian's new and more modern mealtime offering allowed guests the freedom to eat wherever and when they wanted.
The world’s biggest ocean liner, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 was named by Her Majesty the Queen and set sail on its maiden voyage a few days later from Southampton with 3,090 passengers on board. Thousands lined the waterfront to see the ship off on its travels as it embarked on its first fare-paying passenger voyage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On board were celebrities including Shirley Bassey, who had previously sailed on the old Queen Mary.
Norwegian Jewel was christened at the Port of Miami by godmother Melania Trump. The £300 million ($400m) ship featured a sumptuous suite complex with butlers, plus 10 restaurants, 13 bars and lounges, including "Bar Central" – a martini bar, a champagne and wine bar, and a beer and whisky pub. The newest vessel in the line’s Freestyle Cruising fleet also offered a range of family-friendly accommodation.
At the time a controversial move, Camilla Parker Bowles christened Cunard’s highly anticipated ship the Queen Victoria in Southampton, accompanied by her husband Prince Charles and a performance from the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Part cruise ship, part ocean liner, the 2,014-passenger vessel featured an art deco style Veuve Clicquot champagne bar located on deck 2 of the triple-height Grand Lobby.
In 2008, Royal Caribbean announced a more restrictive smoking policy, increasing smoke-free zones in synergy with its Vitality wellness programme. The change meant that smoking in staterooms was no longer permitted, a move only undertaken by a couple of other cruise lines at that time.
Advertised as "the superliner designed for Britain," P&O Ventura, the largest ship ever designed for the British market, entered service and was christened by Dame Helen Mirren at a star-studded naming ceremony in Southampton. With 1,546 cabins accommodating over 3,500 passengers, dining options included a Marco Pierre White restaurant, while children’s facilities were excellent as the ship was intended to appeal to families.
Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas was the world’s largest cruise ship when it entered service in 2009. The first vessel in the cruise line’s Oasis-class, with 16 passenger decks and accommodating a maximum 6,296 passengers, the ship debuted the seven neighbourhoods concept, including Central Park, the Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Centre, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. Additional features included an outdoor AquaTheatre, 82-foot zipline and rock-climbing walls.
Dubbed the world’s most technologically advanced ship, Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas made its maiden voyage in November 2014. The ship boasted innovative features including the first ever dodgems at sea, the world’s first bionic bartenders, FlowRider surf simulators and the North Star, a glass capsule viewing deck rising 300ft above sea level. Accommodating a maximum of 4,905 passengers, there are 2,090 staterooms and 16 passenger decks.
Homeporting at its own terminal in Miami, Celebrity Cruises’ pioneering new ship Celebrity Edge entered service last year, featuring a revolutionary interior by some of the world’s most eminent designers including Kelly Hoppen. Accommodating 2,918 passengers, notable features include a cantilevered floating platform named the Magic Carpet (pictured), split-level Edge Villas, a palatial spa and Infinite Veranda staterooms featuring a window that can be lowered to create a balcony.
Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas launched in April 2018 and remains the world’s largest ship, with a maximum capacity of 6,680 guests. Energetic features include the tallest slide at sea, the Ultimate Abyss which towers 10 stories high, and FlowRider surf simulators and a glow-in-the-dark laser tag adventure. The ship also features the Ultimate Family Suite, a two-story home-from-home with an in-suite slide, private cinema and LEGO wall.
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With a maximum passenger capacity of 5,686, MSC Bellissima was christened by screen icon Sophia Loren in Southampton in March 2019. Entitled the ‘ship for all seasons’, the ship’s innovative technology adapts its facilities to the world’s weather. MSC Bellissima features a Mediterranean-style promenade with an LED Sky Screen, the longest at sea at an impressive 80 metres long, while entertainment includes exclusive shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea.
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Another innovative feature on Bellissima is the world’s first digital cruise assistant, ZOE, available in seven languages. Designed to answer questions in the comfort of the cabin, this voice-enabled Artificial Intelligence device is one of the most innovative afloat. Think of ZOE as cruising's answer to Amazon's Alexa.
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