As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we are at sea again today. Today I learned about the recent history of cruising. Did you know that currently the cruise lines are launching about 9 new ships per year? Cruising is a $29.4 billion industry with over 19 million passengers annually. The first cruise ship was launched in 1900, named the Prinzessin Victoria Luise designed by Albert Ballin the General Manager of the Hamburg-American Line. Due to increasing air travel, cruising was on the decline in the 1960’s because at that time many people crossed the Atlantic Ocean to get from Europe to North America by ship and not necessarily for vacation. Cruising was only for the ultra wealthy, such as on the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2. It was not until the 1980’s that Cunard Line started to expand and was acquired by Carnival Corporation in the 1990’s.
After attending the Captain’s cocktail party and dinner, we heard a British singer who now lives and works in Nashville. Need to get ready for a 4 1/2 hour shore excursion tomorrow.
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