ALEMANIA, MIKKA LYN JANE R.

– BSTM
TMPE 6 – SAT (7AM-10AM)

THE TIMELINE OF CRUISE INDUSTRY

1815: Before it was P&O Cruises (which is still running today), it was Wilcox and
Anderson – a ship brokering firm originally founded by Brodie McGhie Wilcox and Arthur
Anderson for trading between England and the Iberian Peninsular countries of Spain
and Portugal.

Wilcox and Anderson eventually became The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company (P&O) in 1822.

A P & O steamer in Venice, circa 1870.

1833: Some sources recognize the Francesco I, flying under that flag of the Kingdom of
the Two Sicilies (a predecessor of Italy), as one of the first cruise ship sailings. Nobles,
authorities, and royals boarded the Francesco I, and cruised to 11 countries within three
months. Since the sailing was limited to European aristocrats, it was not considered to
be a commercial cruise.

1840: Wilcox and Anderson (P&O) were awarded new mail contracts to extend their
services to the Egyptian Port of Alexandra. Their new contract required that the voyage
from England to Alexandria should be accomplished within 15 days. This is when the
two men realized that they could do much more with their trade than merely travel,
export, and mail.

1844: P&O introduced “leisure excursions” that allowed passengers to travel to the
Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean from Southampton. As the forerunner of
modern cruises with these voyages, has led P&O Cruises to be recognized as the
world’s oldest cruise line.

1867: The ship, Quaker City, was the first cruise from New York to Europe.

1880: The P&O ship the Ravena was the first ship to be constructed as a 100 per cent
steel superstructure.

1889: The SS Valetta was the first ship to use electric lights

1891: Augusta Victoria was a German ship which carried 241 passengers and
expanded the cruise ship to a wider market.

1900: The first ship that was built exclusively for luxury cruising was the Prinzessin
Victoria Luise of Germany.
 Prinzessin Victoria Luise

1912: The Titanic sank which stimulated the improvement of safety on cruise ships.

In 1914: otherwise, the beginning of WWI, all production of cruising came to a halt.

1922: The first world cruise was made by Laconia, a British Conard Line which lasted
six months.
 Some women watching the Laconia as it sails away. Photo curtesy of Wallsend Local
History Society.

1927: Ile de France, made by the French, was a passenger ship that was completely
decorated in a modern, contemporary style and introduced the now-famous art-deco
style and ended the era of the classic, severe interior of the cruise ships.

1939 to 1945: During World War II, many cruise ships were used to transport troops
including the Queen Mary, Aquitania, Cap Arcona, Laconia, Queen Elizabeth, and the
Orontes. Many ocean liners were destroyed during the war.

And from then on cruises have then been built larger, grander, –providing the best
experiences for those who seek them.

2009: Royal Caribbean International launched the Oasis of the Seas, the first in its
Oasis-class of ships. With a gross tonnage of 224,282 and a displacement of
approximately 100,000 metric tons, the Oasis-class ships are the world’s largest
passenger ships, carrying a maximum of 6,296 guests and approximately 2,200 crew
members. Oasis-class ships feature a split structure, with the 5-deck high “Central Park”
 and “Boardwalk” outdoor areas running down the middle of the ship. These ships
feature a lush tropical garden, a zip line, two Flow Riders, two rock climbing walls, an
Aqua Theater with divers performing off of a 60ft platform, and a working carousel.