- The first cruise ship
The Prinzessin Victoria Luise, a German passenger liner for the transatlantic shipping company Hamburg-America Line, was the first official cruise ship to set sail in the summer of 1900. Although it was more like a private yacht in size than any modern liner, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise was revolutionary in its idea, and passengers could enjoy luxury and breathtaking scenery at the same time.
- The cow on board
During the 1840s, the liner Britannia (Cunard) took a cow on board to provide fresh milk for all of its guests. It may have seemed like a novel idea at the time but nowadays it’s more than surprising.
Three times around the world in 365 days
Each year the average cruise ship travels a distance of about 135,000 kilometers. That means they can travel around the world about three and a half times or go more than a third of the way to the moon.
- The Titanic II
Australian millionaire Clive Palmer announced his project to create a cruise liner, an exact replica of the Titanic. The businessman said the ship will be ready to leave in 2022. We hope it won’t suffer the same fate as its predecessor.
- The largest cruise liner in the world
The impressive title of “World’s Largest Cruise Liner” went to Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas cruise company. This magnificent ship has 18 decks, 2,759 cabins, 20 restaurants, 24 pools and a park with more than 20,700 plants. There are robot bartenders, a Zip Line (almost a bungee jump, only cooler. I can’t describe it, you have to try it!), an ice rink and a 28-meter-high waterslide. The ship, which debuted in 2018, is 362 meters long – that’s almost 4 soccer fields or a little more than the height of the Eiffel Tower.
- In pieces
To have enough room to build, cruise ship cabins are built at an off-site facility and then transported to the shipyard and added to the ship later. In fact, more often than not, both the ship and the cabins are built by separate companies.
- Save the average fisherman
Don’t be surprised if your cruise ship stops to help fishermen in need. Sometimes the ship may get a distress call and chart a course for an entire rescue mission; other times it’s just helping a fishing boat that’s run aground. But don’t worry about having to participate-the ship’s crew is well prepared for such situations.
- “Perch, Perch, I’m Caras.”
Crew members, like the military or aviation, for example, have secret code words that they use to communicate. For example, “Alpha” is for a medical emergency, “Bravo” is for a fire, and “Kilo” is a request for all personnel to report the situation at their emergency posts, what happens in case of a necessary evacuation.
- Memento Mori
Cruise ships really are prepared for any situation – even death. That’s why some cruise ships are equipped with a morgue that can hold up to three dead bodies. If someone dies on board, the ship will hold the body until it arrives in port and the necessary arrangements are made.
- For fifteen days
Most large cruise ships have a jail to keep unruly passengers in peace. The passenger is kept in jail until he is turned over to the authorities at the nearest port.
- Boiled, scrambled or fried?
If you think about the number of breakfasts served per cruise on average, it’s not hard to imagine that thousands of eggs are consumed. In fact, approximately 250,000 eggs are eaten per week on the average cruise ship.
- Elephants holding up the liner
Most cruise ships avoid dropping anchor whenever possible (anchors tend to destroy the fragile underwater ecosystem, sometimes ships can stay in place without them), but they still exist. Cruise ship anchors are huge and can weigh up to 9,300 kilograms – about as much as four African forest elephants.
- Where is Deck 13?
Like skyscrapers around the world that don’t have a 13th floor, cruise lines often miss the 13th deck (and sometimes the 13th stateroom) because of superstition. This superstition comes from the historical custom of sailors not to use the number 13 to keep luck on your side.
- “The World at Your Feet
The cruise ship “The World” is an exclusive private residential ship that sails around the world with 165 residents. People live aboard the ship year-round, exploring the planet and enjoying luxury living. The ship offers studios, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, as well as several restaurants, various entertainment and activities on board. That’s the life!
- Go for the future!
If you thought your last cruise was incredible, just wait for the next one. In the not-too-distant future, cruise ship passengers are in for some serious futuristic innovations on board. For example, delivery of your luggage by robots; management of many activities on board with one simple mobile app