Cruise Ships Then And Now
Cruise ships have come a long way. Cruising started back in the 1800s, but was something only the wealthy could afford. It wasn’t until the 1970s that this way of travel became more attainable for travelers and the industry saw a boost in cruisers thanks to the show, “The Love Boat”. Cruise ships have changed quite a bit over the years in many ways.
The Size
Today many cruise ships tend to be over 200,000 tons. When cruising first started becoming popular these ships weren’t nearly as large. In fact ships were rather small at around a mere 30,000 tons. Because of this, staterooms were very small. In fact, they were about half the size of even the smallest staterooms that you’d find on ships today. There also weren’t a lot of public spaces in ships.
Entertainment
Cruise ships today have a whole host of things for passengers to do. There’s everything from water-slides to go carts to clubs and casinos. Way back when, passengers didn’t have all of these options. Card games and shuffleboard were a big deal. Dancing after dinner to pass the time was common. Some ships had a fancy hat parade. Basically guests would make their own hats and then show them off to try to win a prize.
Fitness
For those that are concerned with their health, they can find fitness rooms, health related classes and healthy fare on many cruise ships. Cruisers in the past weren’t so lucky. There was no organic food options or large fitness centers. Passenger that wanted to try to fit in some fitness while on board would have to take a jog around the cruise ship or participate in a hoola hooping contest.
Meals
If you are hungry on today’s cruise ships, then you’re in luck! There are so many different options available, including 24/7 dining. In the past, options were limited to one dining room. Meal time also wasn’t a casual affair. Passengers had to dress up. Men were required to wear jackets and ties. Ladies had to wear gowns. There was no going to a buffet in shorts and a t-shirt to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the pool.
Destinations
Passengers can go pretty much anywhere they want to on a cruise ship today. There’s more ports and ships of virtually every size that have the ability to get passengers to the port that they want to go to. Back in the 70s, this simply wasn’t the case. Ports were limited and the most popular itinerary took passengers between New York and London.
