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Cruise Companies

Once upon a time, there was no such thing as setting sail for pleasure. Ships carried crowds of passengers from one destination to the other until the 1960s when the wind blew in the industry's sails, and modern cruising as we know it today took form. Major cruise lines launched with the goal of making the cruise accessible to more than just the rich and famous. Bigger ships were able to accommodate more customers and support onboard sources of revenue. By the 1980s, cruise ships could carry more than 2,000 passengers.

Cruise ships became the destination rather than just the vehicle, complete with the types of restaurants, theaters, casinos, swimming pools and comfortable lodging travellers would seek at a typical vacation spot. Off-board excursions to explore ports of call rounded out the cruising experience.

By the 1990s, cruise lines seem to be competing with each other on how large of a ship could be built, how many passengers it could hold, and what sort of facilities, activities, and amenities it could offer to an ever-growing enthusiastic cruising audience. The answer is mega-large at over 225,000 tones, up to a maximum astonishing capacity of 6,296 passengers and growing. Also growing is an amazing list of on-board amenities including a dining room which can seat over 3,000 guests in one sitting, dozens of renowned chef-inspired specialty restaurants, the first Veuve Cliquot Champagne Bar, the first planetarium at sea, the first residential cruise ship "the World", the first all-suite all-balcony ship, the first "real grass" half acre lawn club, the first real-time "live feed" portholes in interior staterooms...!


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