Recently, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri revealed they’d struck a deal to build four new cruise ships for NCL. These ships will be very large and very expensive to build, and while we’ll share some numbers we know, there is a number relating to these new ships that we don’t know and it could indicate that Norwegian is taking a different approach.  We’ll warn you, we’re going to get a bit nerdy in this article, but we’ll also be offering you the chance to call us out in the future for being wrong - so keep reading!

Virgin Voyages strives to provide an alternative spin on cruising and that approach has filtered all the way down to their interior design. With modern interiors that verge on Ikea-esque in form, Virgin’s ships offer a sleeker, more minimalist take on design when compared to the opulence other line’s ships offer. Despite this, Virgin still manages to give a nod toward maritime tradition. One unique way that they have accomplished this is through their elevator lobbies on Valiant Lady where, for those sailors ready to spend a little time decoding, this ship offers 16 “hidden” messages by way of maritime signal flags...

It’s easy to see cruise lines selling ships and assume it’s simply because they need the cash – but that’s just a small part of what’s happening as ships that were carrying passengers just months ago head to new owners, and in some cases, shipbreaking yards.

In the 1970s, cruising as we know it today was just becoming a reality.  Ocean liners and cruise ferries had long been sailing, but in the US, the idea of leisure trips on ships was only beginning to enter the minds of Americans with the recent creation of Norwegian Caribbean Line (now Norwegian Cruise Line) followed by Carnival Cruise Lines.  As the public saw firsthand the massive scale and opulence of passenger ships that challenged the perception of floating craft for many, this combined with the intrigue of ocean liners still steaming the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, inviting satire. Few publications at this time were as popular and edgy as National Lampoons, so in their April 1974 edition, they included a “souvenir brochure” for the RMS Tyrannic...

Over the years cruise ships have become bigger and bigger - bringing attention and fanfare with every superlative.  On the news, on social media, and in ads it seems cruise lines are constantly trying to "out-build" each other.  While there is no doubt that many consumers are excited about these giant vessels, did you know that they don't represent the majority of new ships?  Let's talk about why mega-ships are so popular, and what the average new cruise ship size actually is.  

For decades cruise ships became more advanced and more spacious, but despite these changes, ships still looked like ships.  With Royal Caribbean’s launch of Voyager of The Seas in November of 1998 however, things started to look quite different.  With this behemoth (the largest cruise ship at the time) came the first rock wall and ice rink at sea, as well as the Royal Promenade.  The ice rink and rock wall were, and still are, impressive.  The Royal Promenade however was something truly different.  

Up until this ship, the major venues on cruise ships all had views of the sea.  Part of this was to be expected by guests – you’re on a ship after all.  Another part however was out of necessity, as the size of ships never allowed for any reasonably large venue to be located above the water line and not come up against the windows of the ship or the outdoor promenade.  The size of the Voyager of The Seas made it possible to essentially put a shopping and dining district inside of the ship in a way that to this day, makes strolling the Royal Promenade an experience which in no way reveals that passengers are on a ship rather than on land....