How cruise ships got so big

Today’s cruise ships are several times as big as the Titanic.

Cruise ships are freaking big. They’re the biggest passenger vessels humans have ever built. In size and appearance, they look nothing like almost any other boat. So how did they get that way?

The predecessor of today’s cruise ships was the ocean liner: big, beautiful ships that sailed across the Atlantic. But ocean liners had a totally different purpose from cruise ships: They were for transportation. Everything about them was designed to facilitate an ocean voyage from one continent to another.

But air travel changed that. Planes eliminated the main reason to take a ship somewhere, and ocean liner business plummeted. So the industry pivoted and began selling a ship as the destination itself. The cruise ship was born. But the ocean liners, built for a voyage, weren’t ideal for the purposes of a cruise, and over the next few decades, the cruise ship began its evolution. And it has culminated in the behemoths we see today.

Sources:

More information on the difference between ocean liners and cruise ships:

[Vox]

Have you been watching our travel series? This is the fourth of five videos all about the hidden design details, trends, and systems in travel! So far we’ve looked at big boats, trains, RVs, and American automobiles … and last but not least? Planes! See you next week!

[baglmonstr]

Cruise ships are nice but kinda miss the romanticism and sense of adventure that come with ocean liners though. Preferably without icebergs or U-boats along the way.

[marchwhitlock]

You almost got through the whole video without referencing Titanic once! Good effort.

[Meetthekiller]

Don’t get me wrong, I love oceangoing and even cruise ships - once had a wonderful trip on the then-largest ship in the world, Oasis of the Seas - but there’s something…wasteful about them, like the feeling you get when you order a desert at a restaurant when you’re already fit to burst.
So much luxury and opulence crammed into a vessel that consumes so much just to stay afloat, all to be one day decommissioned instead of just placing all of that ashore where it might last. It might have been justified if these ships were actually taking you somewhere, but those days seem long over.

[smashyrashy]

Notice how they never made the mistake of saying it is unsinkable

[toughben]

No mention of the huge environmental impact? 509 tonnes of sulphur oxides were emitted by the 218 cruise vessels sailing in Europe last year.

[em-jddo]

hey Vox, can you compare emissions from cruise ships, liners and all that to other modes of travel ? I do not have the expertise to do this myself

[imsomewhatcertain]

Me and me family went for a cruise on board the Sea Diamond in 2007. Two weeks after our trip, the Sea Diamond sank on 4/5/2007. We were honestly shocked that the ship we just sailed on was now under the sea. We were considering going on an Italian cruise in 2012, but the sinking of the Costa Concordia changed our minds.

[ethanpowell]

As someone who doesn’t like being around screaming kids when I’m on vacation, taking a cruise was quite possibly the worst thing I ever did.

[dinozone]

I'm a bit sad that the ocean liner has come and gone. Although having nowhere near the amenities and comforts of a modern cruise ship and largely obsolete, there is something amazing about the graceful curves and sleek profile of an ocean liner, as opposed to the inelegant, almost absurd looks of today's condominiums at sea.

I love cruising, but I feel like it is a wasteful, ethically dubious industry which may not survive the privations of climate change and cutbacks. With flying suffering similar challenges, I do wonder if ocean liners may have a chance to shine once again- but I'm not holding my breath.

[EmmaCruises]

I’m loving this series, it’s so well put together. Thank you! ❤🎉

[TangoBravoAlerts]

Thank you so much for making the difference between "liners" and "cruise" ships. Nothing makes my historical ocean liner loving heart hurt than hearing the Titanic called a "cruise" ship.

[drdewott]

Interesting. Ive never been on a big cruise ship myself, but in Scandinavia where I'm from we do have a lot of ferries on long overnight journeys that are about the same size as smaller cruise ships. Heck one of the ships on my nearest route, the Pearl Seaways (built in 1989) from Copenhagen to Oslo, did have a brief stint as a cruise liner sailing out of Hong Kong and Singapore around the turn of the millenium before being converted back into a car ferry as originally designed.

Still while these trips have a very practical purpose, they're also incredibly popular for "minicruises". Ferry companies like DFDS have figured out they can fit their ships out with restaurants, night clubs, arcades and a small pool, and sell round trip tickets, so one can get on in Copenhagen, spend the night onboard, wake up in Oslo, explore the city for a few hours, and then travel back to Copenhagen. These minicruises have become incredibly popular, especially with how much more affordable such short trips are compared to a full cruise for a week or even just half a week.

[ronaldcharan]

Its amazing how big both ships and planes have gotten over the decades as populations have gone way up. Amazing how they can stay in the air or in this case the water.

[maxnawas]

I recently read a story that a cruise ship in the Netherlands is currently housing refugees. It’s docked in or near Rotterdam and is used as a refugee housing. Very useful way to provide shelter for those in need of it if you ask me

[PasleyAviationPhotography]

I thought the idea of a cruise "ship" was to experience the ocean. If all your doing is malls, spas, buffets and gambling then why not just go to Vegas.

[jorgenolson]

My family went on cruises in the Mediterranean and they were some of my best childhood memories. While the ships themselves were great with good entertainment and food, the big draw for us was the day trips to different European cities such as Rome, Nice, Pisa, Naples, and Barcelona. We got to see all the sites in those cities during the day, which is much more convenient and cost-effective than planning several world-spanning vacations in Europe to different countries. I can't imagine how boring it would be to just cruise across the Atlantic for a week or visit another Caribbean beach every day. Cruise ships can still be about the destination, just with a new destination every day!

[olefella]

This channel mastered narrating stories in a way that makes you feel you uncover the mystery yourself .. Thank you Vox👏👏👏

[HardBloodNelza]

"It is the... sorry, *she*-"
Amazing boat reference

[Blly_]

Ocean liner: built to plough the rough ocean, keep up with ocean traffic schedule, and got the elegance.
Cruise ship: Giant, towering, blocky, floating apartment for pleasure cruises.
CMIIW