The idea of sailing for pleasure in an ocean vessel as a passenger was first suggested by Arthur Anderson in 1835 in his article in Shetland Journal newspaper. In 1837, two years after the article was published, Anderson and Brodie McGhie Wilcox founded the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company (known later as P&O).

Their company was awarded a contract to carry mail from London all the way to the Iberian Peninsula. Passengers were also carried on the vessel, but only for business. As the company picked up more contracts and added routes to their destinations, they eventually offered round trip tickets to exotic destinations such as Athens, Malta, and Egypt. The idea of spending a holiday in an ocean vessel became a phenomenon.

The rise of luxury liners

The first vessel that was built for the purpose of this holiday was completed in 1900 and was called the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. At first, cruises only included transatlantic crossings which only took a few days. As the competition grew, ocean liners included luxuries like fine dining and fully furnished rooms.

The Hamburg-America Line was the first to send out cruise ships on long southern cruises during the worst of the winter season of the North Atlantic. Other companies soon followed, building specialized ships that are designed to easily transition between summer and winter cruising such as sailing between Scotland and Iceland and up to far Mediterranean. During the Industrial revolution, foreign travel became a fashionable hobby amongst the new wealthy. Bigger and better ships were built to cater to the rich who want to travel between Europe and North America. Ocean liners competed to get the Blue Riband trophy, recognition for making the fastest crossing of the Atlantic.

The end of the golden period

The invention of the jet engine and the long haul passenger aircraft resulted in a decline in demand for passenger ships. People are more inclined to flying than sailing. Towards the end of 1950s luxury ships like the Queen Elizabeth became increasingly common and in the 1970s the end of the golden age of transatlantic luxury cruise ships came to an end with the introduction of the Jumbo Jet.

Today, cruising is again growing in popularity. Around nine cruise ships are built every year since 2001. Luxury cruises are often centered around Alaska, Mexico, and the Caribbean. More and more amenities are added, including city-sized ships such as the Freedom Ship by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.