Cruise Ship History

The first modern cruise ship, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, was launched in 1900 by the German shipping company HAPAG.

Norwegian Cruise Line introduced the concept of the "floating hotel" in the 1970s with its Sunward II cruise ship.

Voyager of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world when it was launched in 1997.

Princess Cruises was the first cruise line to offer cruises to Alaska in 1969.

Royal Viking Sky was the first cruise ship to circumnavigate the globe in 1989.

Quark Expeditions was the first cruise line to offer cruises to Antarctica in 1991.

AIDAnova was the first cruise ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) when it was launched in 2018.

Carnival Cruise Line was the first cruise line to offer cruises to Cuba in 2016.

Wonder of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world when it was launched in 2022.

Celebrity Cruises was the first cruise line to offer cruises to the Galapagos Islands in 1996.

Norwegian Joy was the first cruise ship to be built specifically for the Chinese market when it was launched in 2017.

Hurtigruten was the first cruise line to offer cruises to the Arctic in 1893.

Carnival Fantasy was the first cruise ship to be equipped with a water park when it was launched in 1990.

Costa Cruises was the first cruise line to offer cruises to the Middle East in 2006.

Costa Diadema was the first cruise ship to be built in China when it was launched in 2014.