1800s Cruise Ship

Training ship Kaiwo Maru II.

1800s cruise ship. 32453 ft 3015 m² 2385 GRT. But that changes in 1818 when Black Ball Line operating out of New York became the first shipping company to offer a scheduled passenger service from the US to England. In 1850 a 1400-ton sailing vessel was considered a big ship but by 1890 some of the new British four-masted steel ships sailing between Europe and America carry from 5000 to 6000 tons of cargo.

Steerage - Immigrant Journeys to Their New Home. 1775 to early 1800s Piracy returned to the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the length of American Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Courtesy of the Science Museum London.

Drawing of an Egyptian seagoing ship c. A ships crew can generally be divided into four main categories. The 1800s was a time of rapid development in ocean liner technology with significant changes occurring every five to ten years.

2600 bce based on vessels depicted in the bas-relief discovered in the pyramid of King Sahure at Abū Ṣīr Cairo. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades for freight or people transport including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises such as lake or harbour tour boats. Seafaring is a tradition that encompasses a variety of professions and ranks.

The passenger ship industry flourished in the late 1800s and early 1900s courtesy of the steam engine and of the growing number of American immigrants crowding ocean liners. Each of these roles carries unique responsibilities that are integral to the successful operation of a seafaring vessel. Shipping companies like PO and Cunard got in on the mail delivery game and by 1844 PO was offering sea tours to such destinations as Gibraltar Malta and Athens making them the oldest cruise.

1800s Todays cruise industry grew from commerce on the high seas -- yes there were passenger voyages too but it was not a primary focus nor on a scheduled basis. Steerage Passengers on the Deck of an Ocean Liner circa Early 1900s. They operated some of the most renown ships including the Titanic Majestic Oceanic Teutonic Olympic and the Laurentic all represented in this collection.