Much can be gained in charting the history of cruising to identify on only where and how the concept of cruising arose, but also to try and predict where it is going.
Table 1.3 is not intended to be inclusive but rather to chart significant moments over the last 200 years.
Much is said about the size of contemporary super-cruisers. The example in Table 1.3 of the introduction of “Eagle” class cruise ships, leading up to the launch of the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a case in point. The ship as a destination with sophisticated on-board facilities and a much enhanced product is linked to economies of scale achieved through the construction of larger vessels (Kontes, 2003). The aspect of cruising has captured the public’s attention, and the implications are important in terms of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental issues. These aspects will be examined later in this book. However, even in basic terms, the size of cruise ships provide an interesting comparison (Figure 1.1)