Mainstream Cruise Lines and Ships

Carnival Cruise Lines is launching a cabin reclassification encompassing its entire fleet. Under the reclassification, cabins will be categorized based on locations on the ship-such as mid-ship, aft and forward-as well as proximity to key public areas. The fleet-wide reclassifications will be complete by the end of 2008. Carnival got off to a shaky start in 1972 then suddenly the Fun Ship concept took hold, and a whole new type of middle class passenger came cruising. The line grew fast, and with financial success, Carnival Corporation began buying up other fleets. Carnival Cruise Lines is now one of the leaders in the mass market cruising industry.  Read Line Profile »

Owned by Carnival Corporation, Costa is Europe’s largest cruise line with a fleet of a dozen ships ranging in size from 25,000 to well over 100,000 tons. It is growing fast to meet the burgeoning European cruise market.  Read Line Profile »

While Disney is always associated with family oriented themes and theme parks, the entertainment firm’s ships have a somewhat split personality. One section is set aside for multi-generational sharing of facilities and another, albeit smaller, caters exclusively for adults not traveling with children or those parents and grandparents who would like a break from the kid’s world. The separate adult facilities include bars, lounges, entertainment, restaurant and swimming pool.  Read Line Profile »

Mediterranean Shipping Cruises forms part of a huge Swiss-owned container firm, Mediterranean Shipping Company. Entering the cruise business in the late 1980s by purchasing Lauro Line, renamed Star Lauro, the name changed after the loss of the Achille Lauro to fire and sinking.  Read Line Profile »

Norwegian Cruise Line dates to 1966, originally as Norwegian Caribbean Line when the first of the White Fleet of brand-new ships - Sunward, Skyward, Starward and Southward - began sailing out of Miami. After the initial burst of success, expansion continued sporadically until 1980 when NCL rehabilitated the former French transatlantic liner France into the Norway, instantly handing NCL the largest, longest and most spectacular cruise vessel afloat. In the early 1990s, the Dreamward and Windward entered service boasting four intimate reserved seat restaurants but overall the fleet was not equal in atmosphere, and the cabin assignment generally determined the dining locale. To attempt to unify the increasingly mismatched fleet, the NCL fleet received Norwegian prefixes but it was not until Star Cruises, a Malaysian company, took over that the line began investing heavily in new tonnage that rivaled that of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean.  Read Line Profile »

The letters used to spell out the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, established way back in 1837, three years before Cunard, to carry the mails and passengers between England, the Iberian Peninsula and soon onto the British Empire east of Suez. The firm fully merged with the Orient Line (not Orient Lines) in 1961 and in 1974 bought the fledgling Princess Cruises, becoming P&O-Princess Cruises. By this time the firm’s transportation role had withered away and it became a full-fledged cruise company separated from the ferry, container and logistics operations. Then in 2003, Carnival Corporation bought line outright.  Read Line Profile »

Princess Cruises recently announced plans to update three of its older ships-the Star Princess, Caribbean Princess and Golden Princess. Each of the ships will enter dry dock for the improvements at some point during the next eight months. Amenity upgrades will include the addition of an adults-only quiet area, poolside movie-screens and restaurant improvements. Started in 1965 on the West Coast with one old ship chartered during the winter months, Princess grew to be a ship-owning firm, was bought out by P&O of London in 1974, then absorbed Sitmar in the late 1980s. An American company became British-owned then added an Italian favor to include ships with Italian officers and maitre d’hotels and Italian menu items. British officers are still in command of some ships and those registered in Hamilton, Bermuda, allow captains to perform marriages.  Read Line Profile »

With a fleet comprised of the world’s largest ships, six of then exceeding 135,000 tons, Royal Caribbean has continually offered more innovative features than any other mass market cruise line. Beginning in 1969 with the trademark Viking Crown Lounge offering top-of-the-ship wraparound views, more recent ships introduced the Royal Promenade, a vast multi-deck-high interior boulevard of shops, bars and eateries, rock-climbing walls (all ships), in-line skating, ice skating rinks, water parks, and hot-tubs cantilevered over the side.  Read Line Profile »