Whether you prefer a vacation on land or at sea, you will surely agree that a cruise vacation is truly impressive, from the size of the liners to the number of people who cruise every year (about 20 million). Cruise ships are serious modern resorts. And no matter how experienced a cruiser you are, there are certainly facts that you may not know about.

 

1. The first cruise ship

Prinzessin Victoria Luise, a German passenger liner of the transatlantic shipping company Hamburg-America Line, was the first official cruise ship to sail in the summer of 1900. Despite being more like a private yacht in size than any modern liner, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise was revolutionary in its idea, and passengers could enjoy luxury and breathtaking scenery at the same time.

 

2. Cow on board

During the 1840s, liner Britannia (Cunard) took a cow on board to provide all its guests with fresh milk. It might have seemed like a novel idea at the time, but nowadays it is more than a surprise.

 

3. Three times around the world in 365 days

The average cruise ship travels around 135,000 km each year. This means that they can travel the world about three and a half times, or more than a third of the way to the moon.

 

4. Titanic II

Australian millionaire Clive Palmer announced his project to create a cruise ship - a replica of the Titanic. The businessman said that the ship will be ready to sail in 2022. We hope it will not suffer the same fate as its predecessor.

 

5. The largest cruise ship in the world

The impressive title of "World's Largest Cruise Ship" was awarded to the Symphony of the Seas by the Royal Caribbean International. This magnificent ship has 18 decks, 2,759 cabins, 20 restaurants, 24 swimming pools and a park with over 20,700 plants. There are also bartenders-robots, Zip Line (almost a bungee, only cooler. Impossible to describe, you must try!), A skating rink and a water slide 28 meters high. The ship, which debuted in 2018, is 362 meters long - that's almost 4 football fields or a little more than the height of the Eiffel Tower.

 

6. In parts

In order to have enough space to build, cruise ship cabins are built in an off-site facility and then transported to the shipyard and added to the ship later. In fact, more often than not, both the ship and the cabins are built by separate companies.

 

7. Save an ordinary fisherman

Don't be surprised if your cruise ship stops to help fishermen in need. Sometimes a ship can receive a distress signal and chart a course for an entire rescue mission; in other cases, it is simply helping a fishing boat run aground. But don't worry about having to participate - the ship's crew is well prepared for such situations.

 

8. "Perch, Perch, I Carp"

Crew members, like the military or aviation, for example, have secret code words that they use to communicate. For example, Alpha is emergency medical care, Bravo is a fire, and Kilo is a request from all employees to report the situation at their emergency posts, what happens in the event of a necessary evacuation.

 

9. Memento Mori

Cruise ships are truly prepared for any situation - even death. This is why some cruise ships have a morgue that can hold up to three corpses. If someone dies on board, the ship will hold the body until it arrives at port and the necessary measures are taken.

 

10. For fifteen days

Most major cruise ships have a prison to keep unruly passengers at bay. The passenger is held in jail until handed over to the authorities at the nearest port.

 

11. Boiled, scrambled or fried?

If you think about the amount of breakfasts served on an average cruise, it's not hard to imagine that thousands of eggs are consumed. In fact, roughly 250,000 eggs are eaten a week on an average cruise ship.

 

12. Elephants that hold the liner

Most cruise ships avoid dropping anchor whenever possible (anchors tend to destroy the fragile underwater ecosystem, sometimes ships can stay in place without them), but they still exist. Cruise ship anchors are huge and can weigh up to 9,300 kg - about the same as four African forest elephants.

 

13. Where is Deck 13?

Like skyscrapers around the world that don't have a 13th floor, cruise lines often skip deck 13 (and sometimes cabin 13) due to superstition. This superstition comes from the historical custom of sailors not to use the number 13 to keep luck on your side.

 

14. "The world" at your feet

The World Cruise Ship is an exclusive private accommodation vessel that operates worldwide with 165 residents. People live on board the ship all year round, exploring the planet and enjoying a luxurious life. The ship offers studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, as well as several restaurants, various entertainment and activities on board. This is life!

 

15. Forward to the future!

If you thought your last cruise was incredible, just wait for the next one. In the not too distant future, cruise ship passengers will find many serious futuristic innovations on board. For example, the delivery of your luggage by robots; managing many activities on board with one simple mobile app; electronic bracelets that can track your every move; and perhaps even helpful staff holograms that will lead you to your table or direct you to the nearest pool.

 

Hopefully your next cruise holiday won't be the same with these facts in tow :)

 

Visa Section Manager

Alexander Popovich