The end of the pandemic: cruising restarts MSC Magnifica is an excellent example of the way cruise ships returned to service after the pandemic. She was one of the pilot-ships when she was pushed back into operation late 2021, but unfortunately was forced to quit sailing her North Sea itinerary when

  2023 has turned out to be a most successful year for the cruise industry with a grand total of 31.5 mio passengers which is considerably higher than pre-corona levels: 2019 saw 30 mio travellers choose a vacation at sea. If cruising continues to grow as expected, an estimated 35.7

1970 Royal Viking Line founded, a new company that aims to form a fleet of five star luxury vessels, sailing on world-wide itineraries. Three ships are ordered at once. HAPAG-Lloyd formed from Norddeutscher Lloyd and Hamburg Amerika Line. 1971 Holland America Line (HAL) ends liner services from Rotterdam, the Netherlands

1980 DFDS forms Scandinavian World Cruises to operate one day cruises out of Miami. Later the name of the company is changed to SeaEscape Cruises, still existing today. Conversion of the SS France to become the Norway is completed; she is the largest cruise ship in the world when she

1990 – French Paquet cruises purchases Ocean Cruise Lines. Paquet now owns three ships, Ocean Princess and Ocean Islander apart from their original vessel, the classic Mermoz. – Japan Cruise Line, the second Japanese company in the Japanese domestic market starts operations with their Orient Venus. – Celebrity Cruise starts operations.

2000 – Cunard Line signs letter of intent for building the world’ s largest cruise ship ever, the Queen Mary 2 at Chantiers de L’ Atlantique. – Stefan, ex Stefan Batory, ex Maasdam, is scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey. Together with sister Rijndam, she was one of the first passenger liners

2006 – Alstom, owner of shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique has sells a 75% stake in this yard to the Norwegian company Aker Yards. – Royal Caribbean orders the largest cruise ship ever at AkerYards, Finland. She will measure an incredible 220.000 GRT and will accommodate 5.400 passengers! This ship will

2011 – P&O Cruises Australia has announced that is has sold Pacific Sun, which has sailed for the company since 2004, and before that operated as Jubilee for Carnival Cruise Lines. Rumour has it the buyer is a Chinese company and that she will sail from China’s mainland. – Paul

2012 – Royal Caribbean’s third Oasis-class vessel will be built by STX’s shipyard in France and will be delivered summer 2016. The cruise line has also opted for a second ship with a potential delivery of mid-2018. – Costa Cruises’ Costa Pacifica hit a pier in Marseilles on the morning

2013 – The QE2 could be on her way back to London, after four years of languishing in the port of Rashid, Dubai. Recent reports say the owners of the ship, Dubai-based Istithmar have sold the ship to the Chinese for £20m to be scrapped. Just before Christmas a 20-man

2014 The Russian passenger ship Lyubov Orlova -arrested three years earlier in Canada because of unpaid debts- which was on its way way under tow to the breakers almost a year earlier and broke free during a storm still seems to be afloat. The abandoned ship is inhabited solely by

2015 Carnival Cruise Line normally operates three- to eight-night sailings, but is planning to expand by offering longer sailings beginning this fall. These longer cruises called Carnival Journeys  will stop at ports of call normally never visited by Carnival ships and will feature special onboard experiences. Local food and entertainment