CRUISE SHIP TIMELINE

It’s About Time See how cruise ships have changed and evolved since you first started reading Porthole.

By Fran Golden

If you’ve been a cruiser for the past few decades (or even years), you’ve no doubt witnessed quite an evolution of cruise ship development. Certainly, we at Porthole Cruise Magazine have seen firsthand the growth and progression of such a flourishing industry.

As this issue celebrates Porthole’s 15-year anniversary of hitting the newsstands in 1996, we decided to look back and recount the new ships, their new features, and a whole new world of cruising. We are wowed by how much has changed as cruise ships have truly become floating resorts — and, in some cases, their own destination. There is much focus on the “something for everyone” concept, from lavish spas to rock-climbing walls to a multitude of dining choices.

Take a glimpse into the past while you recall the following significant milestones that have shaped cruising as we know it. What’s next? Wouldn’t we like to know.

1996
Carnival Cruise Lines’ 101,000-ton Carnival Destiny debuts as the largest passenger ship in the world, with a huge casino and big focus on nightlife, as well as big gym and spa area and the longest water slide at sea — basically the first true floating resort. The ship carries, 2,642 passengers, double occupancy, and is too large to pass through the Panama Canal.