WHEN Boeing and Concorde took commercial aviation to the general public in 1969, the cruise industry had to re-invent itself from its past of being more of a transporter journey from A to B during immigration highs, to a new “cruise” ship journey that had passengers travel from A to...
WHEN Boeing and Concorde took
commercial aviation to the general
public in 1969, the cruise industry had
to re-invent itself from its past of being
more of a transporter journey from A to
B during immigration highs, to a new
“cruise” ship journey that had
passengers travel from A to A with a
holiday in between.
This re-invention started in 1972 as
Ted Arison started Carnival Cruises,
providing a new way of cruising with
many onboard entertainment concepts
and stops along the way.
Soon after in
1974, Cunard
added these
concepts to its
fleet for all
classes to enjoy.
At the time,
there were less
than 40 cruise
ships
worldwide.
Then in the late 70’s and 80’s, along
came a TV series that had the most
dramatic impact on an industry,
leading to a growth of 900% in the next
20 years.
Characters on the TV show, The Love
Boat, like Captain Stubing, Doc,
Gopher, Isaac, and Julie McCoy, “Your
Cruise Director”, portrayed a
romanticism towards an ocean holiday,
and the resulting popularity of the
show ensured cruising has boomed
ever since.
For the viewer at home it painted a
fantasy of exotic ports and lifechanging
experiences, and the fluffy
comedy of the time showcased that it
is FUN to be onboard a cruise –
something agents should STILL use
today in client consultations.
