Chronology of
Cruise Ships

This document is an attempt to bring various published sources together to present a timeline about Cruise Ships.

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

1872-1969

1970-1999

2000-2006

2007-end

1872 October 15 The Netherlands-America Steamship Company's first ocean liner, the Rotterdam cargo and passenger ship sails on its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York City. The one-way voyage took 15 days. [76] 1873 April 1 British White Star passenger steamship Atlantic sinks in a storm off Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 585 die. [1] [71.28] 1881 February 26 SS Ceylon begins first round-the-world cruise from Liverpool. [1] 1898 July 4 French liner La Bourgogne collides with barque Cromartyshire, 50 die. [1] 1900 June 30 Four German liners burn at Hobokon Docks, New Jersey, 326 die. [1] 1905 (month unknown) Hamburg-American Line introduces the Amerika liner. [73.31] 1907 February 11 Passenger ship Larchmont sinks by Block Island, 322 die. [1] December 16 Great White Fleet sails from Hampton Downs on its World Cruise. [1] 1909 March 31 In Belfast, Ireland, the keel of the Titanic is laid down at Harland and Wolff Shipyard. [117.39] 1911 May 31 The Titanic first enters the water, with no christening ceremony. [117.39] 1912 April 2 Titanic undergoes sea trials under its own power. [1] April 4 The Titanic arrives at Southampton after finishing sea trials. [117.39] April 12 The Titanic departs Queenstown, Ireland with final passengers and mail, now 1316 passengers, 885 crew, headed for New York. [117.40] April 14 (11:40 PM) The Titanic, on route from Southampton to New York, strikes an iceberg 453 miles southeast of Newfoundland, 37 seconds after warning from the night watchman in the crow's nest. Six of 15 watertight compartments are breached. [1] [117.41] April 15 (00:05 AM) Captain Smith of the Titanic orders lifeboats to be uncovered, and for passengers to be assembled to abandon ship. [117.41] (00:15 AM) Telegraph operator aboard the Titanic sends a constant distress call "CQD" and Titanic's call letters "MGY"; then sends out "SOS". Carpathia answers the call. [117.41] (00:25 AM) Captain Smith of the Titanic orders women and children into lifeboats. [117.42] (00:45 AM) The first lifeboat from the Titanic is lowered to the sea, with 28 people, of a capacity of 65. [117.42] (2:27 AM) Titanic sinks at in North Atlantic. [1] (4:00+ AM) Carpathia rescues 712 survivors from the Titanic. 1490-1523 die. [117.43] 1914 May 30 Cunard ocean liner RMS Aquitania, largest at 45,647 tons, sails on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City. [5] (month unknown) Cunard Line introduces the RMS Aquitania liner. [67.21] 1915 November 9 Italian liner Ancona sinks by German torpedoes, killing 272. [1] 1916 November 21 Britannic passenger liner strikes a mine and sinks off the coast of Greece; 30 dead. [117.44] 1917 February 3 US liner Housatonic sunk by German submarine and diplomatic relations severed. [1] 1920 January 11 French passenger ship Afrique sinks near La Rochelle; 553 die. [1] 1927 June 2 The Delta Queen paddlewheel cruiser makes its maiden voyage from San Francisco to Sacramento, California. [72.50] [75.24] (month unknown) The Stella Polaris ship (5209 gross tons, 165 passengers) is built in Gothenburg for the Bergen Line. [73.42] 1928 July Cosulich Line's Saturnia and Vulcania Italian liners are built, each 24,000 gross tons. They operate between Italy and New York. [67.21] 1930 (month unknown) Rotterdamsche Lloyd introduces the Baloeran and Dempo liners (17,000 gross tons each), for service between Holland and the Dutch East Indies. [67.20] Ward Line introduces the Morro Castle and Oriente mail and passenger transportation ships (11,500 gross tons). They begins runs between New York and Havana, Cuba. [67.27] 1931 (month unknown) Furness Bermuda Line introduces the Monarch of Bermuda liner (22,000 gross tons), transporting passengers between New York and Bermuda. [67.27] 1932 March Empire Shipping Company announces that its French Line has decided to change its second class accomodation on the SS Ile de France, SS Paris, and SS France into tourist class accomodation, due to the rise in popularity of trans-Atlantic travel. [122.23] (month unknown) Grace Line introduces the Santa Rosa liner. [67.30] October 29 French liner Normandie is launched. [1] 1933 (month unknown) Furness Bermuda Line introduces the Queen of Bermuda liner (22,000 gross tons), transporting passengers between New York and Bermuda. [67.27] 1934 September 7 Luxury liner Morro Castle burns off New Jersey, killing 134. [1] September 26 British liner Queen Mary is launched. [1] 1935 March 29 French liner Normandie begins its maiden voyage. [1] 1936 May 27 RMS Queen Mary leaves Southampton, England, for New York on maiden voyage. [1] [73.42] (month unknown) In Northern Ireland, Harland & Wolff build the Stirling Castle liner for Union-Castle Line (25,550 gross tons). [67.23] 1937 December 10 Dollar Line's SS President Hoover runs aground off Japanese island of Formosa. All passengers are transferred to the SS President Pierce after four days. The ship is scavenged by the Japanese in 1939. [93.40] 1938 September 27 Ocean liner Queen Elizabeth launched at Glasgow, Scotland. [1] 1939 June Nederland Line's Oranje liner enters service, the world's fastest motor liner maximum 26 knots). The 20,551 gross ton ship can carry 700+ passengers from Holland to the Dutch East Indies. [67.21] September 3 (1930 hours) German submarine U-30 torpedoes and sinks Donaldson Line passenger liner Athenia, 250 miles north of the west coast of Ireland. Of about 1418 passengers, 118 die. Germany denies responsibility, claiming that Great Britain planted a bomb to bring the US into the war. [10] 1940 October 2 British liner Empress loaded with refugees for Canada, sunk. [1] 1942 October 2 Queen Mary liner slices cruiser Curacao in half, killing 338. [1] 1944 (month unknown) Netherlands issues a 2.5-cent postage stamp depicting the SS Nieuw Amsterdam passenger liner. [143.1171] 1949 January 27 Chinese liner Taiping collides with a collier off south China. [1] 1952 (month unknown) The French Line builds the Flandre liner. [67.30] MSC Cruises' MSC Monterey cruise ship is built. [73.10] The Bergen Line transfers the Stella Polaris ship to Clipper Line of Malmo. [73.42] 1955 (month unknown) Shaw Savill liner Southern Cross is built. [74.6] 1956 (month unknown) Canadian Pacific's Empress of Britain liner is built. [75.8] July 25 (11:20 PM) Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria collides with Swedish-American Line steamship M.S. Stockholm in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Nantucket, USA. The Andrea Doria is struck midship; the Stockholm loses a portion of its bow, with the loss of five lives. (The Andrea Doria sinks the next day, with the loss of 49 lives.) [7] (June 25 [1]) 1959 May 8 Three-deck Nile excursion steamer springs a leak panicking passengers who capsize ship; 200 drown just yards from shore. [1] (month unknown) Holland America's Rotterdam liner is built. [67.24] Inres Line introduces the Victoria cruise ship, formerly of the Union Castle Line. [67.28] 1960 May 11 French liner France launched. [1] 1961 January 21 Portuguese rebels seize cruise ship Santa Maria. [1] April 8 British liner Dara explodes in Persian Gulf, kills 236. [1] (month unknown) Canadian Pacific builds the Empress of Canada liner (27,250 gross tons). [67.30] Cunard Line begins a trial of twenty slot machines on the Queen Mary liner. [73.32] 1962 (month unknown) French Line's SS France ship enters service. [67.18] 1963 (month unknown) Lloyd Triestino's Galileo Lalilei cruise ship enters service. [71.36] 1964 (month unknown) Flotta Lauro purchases the Nederland Line's Oranje liner, renaming it Angelina Lauro. [67.21] 1965 April Home Lines introduces the Oceanic (39,241 gross tons, 1200+ passengers) as a year-round pleasure cruise ship, commencing with 7-day cruises between New York and the Bahamas. [67.29] (month unknown) The Sagafjord cruise ship is built for Norwegian America Line. [93.20] Cunard Line adds roulette and blackjack as well as slot machines to its Franconia cruises of the Canary Islands. [73.32] November 13 Cruise ship Yarmouth Castle, on an overnight cruise from Miami, Florida, to the Bahamas, burns and sinks off Bahamas, killing 90 of 546 passengers. [1] [75.27] [94.50] 1966 June Norwegian cargo firm Klosters Rederi introduces the Sunward passenger liner (8666 gross tons, 600 passengers, 150 cars). [73.16,33] (month unknown) Cosulich Line's Saturnia liner is scrapped. [67.21] The Swedish American Line's Kungsholm cruise ship is built. [73.42] December Klosters Rederi begins offering 3- and 4-day cruises aboard the Sunward liner from Miami, Florida, to the Bahamas, year-round. [73.33] 1967 June Commodore Cruise Line introduces the Princesa Leopoldina cruise ship for 8- and 10-day cruises from Miami, Florida, to the Caribbean. [73.34] (month unknown) Princess Cruises introduces the Princess Italia cruise ship (12,000 gross tons, 480 passengers). [67.30] [73.35] Last (1001st) voyage of the Queen Mary ocean liner. [73.42] 1968 (month unknown) Holland America Line rebuilds Rotterdam to focus operations on full-time cruises. [73.31] December 7 Commodore Cruise Line introduces the Boheme cruise ship (11,000 gross tons, 500 passengers) for 7-day Caribbean cruises from Miami, Florida. [73.34] December Klosters Rederi introduces a second cruise ship, the Starward (13,000 gross tons, 736 passengers, car deck) under a new company name: Norwegian Caribbean Lines. [73.33] 1969 May 2 British liner Queen Elizabeth II leaves on maiden voyage to New York. [1] (month unknown) The former Stella Polaris ship is moored on the Japanese coast as a hotel and restaurant under the name Scandinavia. [73.42] Cunard Line launches the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner. [140.12]