Ships before and now. How do they compare?

[emilysmom97]

Years back I went on Celebrity Zenith and thought it was huge. I loved everything about it. Now I know what huge is after being on some massive ships. Still, there is something so wonderful about the smaller ships. My favorites, the Jewel class ships on NCL. Lots of little nooks and crannies to be alone while looking at the sea, getting to see the same people over and over, and becoming friends. These huge ships don't allow for those quiet places. I hope the smaller ships stay around longer. Perfect example of how ships were then and now. 

Edited February 24, 2019 by emilysmom97
typos

[emilysmom97]

By no means are the NCL ships small. 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by emilysmom97

[George C]

I started cruising on ships about 20,000 tons last cruise on oasis 200,000 tons , even huge ships have quite spaces . Had cabins from 120 sq ft to 550 sq ft. 

[George C]

I started cruising on ships about 20,000 tons last cruise on oasis 200,000 tons , even huge ships have quite spaces . Had cabins from 120 sq ft to 550 sq ft. 

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, George C said:

even huge ships have quite spaces

 

I tend to agree with this comment.  My largest ship was a recently completed cruise on Royal Princess.  I was able to find areas of the ship at times that were uncrowded.  (The Horizon Court at prime breakfast/lunch time was definitely NOT one of them.)  This may seem like a strange comment to some, but it is my opinion of my experience.  The ship was not too large, but there were too many people at times.

[Heidi13]

My first ship was about 17,000 GT and carried 300 pax and about 900 kids in dormitories. Largest ship was a Princess Super Grand, which although small be today's standards, was way too big and crowded for us.

 

We will stick to smaller, vastly more spacious ships with pax counts < 1,000.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

“Ships before and now.  How do they compare?”

 

There were and are many differences.  If we go back to the golden era of transatlantic travel the differences were in the three classes and the size of the cabins.  Even on big ships of that time you had a more intimate and personal experience as each class was smaller than anything sailing today.  The cabins in First Class were not as nice as the suites on today’s ships...but they were so comfortable.  The service was extraordinary as there was a 1 to 2 ratio or better of staff to pax in First Class.  When these ships were not on the Atlantic run they were cruising and cruising was always First Class.  The ambiance was different from the mass market lines of today.  You got to meet a lot of fellow pax.  The social life onboard was centered on dining and dancing.  The entertainment was mainly music.  There were social gatherings before lunch in the bars and lounges, on deck in assigned deck chairs, at tea time, before dinner cocktail parties and after dinner for dancing.  The evenings would end up in the late night club or lounge and the dancing and music would go on until 2:00 AM or later.  Refueling would take place at the Midnight buffet and light snacks at 2:00 AM.  The Champagne flowed day and night.  Drinks were 35 cents and draft beers were 10 cents.  The food was really good.  The beef was prime and there was caviar and lobster frequently.  The embarkation buffet always featured a standing steam ship round and loads of shrimp.  Lasting friendships were made, romances blossomed and there was no need for speed.  Those were wonderful times.  Oh yes...the Caribbean was like a ghost town...sparsely populated and deserted beaches.  The shops on St.Thomas were closed on Sundays...unless a ship arrived then they would open for a few hours.  There was only one Main Street and half of it was barely paved.  Rhum was $1.50 a bottle and Johnny Walker Black sold for $25.00...a gallon!  

 

The ships of today day are incredible marvels of engineering and offer a huge array of entertainment and deluxe cabins.  But nothing will ever replace the closeness and  comraderie found onboard those graceful ships from the past.

[BruceMuzz]

A Suite on the RMS Titanic was around 300 square feet in size. Not so different from a Suite on an upscale cruise today.

No Aircon, no WIFI, no television, no telephone.

 

When the Titanic was built in 1912,  the average American earned US$300 per year.

A Suite on the Titanic - for the 3 day Atlantic crossing - was just under US$4,000 per person.

Dinner for Suite Passengers was not included in the fare.

Nightly dinners in the First Class Restaurant - better known as "The Ritz Restaurant" - averaged US$100 per person.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

13 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

A Suite on the RMS Titanic was around 300 square feet in size. Not so different from a Suite on an upscale cruise today.

No Aircon, no WIFI, no television, no telephone.

 

When the Titanic was built in 1912,  the average American earned US$300 per year.

A Suite on the Titanic - for the 3 day Atlantic crossing - was just under US$4,000 per person.

Dinner for Suite Passengers was not included in the fare.

Nightly dinners in the First Class Restaurant - better known as "The Ritz Restaurant" - averaged US$100 per person.

 

The suite you are describing was larger with a separate bedroom and included servants quarters for maids and butlers...included in the fare. There was also a private veranda.  The fare included the First Class main dining room.  Both Titanic and Olympic had extra tariff restaurants.  Dinner per person in the extra tariff restaurant would run from about $10 per person including wine, if my memory serves me correctly.  The average First Class fare after WWII was anywhere from $375 to $500 but that was for a transatlantic Voyage...the real profit for a shipping company.  Cruising was cheaper.  A ten day cruise in the 1960’s started around $250...sometimes less.  It is true that that the same price today would be more like $1,500 or more but the level of service and food quality would cost at least $5,000 pererson in today’s market.