The first ever cruise ship was built in the early 19th century by a British shipping company, Thomas Pitcher and Sons. This cruise ship was called the ‘SS Great Western’ and it was used to transport passengers from Bristol to New York in 1838.
It was the world’s first steamship built specifically for transatlantic passenger travel.
The Great Western was designed by an American naval architect, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was renowned for his technical brilliance and innovative use of materials. The Great Western had a length of 218 feet, a beam of 36 feet and a depth of 17 feet. It weighed around 1,600 tons and had two decks with a total of 50 cabins that could accommodate up to 150 passengers.
The SS Great Western is considered to be the world’s first purpose-built cruise ship as it had all the features of modern-day cruise ships such as dining rooms, lounges, bars and even a library. It featured luxurious accommodations with full-sized beds, private bathrooms and running water in every cabin.
The SS Great Western was revolutionary in its day as it provided comfortable and luxurious travel at an affordable price. This allowed more people to experience what it would be like to go on a cruise without having to pay large sums of money. The success of this venture prompted other shipping companies to build similar ships.
Over time, these ships became bigger and better equipped with more amenities such as gyms, swimming pools, casinos and spas. Today’s modern cruise ships are much larger than those of the past but they still provide the same level of luxury that made them so popular in the 19th century.
Conclusion: The SS Great Western is widely regarded as being the first ever purpose-built cruise ship used for passenger travel. It revolutionized ocean travel by providing comfortable and luxurious voyages at an affordable price which opened up cruising to more people than ever before. Today’s modern cruise ships are much larger than those built in the 19th century but they still provide the same level of luxury that made them so popular all those years ago.