It could be argued that Odysseus’ Galley, Magellan’s Trinidad, Erik the Red’s Langskip, or Columbus’ Santa
Maria, were cruising, although none were for pleasure. But the SS Prinzessin Victoria Luise, is credited with
being the first purpose built cruise ship Grand
Daddy Mommy of the monsters of today. Launched in 1900,
it was a German passenger ship of the Hamburg-America Line, and the epitome of luxury.
120 first-class cabins, interior design approved by the German emperor, and amenities including a library,
a gymnasium, and even a darkroom for the development of film by amateur photographers.
At 15 knots(28 km/h), she was not as quick as the liners, but for a passenger-only ship it was revolutionary.
A novel idea following an experiment by German shipping magnate, Albert Ballin.
In 1888, Ballin noticed that one of his company’s largest flagship ocean liners, the SS Augusta Victoria sat
idle most of the winter, because travelers preferred to cross the North Atlantic when it was warmer. So he
decided to send the Augusta Victoria on a 58-day “pleasure voyage” from Germany via the Mediterranean
to the Orient. The cruise included well-planned excursions ashore and ports-of-call along the route.
The voyage was a huge success and introduced the concept of the “floating hotel”.
The SS Prinzessin Victoria Luise was a great success until the night of Dec 16th 1906, as they attempted to
enter the harbor of Kingston, Jamaica. The Captain mixed up the lighthouses and headed for the wrong one
at 14 knots, hitting and climbing the shallow rocks at 9.30pm. The engines were put full astern but the ship
wasn’t moving. The captain retired to his cabin and shot himself. Passengers were rescued in the morning,
but the salvage operations declared the ship a total loss.
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