85-475: Premium economy class , also known by brand names which vary by company, is a travel class offered on many airlines . It is usually positioned between standard economy class and business class in terms of price, comfort, and available amenities . On December 12, 1992, EVA Air introduced the Economy Deluxe Class (later renamed Evergreen Deluxe, then Elite Class, and finally Premium Economy Class) on
170-736: A museum ship , still gets underway several times a year for six-hour "Living History Cruises" that take the ship through Baltimore Harbor, down the Patapsco River , and into the Chesapeake Bay, and she is also the largest cruise ship operating under the American flag on the United States East Coast. Currently the three largest cruise line holding companies and operators in the world are Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings . As an industry,
255-519: A 45-degree angle, raised footrests, adjustable dining tables and cocktail trays, and personal reading lights. Full-service meals, both Japanese and Western, are provided by specialized GranClass attendants, who also serve soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Because the Hayabusa is a long-distance service to the Tōhoku region , overnight amenities such as slippers, blankets, and eye masks are provided. During
340-565: A Green Car on some trains, and a few West Japan Railway Company (JR West) trains also have a Green Car. The alternative to Green Car is the Ordinary Car. Although Ordinary Car tickets may be purchased with or without reserved seating, all Green Car tickets are reserved seating. A ticket must be purchased in advance, and a special version of the Japan Rail Pass allowing travel in Green Cars
425-458: A North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines, which are companies that sell cruises to the public. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in
510-412: A carriage, the other end being second class. Second-class compartments usually have "2+2" seating (2 seats each side of the aisle); first-class compartments are typically "2+1". In Britain and France, some short-distance suburban trains use "2+3" for the lower class and "2+2" for first class. Metro , suburban and local trains are sometimes second-class-only. First-class-only trains were common up to
595-417: A combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $ 29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011 . The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until
680-448: A crew deck with a swimming pool and hot tubs. The International Labour Organization 's 2006 Maritime Labour Convention is also known as the "Seafarers' Bill of Rights". Most cruise lines since the 2000s have to some extent priced the cruising experience à la carte , as passenger spending aboard generates significantly more than ticket sales. The passenger's ticket includes the stateroom accommodation, room service, unlimited meals in
765-531: A day, making it the second largest concentration of Olympic accommodation behind the Olympic Village. This hosting solution has been used since then in Games held in coastal cities, such as at Sydney 2000 , Athens 2004 , London 2012 , Sochi 2014 , Rio 2016 and was going to be used at Tokyo 2020 . Cruise ships have been used to accommodate displaced persons during hurricanes. For example, on 1 September 2005,
850-451: A diverse range of ethnically themed restaurants aboard each ship. Ships also feature numerous bars and nightclubs for passenger entertainment; the majority of cruise lines do not include alcoholic beverages in their fares and passengers are expected to pay for drinks as they consume them. Most cruise lines also prohibit passengers from bringing aboard and consuming their own beverages, including alcohol, while aboard. Alcohol purchased duty-free
935-427: A few hundred passengers". After 1980, they offered increasing amenities. As of 2010, city-sized ships have dozens of amenities. There have been nine or more new cruise ships added every year since 2001, including the 11 members of the aforementioned Vista class, and all at 100,000 GT or greater. The only actual ocean liner to be completed in recent years has been Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Following
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#17331163560131020-520: A perimeter accessible only by passengers and not by locals. Ports of call have often oriented their own businesses and facilities towards meeting the needs of visiting cruise ships. In one case, Icy Strait Point in Alaska, the entire destination was created explicitly and solely for cruise ship visitors. On "cruises to nowhere" or "nowhere voyages", some cruise ships make two- to three-night round trips without visiting any ports of call. Travel to and from
1105-501: A reputation as "party ships" for younger travelers, but have become large, modern, yet still profitable, as well as Holland America Line and Cunard Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance. In 2004, Carnival had merged Cunard's headquarters with that of Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita, California so that administrative, financial and technology services could be combined, ending Cunard's history where it had operated as
1190-868: A self-service bar for drinks and snacks, a personal in-flight entertainment (IFE) centre with remote control, noise-cancelling headphones , choices in games and movies for children and adults, skin care products in the lavatory , and an amenities pouch containing items such as socks, sleep masks , earplugs, and toothbrushes. Service codes used by airlines vary, but W is the most common code. Differences between premium economy class and standard economy class may include (varies by airline and country): Some airlines may designate an entire economy class as premium, such as United Airlines on its transcontinental Boeing 757-200 premium service aircraft, or Singapore Airlines ' Airbus A350-900 Ultra Long Range (ULR) aircraft. In other airlines premium economy may be what used to be regular economy before more seats were added, or just
1275-663: A series of fires burned on the island. Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Others operate elsewhere in places like Alaska , the South Pacific, the Baltic Sea and New England . A cruise ship that is moving from one of these regions to another will commonly operate a repositioning cruise while doing so. Expedition cruise lines, which usually operate small ships, visit certain more specialized destinations such as
1360-558: A standalone company (subsidiary) regardless of parent ownership. However, Cunard did regain some independence in 2009 when its headquarters were moved to Carnival House in Southampton. The common practice in the cruise industry in listing cruise ship transfers and orders is to list the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, as the recipient cruise line of the sale, transfer, or new order. In other words, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, for example, are
1445-625: A third-class service to be offered. In addition to this, British third class was initially of a comparable standard to continental European third class and British first class with European first class (the continent having retained three classes). This meant that boat trains in Britain still often operated with three classes of accommodation after the abolition of second class in the rest of the country. From 3 June 1956 British Railways redesignated third class as "second class", finally (as British Rail) renaming it "standard class" from 11 May 1987, in view of
1530-459: A two-tier class structure, with the higher tier called "first class". The lower tier was re-branded from "third class" to "second class" by British Rail from 3 June 1956, and then to "standard class" from 11 May 1987. A convention used by most European railway companies is that the first-class section of a train is marked in yellow, usually with a yellow band above the doors and/or windows. First-class areas may be complete carriages or at one end of
1615-493: Is a quality of accommodation on public transport . The accommodation could be a seat or a cabin for example. Higher travel classes are designed to be more comfortable and are typically more expensive. Traditionally, an airliner is divided into, from the fore to aft, first , business , and economy classes, sometimes referred to as cabins. In recent years, some airlines have added a premium economy class as an intermediate class between economy and business classes. Each class
1700-654: Is air conditioned and has longitudinal seating; however, a tradition that started in the mid-90s made it customary for commuter trains to be technically classified as executive-class trains. Commuter trains in Jakarta are operated by Kereta Commuter Indonesia , a subsidiary of the Indonesian Railways Co. From 1872, Japan had a three-class structure for both seating carriages and sleeping carriages. By 1960, as conditions improved on second and third class trains, there were few passengers travelling on first class; therefore,
1785-554: Is available. Most JR Group Green Cars seats have increased width and pitch. In some stations, Green Cars are located nearer to the staircases and escalators leading to/from the train platform. Green Cars also frequently offer slippers and reading materials in Japanese. Additionally, JR East offers a third category of service, the GranClass, available on its Hayabusa route. Features of GranClass cars include leather seats that recline to
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#17331163560131870-427: Is defined for the ship, often suits and ties or even tuxedos for men, and formal dresses for women. The menu is more upscale than usual. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries, which may be open 24 hours and with menus that vary throughout the day to provide meals ranging from breakfast to late-night snacks. In recent years, cruise lines have started to include
1955-700: Is further divided into invisible booking or fare classes , which although booked into the same cabin differ in conditions and benefits outside of the cabin class travelled, such as frequent-flyer points, baggage limit, change or refund policy, etc. Before cruise ships dominated the passenger ship trade, ocean liners had classes of service, often categorized as First Class, Second Class, and Steerage . Companies such as Cunard Line continue this tradition, offering Queen's Grill, Princess Grill and Britannia cabins, each of which have their own allocated lounges and restaurants on board. Trains often have first class (the higher class) and second class (known as standard class in
2040-472: Is sealed and returned to passengers when they disembark. There is often a central galley responsible for serving all major restaurants aboard the ship, though specialty restaurants may have their own separate galleys. As with any vessel, adequate provisioning is crucial, especially on a cruise ship serving several thousand meals at each seating. For example, a quasi "military operation" is required to load and unload 3,600 passengers and eight tons of food at
2125-400: Is sometimes limited to expanded leg room , but its most comprehensive versions can feature services associated with business class travel. Air New Zealand 's and Qantas 's Premium Economy include amenities such as prioritised check-in, large customised seats (some for couples, others targeting solo travellers), seat pitch up to 41 in (100 cm) with 50% more recline, premium meals,
2210-598: Is the most common type of service. But in some areas there may be other classes as well which have different seating arrangement and travel time in which the lower classes has more stops than the upper one. For example, Jogjakarta–Solo route there are Sriwedari train services which is air conditioned and has transverse seating and also Prambanan Express train which is non air conditioned, has longitudinal seating and more stops. Meanwhile, in Jakarta metropolitan area, there's only one class of service available since mid-2013 which
2295-431: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. The construction market for cruise ships is dominated by three European companies and one Asian company. Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. Traditionally,
2380-496: The Cheap Trains Act 1883 which retained wooden benches for ease of cleaning, and boat trains connecting with ferries and trains to continental Europe, where three travel classes on trains were still the norm and so continued to provide "first", "second" and "third" class accommodation, although the "third class" accommodation remained broadly equivalent to "second class" on other European trains. The three-tier class structure
2465-472: The French Line 's SS France (1961), and Cunard Line 's RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) were designed to serve the dual purposes of ocean liner during the northern hemisphere summer months and cruise ship in the winter, incorporating doors and baffles that could be open or closed to divide classes or open the ship to one class, wherein all passengers received roughly the same quality berthing and most of
2550-643: The Japan Railways Group (JR) offer separated classes of travel, with varying levels of availability on any given train. The Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyūshū), Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), and East Japan Railway Company (JR East) all offer an enhanced service known as the Green Car on nearly all of their intercity trains. Additionally, the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) offer
2635-550: The Oasis -class ships is the split, atrium structure, made possible by the hull's extraordinary width, with the 6-deck high Central Park and Boardwalk outdoor areas running down the middle of the ship and verandas on all decks. In two short decades (1988–2009), the largest class cruise ships have grown a third longer (268 to 364.75 m, 879 ft 3 in to 1,196 ft 8 in), doubled their widths (32.2 to 65.7 m, 105 ft 8 in to 215 ft 7 in), nearly tripled
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2720-729: The South Pacific , and the Baltic Sea . Large cruise ships have been identified as one of the major causes of overtourism . Italy, a traditional focus of the Grand Tour , offered an early cruise experience on the Francesco I , flying the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . Built in 1831, the Francesco I sailed from Naples in early June 1833, preceded by an advertising campaign. Nobles, authorities, and royal princes from all over Europe boarded
2805-670: The Victorian era , most trains in the United Kingdom had three classes of accommodation: first class, second class and third class. From 1875, when the Midland Railway redesignated its second class accommodation as third class , second class (equivalent to either premium economy or business class ) was gradually abolished, while first class and third class were retained. This was because the Railway Regulation Act 1844 required
2890-750: The state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia (the Indonesian Railways Co.), have now four classes for long-distance travel. All types of carriages are seating-only (no sleeper cars). All classes are non-smoking and air conditioned. All passengers require a seat reservation, except for commuter trains. All seats can be reserved from 30 to 90 days before travel date until minutes before departure time when seats are still available. Medium and long-distance trains have onboard cafeteria, flushing toilets (older passenger coaches have squatting toilets ), onboard customer service representative (Train Manager), onboard security, and onboard cleaning services. Executive class trains are
2975-602: The "megaships" of Carnival and Royal Caribbean—designed such that virtually all of their suites are balconies. Several specialty lines offer "expedition cruising" or only operate small ships, visiting certain destinations such as the Arctic and Antarctica, or the Galápagos Islands . John W. Brown , which formerly operated as part of the United States Merchant Marine during World War II before being converted to
3060-488: The 1960s, intercontinental travelers switched from ships to planes, sending the ocean liner trade into a terminal decline. Certain characteristics of older ocean liners made them unsuitable for cruising duties, such as high fuel consumption, deep draught preventing them from entering shallow ports, and cabins (often windowless) designed to maximize passenger numbers rather than comfort. In the late 1950s and 1960s, ships such as Holland America Line 's SS Rotterdam (1959),
3145-474: The 1980s (see Trans Europe Express ) but are now rare. High-speed trains often charge more than slower-speed trains on the same route, but still have first- and second-class seats. Trains in Ireland are primarily operated as standard-class only, with only some of the longest distance services having a higher class, called Premier on IE 22000 Class stock, CityGold on Mark 4 loco-hauled carriages and First Plus on
3230-432: The 1990s led to many cruise lines being bought by much larger holding companies and continue to operate as "brands" or subsidiaries of the holding company. Brands continue to be maintained partly because of the expectation of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service. For instance, Carnival Corporation & plc owns both Carnival Cruise Line , whose former image were vessels that had
3315-500: The Railway Bureau of Taiwan, and it offered a three-class service, inherited locally from Japanese colonial rule. This structure was the norm for all trains, normal or express, until 1953. In 1953, the "Equality Express" was introduced with second class carriages only. Eventually, all expresses save for the sole Limited Express offered only second class service, and all other, slower trains, offered only third class. This resulted in
3400-553: The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contracted three Carnival Cruise Lines vessels ( Carnival Fantasy , the former Carnival Holiday , and the Carnival Sensation ) to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees. In 2017, cruise ships were used to help transport residents from some Caribbean islands destroyed by Hurricane Irma , as well as Puerto Rico residents displaced by Hurricane Maria . The cruise ships have also been used for evacuations. In 2010, in response to
3485-487: The UK). For trains with sleeping accommodations , there may be more levels of luxury. Traditional trains commonly offer the following classes: soft sleeper, hard sleeper, soft seat and hard seat, depending on the route. China Railway High-speed (CRH) EMUs offer the following classes: soft sleeper (available only on few overnight routes), business seat, 1st class seat and 2nd class seat. Prior to 1949, most railway bureaus (under
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3570-486: The addition of a casino and other entertainment amenities, the crossing was advertised as a vacation in itself. The 1977–1986 television series The Love Boat helped to popularize the concept as a romantic opportunity for couples. Industry experts credit the series with increasing interest in the cruise industry, especially for those that weren't newlyweds or senior citizens, and for the resulting demand to spur investment in new ships instead of conversions. The influence
3655-869: The base fare on Regent Seven Seas ships includes most alcoholic beverages on board ship and most shore excursions in ports of call, as well as all gratuities that would normally be paid to hotel staff on the ship. The fare may also include a one-night hotel stay before boarding, and the air fare to and from the cruise's origin and destination ports. Many cruise lines have loyalty programs . Using these and by booking inexpensive tickets, some people have found it cheaper to live continuously on cruise ships instead of on land. Cruise ships and former liners sometimes find use in applications other than those for which they were built. Due to slower speed and reduced seaworthiness, as well as being largely introduced after several major wars, cruise ships have also been used as troop transport vessels. By contrast, ocean liners were often seen as
3740-652: The beginning and end of each cruise, for the Royal Princess . Modern cruise ships typically have aboard some or all of the following facilities: Some ships have bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, sky-diving simulators, miniature golf courses, video arcades, ziplines, surfing simulators, water slides, basketball courts, tennis courts, chain restaurants, ropes obstacle courses, and even roller coasters. Crew are usually hired on three to eleven month contracts which may then be renewed as mutually agreed, depending on service ratings from passengers as well as
3825-428: The company's group insurance plan. The direct salary is low by North American standards, though restaurant staff have considerable earning potential from passenger tips. Crew members do not have any expenses while on board, because food and accommodation, medical care, and transportation for most employees, are included. Bard College at Simon's Rock professor Francisca Oyogoa states that "Crewing agencies often exploit
3910-401: The cross-border Enterprise service. No commuter services have premium classes. Premium benefits can be as limited as a reading light and waiter service; but reach to 2+1 recliner seating and enhanced catering options. In Germany, there existed a "fourth class" ("4. Klasse") on almost every local train from the second half of the 19th century to 1928. It provided just a very low travel comfort,
3995-706: The cruise lines from this common industry practice point of view; whereas Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group , for example, can be considered holding corporations of cruise lines. This industry practice of using the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, is also followed in the list of cruise lines and in member-based reviews of cruise lines. Some cruise lines have specialties; for example, Saga Cruises only allows passengers over 50 years old aboard their ships, and Star Clippers and formerly Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and Windstar Cruises only operate tall ships . Regent Seven Seas Cruises operates medium-sized vessels—smaller than
4080-473: The cruise ship business has been volatile. The ships are large capital investments with high operating costs. A persistent decrease in bookings can put a company in financial jeopardy. Cruise lines have sold, renovated, or renamed their ships to keep up with travel trends. Cruise lines operate their ships almost constantly. If the maintenance is unscheduled, it can result, potentially, in thousands of dissatisfied customers. A wave of failures and consolidations in
4165-472: The cruise ship, which sailed in just over three months to Taormina , Catania , Syracuse , Malta , Corfu , Patras , Delphi , Zante , Athens , Smyrna and Constantinople , providing passengers with excursions and guided tours. P&O first introduced passenger-cruising services in 1844, advertising sea tours to destinations such as Gibraltar , Malta and Athens, sailing from Southampton . The forerunner of modern cruise holidays , these voyages were
4250-405: The cyclical nature of the cruise line operator. Most staff work 77-hour work weeks for 10 months continuously followed by two months of vacation. There are no paid vacations or pensions for service, non-management crew, depending on the level of the position and the type of the contract. Non-service and management crew members get paid vacation, medical, retirement options, and can participate in
4335-465: The desperation of potential employees." Living arrangements vary by cruise line, but mostly by shipboard position. In general two employees share a cabin with a shower, commode and a desk with a television set, while senior officers are assigned single cabins. There is a set of facilities for the crew separate from that for passengers, such as mess rooms and bars, recreation rooms, prayer rooms/mosques, and fitness center, with some larger ships even having
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#17331163560134420-471: The direction of the Transport Ministry) had a three-class structure. As with most contemporary cases, few people could afford first class or even second class, so at times there would be no first class or second class service available in some trains. Some went as far as offering a fourth class "service" with goods wagons. In 1949, the first "Limited Express with Reserved Seating" (特快對號車) appeared with
4505-714: The fastest and stop only on a few major stations (first priority). Business trains are somewhat slower, but generally do not stop too often as well there may be economy cars in these trains (second priority). Economy trains take significantly more time to reach the destination, as they stop on many smaller stations and have to pass all executive and business class traffic going in the same direction (third priority). Many less important routes lack either business or executive service, or both. Some services have more two or three classes mixed together (executive-business, executive-economy, executive-premium economy, or executive-business-economy). For local or commuter trains, single class service
4590-412: The few remaining first class carriages were rebranded "special" carriages available for hire, and consequently moved Japan's railway system to a two-class system, of which the original second class became the first, and the original third became second. In 1969, the class structure was abolished altogether. The first class was renamed "Green" carriages and the second "Standard" carriages. All members of
4675-422: The first "mega-cruise ship". The main exception was Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 : although being put on more cruises, she maintained the regular transatlantic crossing tradition throughout the year, but with a stronger focus on leisure passengers, catering to a niche market of those who appreciated the several days at sea. International celebrities were hired to perform acts on board, along with cabarets , and with
4760-424: The first of their kind. P&O Cruises is the world's oldest cruise line . The company later introduced round trips to destinations such as Alexandria and Constantinople. It underwent a period of rapid expansion in the latter half of the 19th century, commissioning larger and more luxurious ships to serve the steadily expanding market. Notable ships of the era include SS Ravenna built in 1880, which became
4845-519: The first ship built with a total steel superstructure, and SS Valetta built in 1889. The cruise of Augusta Victoria in the Mediterranean and the Near East from 22 January to 22 March 1891, with 241 passengers including Albert Ballin and wife themselves, is often stated to have been the first ever cruise. Christian Wilhelm Allers published an illustrated account of it as Backschisch . The first vessel built exclusively for luxury cruising
4930-548: The inaugural flight of its first trans-Pacific route ( TPE - LAX ), becoming the first airline to offer this class of service. In some countries, this class has emerged as a response from governments and companies requiring economy class for travel done by staff, while still getting some benefits like airport priority. As of 2018, the term has not been standardised among airlines, and varies significantly between domestic and international flights, as well as between low-cost or regional airlines and other airlines. Premium economy
5015-589: The late-19th century, Albert Ballin, director of the Hamburg-America Line, was the first to send his transatlantic ships out on long southern cruises during the worst of the North Atlantic winter seasons. Other companies followed suit. Some of them built specialized ships designed for easy transformation between summer crossings and winter cruising. In 1897 three luxury liners, all European-owned, offered transportation between Europe and North America. In 1906
5100-744: The main dining room (or main restaurant) and buffet, access to shows, and use of pool and gym facilities, while there is a daily gratuity charge to cover housekeeping and waiter service. However, there are extra charges for alcohol and soft drinks, official cruise photos, Internet and wi-fi access, and specialty restaurants. Cruise lines earn significantly from selling onshore excursions offered by local contractors; keeping 50% or more of what passengers spend for these tours. In addition, cruise ships earn significant commissions on sales from onshore stores that are promoted on board as "preferred" (as much as 40% of gross sales). Facilitating this practice are modern cruise terminals with establishments of duty-free shops inside
5185-501: The mass cruising market. They also were the first series of cruise ships to include a multi-story lobby with a glass elevator and had a single deck devoted entirely to cabins with private balconies, instead of oceanview cabins. Other cruise lines soon launched ships with similar attributes, such as the Fantasy class , leading up to the Panamax -type Vista class , designed such that two-thirds of
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#17331163560135270-550: The most attractive rows in the economy section. Premium economy tickets also normally earn more mileage in an airline's frequent flyer program , attracting a bonus between economy and business. These upgrades tend to be more common on wide-body aircraft , such as the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 , and less common on narrow-body aircraft , such as the Boeing 737 . Airlines offering this service include: Some airlines no longer offer premium economy: Travel class A travel class
5355-583: The number had increased to seven. The British Inman Line owned City of Paris , the Cunard Line had Campania and Lucania . The White Star Line owned Majestic and Teutonic . La Lorraine and La Savoie sailed for the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique . Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. With the advent of large passenger jet aircraft in
5440-401: The oceanview staterooms have balconies. As the veranda suites were particularly lucrative for cruise lines, something which was lacking in older ocean liners, recent cruise ships have been designed to maximize such amenities and have been described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums". Until 1975–1980, cruises offered shuffleboard , deck chairs, "drinks with umbrellas and little else for
5525-587: The original lower price. At the same time, the Midland reduced the cost of its "first class" tickets to the prices previously charged for "second class". This move attracted many more passengers to Midland trains and other railway companies were pressured to follow. By the end of the 19th century, virtually all British trains consisted of only two classes (still called "first" and "third", both with fully upholstered (and lit and heated) seating arrangements. The exceptions were some "third class" trains provided for workmen under
5610-603: The passengers had to sit on even wooden planks with rudimentary backrests. Much of the space in the compartments was left empty to allow country folks to carry their goods and livestock inside the carriage. In Austria (and the adjacent countries also served by it) the Railjet has gone back to a three class structure with the highest class of service confusingly titled "Business Class". The Indian Railways offers six classes of train accommodation in general. Some trains also have one of these classes: Indonesian trains, operated by
5695-573: The pejorative overtones of "second class". A coach with accommodation for more than one class is called a "composite coach". In the United States and Canada , train classes emulate the airlines, although airlines probably took the class levels from trains of the time when they were coming of age (e.g. first, business, coach). Amtrak Acela Express trains have two classes: First Class and Business Class. Amtrak Northeast Regional trains have Business Class and Coach class. Canada 's Via Rail has
5780-539: The port of departure is usually the passengers' responsibility, although purchasing a transfer pass from the cruise line for the trip between the airport and cruise terminal will guarantee that the ship will not leave until the passenger is aboard. Similarly, if the passenger books a shore excursion with the cruise line and the tour runs late, the ship is obliged to remain until the passenger returns. Luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises market their fares as "all-inclusive". For example,
5865-563: The pride of their country and used to rival liners of other nations, and have been requisitioned during both World Wars and the Falklands War to transport soldiers and serve as hospital ships . During the 1992 Summer Olympics , eleven cruise ships docked at the Port of Barcelona for an average of 18 days, served as floating hotels to help accommodate the large influx of visitors to the Games. They were available to sponsors and hosted 11,000 guests
5950-606: The quality of service being associated with the speed of the train. The Diesel Limited Express was introduced in 1956 with one class only. In 1960, with the reforming of Limited Expresses (the Limited Express with Reserved Seating and Diesel Limited Express merged into one fare), all passenger trains officially offered only one class. Therefore, all expresses had only second class carriages and other trains only third class. As time passes, more types of carriages were introduced, but these were thought as types instead of classes. At
6035-568: The retirement of her running mate Queen Elizabeth 2 in November 2008, Queen Mary 2 is the only liner operating on scheduled transatlantic service, though she also sees significant service on cruise routes. Queen Mary 2 was for a time the largest passenger ship before being surpassed by Royal Caribbean International 's Freedom -class vessels in 2006. The Freedom -class ships were in turn overtaken by RCI's own Oasis -class vessels which entered service in 2009 and 2010. A distinctive feature of
6120-880: The same classes as Amtrak. Trains with sleeper cars have additional levels. Commuter trains in USA and Canada rarely offer multiple classes of service. Dubai Tram , UAE has Gold Class for first class travel. Cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing . Unlike ocean liners , which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on tours known as "shore excursions". Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. However, they have added amenities to cater to water tourists , with recent vessels being described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums". As of November 2022 there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with
6205-580: The same facilities. (Passengers in cabins in certain grades on the Queen Elizabeth 2 had access only to certain dining rooms). Ocean liner services almost ceased in the 1970s and 1980s. The Rotterdam was put on permanent cruise service in 1968, while the France (at the time the largest passenger vessel in the world) was mothballed in 1974, sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1979, and after major renovations relaunched as SS Norway in 1980, thus becoming
6290-560: The ship's events (such as shows and performances) for the late diners, but this problem is usually fixed by having a shorter version of the event take place before late dinner. Cunard Line ships maintain the class tradition of ocean liners and have separate dining rooms for different types of suites, while Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises have a standard dining room and "upgrade" specialty restaurants that require pre-booking and cover charges. Many cruises schedule one or more "formal dining" nights. Guests dress "formally", however, that
6375-542: The ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries. Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean . Others operate elsewhere in places like Alaska ,
6460-401: The ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Having two dinner times allows the ship to have enough time and space to accommodate all of its guests. Having two different dinner services can cause some conflicts with some of
6545-472: The shutdown of UK airspace due to the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the newly completed Celebrity Eclipse was used to rescue 2,000 British tourists stranded in Spain as an act of goodwill by the owners. The ship departed from Southampton for Bilbao on 21 April, and returned on 23 April. A cruise ship was kept on standby in case inhabitants of Kangaroo Island required evacuation in 2020 after
6630-419: The total number of cabins on all of the world's cruise ships amount to less than 2% of the world's hotel rooms. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. It is not uncommon for the most luxurious ships to have more crew and staff than passengers. Dining on almost all cruise ships is included in the cruise price. Traditionally,
6715-582: The total passenger count (2,744 to 7,600), and more than tripled in volume (73,000 to 248,000 GT). Also, the "megaships" went from a single deck with verandas to all decks with verandas. As of November 2022 there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $ 29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011 . The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to
6800-451: The transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager . Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger shipping lines (such as Cunard), while others were founded from the 1960s specifically for cruising. Historically,
6885-541: The very beginning of the railway age in Europe, almost every railway operator offered three classes for passenger services: "First class" was the most luxurious and least demanded class, equipped with rich upholstered seats, while "second class" was also upholstered, but on a lower level and with less seating space. In contrast, "third class" only provided wooden benches. While most passenger trains carried just one or two "first class" and "second class" carriages, every other carriage
6970-654: Was Prinzessin Victoria Luise of the German Empire, designed by Albert Ballin, general manager of the Hamburg-America Line . The ship was completed in 1900. The practice of luxury cruising made steady inroads into the more established market for transatlantic crossings . In the competition for passengers, ocean liners – Titanic being the most famous example – added luxuries such as fine dining , luxury services , and staterooms with finer appointments. In
7055-547: Was "third class" only. Today there are generally two classes, known as "first class" and "second class" or "economy class", or the equivalent in the local language. In the United Kingdom , the Midland Railway abolished its "second class" in 1875, offering only "first class" and "third class" travel. In fact, it was the basic wood-seated "third class" carriages and compartments which were removed, with "third class" passengers now travelling in what had been "second class" but at
7140-567: Was abolished on most European railways by the end of the 1950s in favor of a two-tier structure conceived by the UIC . In fact, the old "first class" from the pre- World-War-II era was deleted without substitution because of low ridership in postwar times, therefore the old "second class" became the new "first class" and the "third class", with hardly any wooden seatings left, was declared the new "second class". Trains in Great Britain continued to provide
7225-489: Was particularly notable for Princess Cruises , a line that partnered with the series and received a great deal of attention as a result. Contemporary cruise ships built in the late 1980s and later, such as the Sovereign class which broke the size record held for decades by Norway , showed characteristics of size once reserved for ocean liners. The Sovereign -class ships were the first "megaships" to be built specifically for
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