The argument for Ocean Liners vs Cruise Ships
Picture: QE2 and Brilliance of the Seas, October 2008, Copyright: Campbell McCutcheon Lots of my 'rivet counter' friends (the liner equivalent to Trainspotters) argue that cruise ships are second class compared to ocean liners of the past. At one point, many years ago, I would have whole-heartedly agreed with them. I thought nothing could compare to ocean liners - these cruise ships were inferior. Modern cruise ships look like floating blocks of flats! However, having travelled on a few of the modern day cruise ships, I find myself thinking that actually they are comparable. Ocean liners served their purpose - working ships, getting people from A to B when there was no alternative form of travel; however, cruise ships serve their purpose - as a floating holiday resort. In the beginning, ocean liners carried a few passengers, but mostly the mail. As numbers of passengers increased, they adapted. They fulfilled the needs of their audience, i.e. passengers. To attract th...