The Big 40 for me this week!

So this week I turn the big 40 , not something I’ve been looking forward to, but hey there’s no stopping it happening! So this got me thinking , I was born in 1975 , what were the cruise ships of the 70’s like. The average ship of 1975 had eight guest decks, while the ships of today regularly boast of 13 or 14 guest decks. The number of cabins has also risen from 500 in 1975 to 1,500 in 2013. How about a cabin with a verandah? Nearly 0% in 1975, depending on your ship. Having a large window was seen as living in luxury, and a dinner plate-sized porthole was far more common. In 2013, the percentage of cabins with private verandahs has rocketed to an impressive 85% for instance on the Celebrity Reflection, and even portholes on the lowest decks have expanded to dimensions approaching picture windows.

Where there was once a crowded shuffle board court, there’s now real grass lawns with space to spread out and play croquet or even set up a picnic. Where there was once a cramped nightclub and a passenger talent show, there’s now a tiered theatre with professionally choreographed Broadway revues. Leave your backgammon and cribbage sets home and instead bring your workout clothes for pilates and spinning classes.

What will we see from cruise ships in another forty years? They’ll still be cutting the waves of the world’s oceans and getting ever greener, of course, but who knows if they’ll be city-sized or scaled back to intimate levels? One thing’s for sure—we can’t wait to find out.

Turning 40 is the perfect excuse to try something new and exciting, never been on a cruise? Never been further than the med? Then call me for that celebration cruise you’ve been waiting for!