Although Many Do Not Like Them,

for Diana and myself we love cruise ships,

photograph Library of Congress, and here is the first custom built cruise ship of them all, the SS Prinzessin Victoria Luise, and as it happens it looks more like a private yacht, but before building it German shipping magnate Albert Ballin, reasoned it is a fact that if you use a ship/boat or not, it is a money hole, the owner in 1891 decided he could offer an excursion on his largest ocean liner, the SS Augusta Victoria, he offered non seafaring types a 58-day trip through the Mediterranean in winter, it was a huge hit, and Ballin arranged for other ships to be used in this way, the cruise line was born! the first custom built cruise ship was a exercise in design and luxury, at the time the Kaiser was jealous that it was better than his own royal yacht! for the full story and so many wonderful photographs of the SS Prinzessin Victoria Luise have a look here, the only question is where shall we go for our next cruise?