Cruising
has become a major part of the tourism industry, with
hundreds of thousands of passengers each year as of
2004. The rapid growth of the industry has seen nine
or more new-build ships catering to a North American
clientele added in each of 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.
The practice grew gradually
out of the transatlantic crossing tradition, which
despite the best efforts of engineers and sailors
into the mid-20th century, rarely took less than about
four days. In the competition for passengers, ocean
liners added many luxuries — most famously seen in
the Titanic, but also available in other ships — fine
dining, well-appointed staterooms, and so forth. Present-day
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/staff than
passengers. As with any vessel,
adequate provisioning is crucial, especially on a
cruise ship serving several thousand meals each at
seating. The amount of food and beverages consumed
by a cruise ship on an average 7-day voyage is staggering.
Passengers and crew on the Royal Caribbean International
ship Mariner of the Seas consume 20,000 pounds of
beef, 28,000 eggs, 8,000 gallons of ice cream, and
18,000 slices of pizza in a week |
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