Time for a little history lesson.
Cruise ships cross the oceans of the world with seamless regularity now. Their origins are largely forgotten, yet most of us are descendants of immigrants who came from European countries a century ago or longer.
That started with the White Star Line. If White Star wasn't the first shipping company to accommodate "third-class" passengers, it was one of the first. One thing can be certain: four of its ships hauled millions of people to a new life in the United States and Canada. Both of us are descendants and we think it's important to remember that sometimes, when we're on a 21st century cruise ship.
White Star — its most famous ship was the one-sailing Titanic — merged with Cunard after the Depression. It was an economic decision made
when the British government gave the two competitors assistance on the condition that they merged. There was no choice. Passenger travel was down. White Star ships — they all ended in the letters "ic" — lasted until the Nomadic (above) was purchased from a French company to become the centerpiece in a museum about White Star.
Cunard itself became a victim of financial trauma late in the 20th century, when it was acquired by Carnival, the world's largest cruise company. Today, Cunard ships — the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria — occupy the luxury wing of the Carnival family.
On the Cunard ships, passengers are familiar with "White Star Service"…but do they know the story behind it?
Photo: Anthony of Agateller
Norwegian Sky
4 nights
September 3, 2012
Miami (return): Grand Bahama, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau
Inside: $199
Cost per day: $50
www.ncl.com