The origin of pleasure cruises goes back to the middle of the 19th century. The pages of this new work cover the history of tourism from the Belle Époque to modern times. From the rich and fabulous to the simple cruise passenger, an entire era is transposed by the adventures on board these giant boats. The very first dates back to 1844. On board the Ibéria, we discover an entire way of life frozen in time on the high seas. Exclusively frequented by a privileged few, we’re at least able to visually board the vessel to follow its ports of call that, from Constantinople to Alexandria and Cairo in between, would inspire more than a few people. The author plunges us into the behind-the-scenes of these voyages, until you can almost feel the waves yourself.
During this golden age, tourists could set foot on the great pyramids of Giza and, pending some spare cash, even be brought up to the top. In 1920, the very tip was so covered with graffiti that you couldn’t even fit a single name more. This book offers a visual boarding pass to these boats – from the first flimsy steamers to the largest cruise ships of all time. On these floating villages, several civilizations were brought together to superpose one another. This entire cultural world is recounted through a number of breathtaking views; a cultural world that, until the 60s, didn’t even allow bikinis poolside…
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