SHIPS for passengers WORLDWIDE Authors: Heribert Schroepfer (HSch) and Werner Soelch (WS) Co-author Web Layout: Hans Soelch (HS), Xyania Internet Verlag Web Consultants: Anton and Daniela Soelch The comprehensive history of ocean mail and passenger liners, seagoing ferries and modern cruise shipping, with c. 1,500 pictures  "Norwegian Spirit", "Navigator of the Seas" and "Carnival Triumph", St. Thomas 2007 (WS) 
For liners click oceans, for ferries click regions, for cruises worldwide click crusies and for trains ferries worldwide click train ferries.Map of 1904 (coll. WS)
Navigation enabled mankind to discover continents. Normans and Vikings, the Arabian, Indian and Chinese traders, islanders of the South Pacific, the discoverers Vasco da Gama, Columbus, Magalhaes (Magellan), the first steamers of the 19th century and the liners of the 20th - Mauretania, Titanic, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Bremen, Rex, Normandie, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, United States - they were myths of the Oceans ... With the Queen Mary 2 and the Oasis of the Seas the story continues.  "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse", passing Roter Sand lighthouse (HSch) The Ocean, with its vastness, its blue green Its ship, its rocks, its caves, its hopes, its fears, Its voice mysterious, which whoso hears Must think of what will be, and what has been. John Keats
The intention of this review is to recollect one of the greatest adventures in history of Man: Seafaring. To avoid producing an endless story, the attention had to be concentrated on the technical age, i.e. the period of the steamers and motor ships and their passenger services. May this representation by word and picture help to revive the interest in the once most important means of communication that has opened up the world to Man. Writing down this history worldwide, we are aware of the fact that only an overview can be provided, avoiding to mention every shipping company and its ships. The numerous companies, which provided cargo-passenger services, are mentioned only when they were of special importance. For more information we recommend to take advantage of the extensive literature and Web sites. Our pictures are not to represent a photographic catalogue of ships, but they should give some real-life impression. Some ships' plans or outlines are included in the chapters Data. The survey is provided for those who are interested in the field of history and for all those fans of ships and navigation who have themselves preserved a sense for beauty and romanticism as a piece of the cultural remembrance, who got fascinated by the deep sound of a liner's steam whistle, when the tugs towed the big brother towards the open sea and the band was playing a last farewell. We hope that some of that peculiar atmosphere may in the retrospect pass over to the reader.
 "Norwegian Spirit" of NCL, arriving at St. Thomas, 2007 (WS) Download this picture with 1500 x 1000 pix, 300 dpi
 Pacific coast of Costa Rica (WS)
|
"Oasis of the Seas", delivery voyage, 2009 (George Hutchinson, via Wikimedia)
