Cruise ships are continually evolving, becoming more extensive and more luxurious. Today's most giant vessels are twice the size of those from 2000. The world's largest ship, the Icon of the Seas, where a man fell off after a fight with his wife, dwarfs the Titanic by five times and can accommodate over 5,000 guests and a crew of 2,300.
It's a constant cycle of replacing old with new, as space is at a premium, even on these colossal vessels. These decisions can be challenging, as many cruisers prefer consistency, even if they no longer utilize certain areas of the ship as much as before. For instance, Royal Caribbean chose to eliminate libraries from some boats, as passengers increasingly read books on their phones or other devices, rendering the small selection of borrowable books redundant.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have phased out internet lounges, where computers could be borrowed and internet purchased by the minute or hour. These spaces may have been transformed into business centers or repurposed entirely. Cigar lounges on cruise ships are a thing of the past, while escape rooms, a concept that barely existed a decade ago, have become commonplace.
Carnival's Brand Ambassador, John Heald, found himself in the hot seat when a disgruntled cruiser expressed dismay over the removal of chapels on Carnival ships. "I am shocked that Carnival Cruise Line has taken away the chapel from their ships," the passenger lamented, according to The Street. "You have taken .
