It’s hard to imagine cruising not existing. But if it didn’t, how different would our lives be?

Well for a start, I wouldn’t be writing about cruises every week and you wouldn’t be here reading the words of the nation’s number one Wednesday blogger. But, as I am about to show you, the implications of a cruiseless world extend far beyond that.

It’s fair to say we live in an era when cruising is taken for granted.

It’s such a convenient way for millions of people to access exciting destinations, that it seems unthinkable we could ever live without it.

Parallel universe

But just suppose you’d stepped into a parallel universe where cruises were unknown.

A place where humanity had split the atom and developed the trolley suitcase, but no one had dreamt up the concept of a cruise holiday.

It’s hard to imagine, but let’s pretend such a world exists.

Practical option

For most holidaymakers in this cruise-free environment, flying would be the only practical option. As a result airports everywhere would get extremely congested and long queues and delays would become the order of the day.

Even worse, the lack of a major wealth generator, such as the cruise industry, would hit the world’s economy hard.

Hundreds of thousands of people would need to find other sources of employment, while billions of pounds would go unspent within the travel sector.

Global effect

Around the planet the effect would be felt in so many ways.

Off the coast of Alaska whales would be performing to a near empty ocean. All that diving and spouting would go largely unnoticed, unless you happened to be a creature swimming nearby that was lower down the food chain.

In places like Ocho Rios in Jamaica the dolphins would feel unloved because so few people were dropping by to admire them and swim with them.

Floating cathedrals

Nearer home, those living within range of the Solent would also suffer. They’d be denied the sight of those magnificent floating cathedrals gliding past on a daily basis.

At the same time, the local economy in Southampton would fare badly, not to mention the economy in Dover and the UK economy as a whole.

And what about cruise pundits like Monday blogger Phil Davies, Friday’s James Leavey and me? Well, we’d have to channel our punditry into something entirely different. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

Much loved phrases

Words that would be familiar to cruisers in our universe would be considered confusing in this no cruise zone.

How many people would be able to tell their port from their starboard or their fore from their aft?

Phrases much loved by the cruising fraternity such as ‘cruise deals’, ‘cabin upgrades’ or ‘free scenic water taxi transfer’ would be unheard of.

There’s no denying it. Trying to imagine cruising doesn’t exist, can be deeply unsettling.

Possible remedies

Faced with sluggish sales in a world without cruises, tourist bosses would eventually hold a conference to brainstorm possible remedies.

“We must be missing something,” they’d mutter. “But what?”

Then inspiration would come to an up-and-coming marketing exec. “Hey guys, what if we gave our customers loads of extra entertainment facilities to enjoy while being transported between destinations?”

Brilliant idea

Everyone would gasp at the brilliance of his idea and the travel industry would spring into action. Orders would be placed for much larger aeroplanes.

Being so big they’d probably fly more slowly. But that would be good because passengers would have more time to enjoy the on-plane gym, health spa and swimming pool, not to mention the in-flight casino and shopping mall.

Somehow I don’t think the idea – or indeed the planes – would ever get off the ground.

Imagine cruising to . . .

Luckily we don’t inhabit such a world.

We don’t have to imagine cruising to the Med for a week for £499 per person. We can do it for real.

There’s no need to imagine cruising to the Caribbean for under £750 per person. We can experience it at first hand.

And why bother trying to imagine cruises to China or Australia, when both possibilities are already within our grasp?

The more I try to imagine it, the more I realise, a world without cruising is… well just unimaginable.

Bruce Beckett

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