even though the ship is considered a vital part of the experience, the tours also include stops to a number of destinations on the journey, which is what has made rio such a popular part of cruise tours.

however, as with so many strands of the current tourism industry, a leisure cruise is fairly recent phenomenon - the first seeds of the recreation were planted in 1822, when the peninsular & oriental steam navigation company started a steam shipping service between london, spain and portugal.

quickly after the company moved onto delivering mail, but progression was slow, and it wasn't until 1844 that passengers were admitted onto the ships - however, the early ships that took passengers were a far cry from the luxurious vessels that are found today, and only offered basic amenities, with their purpose being transport, rather than vacation.