Katherine Frank Floating holidays: a history and rough guide Dr Katherine Frank. Author/Historian India & South East Asia Katherine Frank - born and educated in the United States. Holds a PhD in English literature Most recent book: 'Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi', Rise of tourism in Britain started with: Increase in disposable income (higher wages, lower cost of living and travel). More leisure time - introduction of shorter working hours and work week. Transportation revolutionised with the steam engine - leading to railroad and steamship travel. Thomas Cook - one of the first to organise group excursions, beginning with a chartered train excursion in 1840 - to a Loughborough Temperance meeting! Varied reasons to Cruise. Liberation of being at sea Feelings of community and friendship developed from sharing a ship. Relatively hassle-free safety Wide variety of interesting and foreign ports to visit. En route many and varied organised activities and facilities. Equally valid reasons NOT to cruise: debate over ethical flags of convenience disguising horrors of sweat ships labour conditions less than satisfactory for the crews on board. Recently environmental responsibilities involving waste emissions both sea and air. Economic impact, frequently negative, on local economies: large numbers of people suddenly appear; flood ashore for brief periods impacting on the locals and then depart. Piracy another deterrent. These days security and the fear of terrorism is even more rife and real. Quotations as opinions both for and against life at sea: 'Being in a ship is like being in jail with the chance of being drowned', by Samuel Johnson in Bos-well's Life of Johnson or: 'The Untold want By life and land ne'er granted Now, Voyager Sail Thou forth to seek and find!' by Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass. Which one relates to you?