Your first cruise ship

[joelamp]

It was the Emerald Seas, operated by Admiral Cruises (later acquired by RCI, I believe), on a 4-day Bahamas cruise out of Miami in 1990. Made calls at Nassau, Freeport and an out island (can't remember the name). Got me hooked for sure.

 

The Emerald Seas was no cruise ship - it was a liner, I believe built during WWII as a troop ship, and significantly spruced up :D before entering cruise service. She was later renamed the Ocean Explorer I and has since been scrapped, I understand.

 

Here's a link:

 

http://www.ssmaritime.com/oceanexplorer2.htm

[Copper10-8]

It was the Emerald Seas, operated by Admiral Cruises (later acquired by RCI, I believe), on a 4-day Bahamas cruise out of Miami in 1990. Made calls at Nassau, Freeport and an out island (can't remember the name). Got me hooked for sure.

 

The Emerald Seas was no cruise ship - it was a liner, I believe built during WWII as a troop ship, and significantly spruced up :D before entering cruise service. She was later renamed the Ocean Explorer I and has since been scrapped, I understand.

 

Here's a link:

 

http://www.ssmaritime.com/oceanexplorer2.htm

 

Check out posts #1114 & 1115 on the page before this one;)

[joelamp]

Well, I'll be! She sure had a long life with many iterations --- wow.

[CruiseBumm]

NCL Starward, May 1980. Port Antonio, Ocho Rios, Port-au-Prince. DH and I were to be on the maiden voyage of the Norway, but that cruise was canceled as the ship wasn't ready. We wound up on the Starward instead.

 

My first cruise was the Sunward in August 1980. The day we left the Starward had an engine fire and was canceld. I was standing on the aft watching it burn. I thoiught twice about our criise, but it turned out grat. Ive been cruise hooked eve since. The intinerary was Kingston, Ocho Rios, Port-au-Prince, and a private island.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was aboard the Regent Rainbow out of Tampa .in 1991.a 5 day western Carribean.

Small ship but lots of fun.

ts Santa Rosa (1958-present) Built in 1958 as ts Santa Rosa by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, VA for the Grace Line. She and her sister, Santa Paula replaced two pre-war ships of the same name for the line's New York-Central America service. She was launched on 28 August 1957 and delivered on 12 June 1958 and departed from New York on June 26th for her maiden voyage to South America and the West Indies.

Irish-born William Russel Grace had established the firm of W.R. Grace & Co., in New York in 1865. In the 1880's the company entered the steamship business with a line of freighters running from New York to the South American west coast via the Strait of Magellan flying the British flag. What later became the Grace Line originated in 1882 as a line of sailing vessels between Peru and New York. US-flag service began in 1912 with the Atlantic and Pacific Steamship Company. The activities of both companies and the parent firm were consolidated into the Grace Steamship Company beginning in 1916.

 

The two new Santa’s had space for three hundred first-class passengers and the two ships quickly became very popular due to their excellent accommodations as well as public rooms. However their days were numbered as their profitability began to shrink. They soldiered on until 12 December 1969 when the Grace Line management sold off the entire shipping interests to Prudential Lines, at the time a small line owned by Spyros Skouras of 20th Century Fox. The ships initially operated for newly renamed Prudential-Grace lines. Some time later, the ‘Grace’ was dropped and it became just Prudential Line. However, on 22 January 1971, despite good passenger numbers, the two ships were withdrawn from service, laid up at Hampton Roads, Virginia and offered for sale.

 

In 1976, Santa Rosa was sold to the New York-based Vintero Sales Corporation and renamed Samos Sky. She was to be used for cruising between La Guaira (Caracas), Venezuela, various Caribbean islands and Florida. However, this operation never came off the ground and, after being send for a refit, no work was carried out and was ultimately put back in lay-up at an unused berth in Baltimore, Md.

In 1989 she was finally purchased by Greece-based Coral Cruise Lines (Lelakis Group) and on 19 December 1989, under tow by the ocean-going tug Zamtug IV, Samos Sky began her journey from Baltimore, MD to Chalkis, Greece. Upon arrival there, she was initially renamed Pacific Sun, followed by the name Diamond Island and she received a complete rebuilt that transfered her into a modern cruise ship.

Following this substantial dry-dock, that lasted from March 1990 until 1992, she reappeared barely recognizable, as Regency Cruise Lines’ Regent Rainbow on 20 October 1992. She had a completely new look with a sharply raked bow and piled up decks (although strangely enough, she kept her original steam turbine engines). Her original funnel is hidden underneath a new casing and she also still has her original pool, dining room and many original cabins.

Shortly after, she once again crossed the Atlantic and began operating Caribbean cruises from Tampa, FL. About three years later however, Regency Cruises ran into financial difficulties, causing them to cease operation in November 1995. They were declared bankrupt soon afterwards and Regent Rainbow was placed under arrest on 27 November 1995 at Tampa, FL.

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A little more than a year later, on 20 December 1996, the ship was purchased by Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines and renamed ‘Emerald’. In May 1997, after yet another dry-dock period at Piraeus, she was chartered to UK-based tour operator Thomson Holidays, owned by TUI Travel Plc, and "The" was added to "Emerald". Initially wearing their "rainbow" livery on her hull and funnel, The Emerald sailed for Thomson targeting the British market, primarily in the Mediterranean. She soon became the company's most popular ship, and stayed with them until October 2008, when her charter concluded.

Since that time, The Emerald has reverted back to Louis Cruise Lines. She is one of the very few turbine-steam driven cruise ships left and she operates without the use of stabilizers. Unless major reconstruction work is carried out on her, she will be withdrawn from service by 1 July 2010, as new SOLAS regulations coming into effect on that date will no longer allow her to be operated.

[url=http://boards.cruisecritic.com/"

[DFD1]

Thanks so much for the history of Emerald Seas. She was one of the first ship i sailed, back around 1964 or 65 as best I can remember. This was early in the Miami/Bahamas cruise period and was the beginning of the Caribbean cruise industry as we know it today out of Florida.

 

This is a remarkable thread. I have learned so much and gotten a great deal of pleasure from it. I hope it can somehow be preserved.

[obriendan]

My first cruise ship was the Matson Line ss Lurline. As reported here before, my family (mother and two brothers) had the foresight:rolleyes: to travel from LA to Honolulu in late November, 1941, about two weeks before Pearl Harbor. My father was the captain of the USS Lamberton (DD119) (DMG 2), stationed in Hawaii. His ship was fortunate to have been on patrol outside the harbor at the time of the attack.

 

The Lurline is seen in the movie "From Here To Eternity" at the end leaving Honolulu. We traveled in second class, bunk beds and bathroom down the hall. As a 9 year old, I have a very clear memory of how bright the stars seemed at night at sea. After December 7th, we remained until April, and then returned to San Francisco in a small convoy aboard the transport ship USS U.S. Grant.

 

Dan

[woodofpine]

Not including a ro/ro overnight ferry (with cabins) from Chicoutimi to Quebec City during the Kennedy presidency that I have scant memories of... I remember pilot whales...

 

Epirotiki Semiramis in the Aegean, Summer 1968 (ship entered service 1954; 3,000GT), was the first cruise. No - it didn't make me a cruiser - even though it had a plunge pool! Hey, I was 10 years old.

 

A Panama Canal transit on Ocean Princess in 2001 made me a cruiser.

[DCParky]

My first cruise was as a boy (around 1966/67) onboard the ss Olympia run by Greek Lines. We sailed from NYC to Bermuda. I still remember arrive in New York Harbor as the sun was rising. What a sight!

 

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise ship was the Matson Line ss Lurline. As reported here before, my family (mother and two brothers) had the foresight to travel from LA to Honolulu in late November, 1941, about two weeks before Pearl Harbor. My father was the captain of the USS Lamberton (DD119) (DMG 2), stationed in Hawaii. His ship was fortunate to have been on patrol outside the harbor at the time of the attack.

 

The Lurline is seen in the movie "From Here To Eternity" at the end leaving Honolulu. We traveled in second class, bunk beds and bathroom down the hall. As a 9 year old, I have a very clear memory of how bright the stars seemed at night at sea. After December 7th, we remained until April, and then returned to San Francisco in a small convoy aboard the transport ship USS U.S. Grant.

 

Dan

 

Lurline (1932-1987) Built in 1932 as ss Lurline by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass. for the Matson Navigation Company/Matson Lines. She was launched in 1932 as a fast and luxurious ocean liner designed by William Francis Gibbs for the line's Pacific (Hawaii and Australasia) services from the west coast of the United States. She was the third Matson vessel to hold that name. With increasing passenger traffic to Hawaii, Matson Line had introduced the ss Malolo in 1927. Her success led to the construction of three sister ships: the ss Mariposa, ss Monterey and ss Lurline between 1930 and 1932. These were known as the great Matson liners.

Lurline was christened on 12 July 1932 in Quincy by Lurline Matson Roth (who had also christened her father's (William Matson) 1908 steamship Lurline as a young woman of 18). On 12 January 1933, she departed New York City on her maiden voyage bound for San Francisco, CA via Havana, Cuba, the Panama Canal and Los Angeles. From there, she would sail for Sydney, Australia and the South Pacific, returning to San Francisco on 24 April 1933. She then served on the express San Francisco to Honolulu, Hi service alongside her older sister Malolo.

On 7 December 1941, Lurline had departed Honolulu and was about half-way enroute to San Francisco, when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Naval base took place. She reached her destination on the west coast safely, traveling at maximum speed, and soon returned to Hawaii with her Matson sisters Mariposa and Monterey in convoy laden with troops and supplies.

She would spent the duration of the war as troopship USAT Lurline (aka USS Lurline), providing similar services, often voyaging to Australia, and once transported Australian Prime Minister John Curtin to the United States to confer with U.S. President Roosevelt.

She was returned to Matson Lines in mid-1946 and extensively refitted at Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard in Alameda, CA in 1947 at the then huge cost of $US 20 million. She resumed her San Francisco to Honolulu service from 15 April 1948 and regained her pre-war status as the Pacific Ocean's top liner. Her high occupancy rates during the early 1950s caused Matson to also refit/rebuilt her sister ss Monterey (actually renaming her ss Matsonia) and to put her on the same service. As a result, the two liners provided a first-class-only service between Hawaii and the American mainland from June 1957 to September 1962, mixed with the occasional Pacific cruise. Serious competition from jet airlines caused passenger loads to fall in the early 1960s and the ultimate lay-up of sister Matsonia in late 1962.

Only a few months later, Lurline arrived in Los Angeles with serious engine trouble in her port turbine, causing her to be laid up as well due to the required repairs being considered too expensive. Matson instead brought the Matsonia out of retirement and,characteristically, changed her name to Lurline. The original Lurline was sold to Greece-based Chandris Lines in 1963 to replace their Brittany which had been wrecked by fire earlier that year.

Under her new name of RHMS Ellinis, she had her engines repaired in the USA and then sailed from California to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England where she was refitted/rebuild at North Shields. She was given a new Chandris livery as well as a modernised superstructure with new funnels and an increased accomodation for 1,668 passengers in one class. In Chandris' service, she became one of the most important luxury cruise ships on the Australia and New Zealand services. She sailed from North Shields to Piraeus, Grece on 21 December 1963 and embarked on her maiden voyage from Piraeus to Sydney, Australia on 30 December 1963. Her homeward voyages were alternately routed via the Panama Canal to Southampton, England from 1964 and she also took occasional cruises

 

 

In April 1974, while cruising to Japan, Ellinis developed major problems in one engine. Chandris were able to buy a surplus engine from her former Matson sister Mariposa (Homeric) which was being broken up in Taiwan at the time. The replacement was carried out in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and was finished in March 1975.

Ellinis provided mainly cruises in the Meditteranean from 1975 to early 1977. In October 1980, she was laid up at Perama (Piraeus), Greece, after providing passenger services two years short of fifty years.

Despite various rumors concerning future plans for the ship including potential service as a floating hotel ship in San Francisco, CA she was sold for scrap to Taiwanese breakers in 1986. On 3 December 1986, she departed Perama under tow for Taiwan. On 11 March 1987 near Singapore, she started taking on water which resulted in her slowly developing a 15 degree list to starboard. Regardless, the tow continued and she arrived in Kaohsiung on 15 April 1987 and breaking up commenced approximately two months later.

[Copper10-8]

.............My father was the captain of the USS Lamberton (DD119) (DMG 2), stationed in Hawaii. His ship was fortunate to have been on patrol outside the harbor at the time of the attack............................

 

 

 

Dan

 

 

USS Lamberton DD-119 a Wickes-class destroyer named for Benjamin P. Lamberton, an admiral who had served with Admiral Dewey in the Battle of Manila Bay.

[Copper10-8]

We sailed the Sunward II in 1988 for three days Miami-Bahamas with a 2-year-old and a six-month-old and STILL got hooked. It was a family reunion cruise. We followed that in 1991 with another family reunion cruise on the Britanis. Our stateroom was huge with a separate closet for each of the four of us because she was used for ocean voyages.

 

What was so cool was that my husband's grandparents had sailed the Britanis to Hawaii when she was the Matsonia/Lurline. My husband had gone down to the dock to watch the sailaway.

 

Tina

 

Cunard Adventurer (1971-present) Built as ms Cunard Adventurer in 1971 by the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM), Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the Cunard Line. Initially, she was intended to become part of a company by the name of Overseas National Airways, a charter airline carying both passengers and freight, founded in June 1950 and based at Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International) in New York. Along with what would evantually become the Cunard Adventurer, ONA had grand plans to operate seven other small, cruise-oriented vessels.

 

Because of the vast amount of money being put into this project with so many ships, Overseas National Airways soon ran into financial dificulties, which forced them to abort their plans. Cunard saw the opportunity and quickly took over the project, although only partionally.

The original eight cruise ships were soon reduced to only two, the Cunard Adventurer of 1971 and the Cunard Ambassador of 1972. Cunard Adventurer ran her technical trials in the North Sea beginning on 28 August 1971 and was delivered to Cunard on 19 October 1971. After christening at Southampton, England, she departed on 19 November 1971, bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico. She and her sister Cunard Ambassador were intended for seven-day cruises, from New York City to Bermuda, from San Juan to other Caribbean ports in the winter, and from Vancouver, BC to Alaska during the summer seasons.

Cunard Adventurer operated for Cunard for less than five years, In February 1977, she was purchased by Knut Kloster's company Klosters Redri A/S aka Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL), Kloster had been looking for a ship to replace his first vessel, the 1966-built Sunward. After the purchase, she again crossed the Atlantic, this time in an easterly direction, and from 8 March until 24 April 1977, she was rebuilt at the Hapag Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, (then) West Germany. She emerged as the Sunward II, having received the, at the time, characteristic NCL twin-flared funnels.

NCL would operate her on three and four-night cruises from Miami, Fl to the Bahamas and back. In 1986, Royal Viking Line, an upscale cruise line with three ships (Royal Viking Sea, Royal Viking Star and Royal Viking Sky) was purchased by Kloster. Initially, he ran Royal Viking as a separate crusie line but eventually the three ships were absorbed into Norwegian Caribbean Line. Royal Viking Sky was transferred to NCL on 14 September 1991. She took over Sunward II's Bahama itinerary and her name, Sunward (III). Sunward II was subsequently sold to Greece-based Epirotiki Line in November 1991

Epirotiki, at the time, the largest cruise ship company in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, renamed her Triton. The line had been in financial trouble however, during the eighties and early nineties. In August 1995 Epirotiki agreed to merge its operations with Greece-based Sun Line, creating a new company named Royal Olympic Cruise Lines, changed into Royal Olympia Cruises in 2003 after continued protests to the first name by the International Olympic Committee.

Royal Olympia Cruise Line collapsed due to ongoing financial problems in early 2004. Triton was subsequently purchased by Cyprus-based Louis Cruises at public auction on 6 April 2005. They renamed her "Coral" and initially placed her under their Greek arm, Louis Hellenic Cruise Line, out of Piraeus. She is currently sailing as Coral for Louis on western Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona, Spain.

 

 

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[Copper10-8]

Some more pics of the former Cunard Adventurer:

[micro yaya]

so i posted earlier that my first cruise was on the carnival. little did i know it was not the first time i had been on her. de ja vou my in-laws sailed to greece and we took them to the ship the anna maria we were allowed to board her the front half was all greeks, and the back half was all isrealies, at least the flags had the same colors blue and white one with a cross, and one with the star of david. amazing to think about it this was probably in the early 60' who knew i'd be such a cruise addict when i got older.........

[Copper10-8]

Not including a ro/ro overnight ferry (with cabins) from Chicoutimi to Quebec City during the Kennedy presidency that I have scant memories of... I remember pilot whales...

 

Epirotiki Semiramis in the Aegean, Summer 1968 (ship entered service 1954; 3,000GT), was the first cruise. No - it didn't make me a cruiser - even though it had a plunge pool! Hey, I was 10 years old.

 

A Panama Canal transit on Ocean Princess in 2001 made me a cruiser.

 

ms Irish Coast (1952-1989) Built as Irish Coast in 1952 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast, Northern Ireland for Coast Lines Ltd. (Great Britain). Coast Lines had been formed in 1913 as a result of the merger of three Liverpool coaster companies. Irish Coast was delivered to her owners on 16 October 1952 and placed with one of Coast's subsidiaries, Burns & Laird Lines. The passenger ship/coaster was placed on the Belfast, Northern Ireland to Liverpool, England run. During her career with Burns & Laird, she often was used as a replacement for ships who were in overhaul, so could frequently be found on routes to/from Cork, Ireland - Fishguard, Wales - Dublin, Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland.

On 2 October 1966, Irish Coast was operated by yet another Coast Lines' subsidiary, the Belfast Steamship Company, again for service between Belfast and Liverpool

 

On 16 August 1968, she was purchased by Greece-based Epirotiki Steamship Navigation Company aka Epirotiki Line who renamed her Orpheus (2). She departed Birkenhead along the river Mersey opposite Liverpool on 22 August 1968, bound for Piraeus, Greece.

In 1969, she received three consecutive name changes in quick succession; from Semiramis II to Achilleus, before her owners settled on Apollo XI, no doubt inspired by the first manned mission to land on the Moon in July 1969.

 

Epirotiki operated her from Piraeus on cruises to the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, calling at Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Patmos, Delos and Mykonos.

 

 

Yet one more name change, although minor, in Epirotiki service was received in 1980 when Apollo XI was changed to the Greek Apollon 11.

 

 

In 1981, she was sold to Corporacion Naviera Intercontinental de Panama, SA. and renamed Regency. On 11 October 1989, she was at Batangas City, on the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, when typhoon 'Dan' struck the area. Regency suffered severe damage as a result and was subsequently sold for scrap. She was towed to Manilla, where she was ultimately broken up.

 

[url=http://boards.cruisecritic.com/"http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/photos/rw/81952/Ship+Photo+APOLLON++II.jpg&quot][/url]

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was as a boy (around 1966/67) onboard the ss Olympia run by Greek Lines. We sailed from NYC to Bermuda. I still remember arrive in New York Harbor as the sun was rising. What a sight!

 

 

tss Olympia (1953-present) Built in 1953 as tss (Turbine Steam Ship) Olympia by Alexander Stephen & Sons on River Clyde, Glasgow, Scotland, she would be the first and only new-built for the General Steam Navigation Company of Greece, also known as the Greek Line. She was initially measured at 22,979 gross registered tons (GRT) and carried 138 First and 1,169 Tourist Class passengers. She had a number of interchangeable cabins for 146 passengers. The reason she was built as a predominantly tourist class ship was in response to a demand for cheaper travel during the post-war years. She was designed to operate regular transatlantic voyages, between Piraeus and New York.

Her maiden voyage on 10 October 1953, saw her departing Glasgow for Dublin and New York. Her first voyage on the intended route from Piraeus to the Big Apple did not take place until March 1955 due to legal complications.

In 1961, that route was extended to include Haifa, Israel. She also operated on some cruises from New York to Bermuda. In 1968, Olympia was re-registered at Andros, Greece and re-meassured at 17,434 GRT. By 1970, with trans-atlantic traffic in decline, she became a one-class cruise ship accommodating 1,030 passengers. However, in the end, this proved to be unprofitable and on 24 March 1974, her owners decided to pull her out of service and to lay her up at Piraeus. She would remain there for the next seven years. The Greek Line did not survive and suffered total financial collapse in 1975.

 

In 1981, Olympia was sold to Finnish-owned Rederi Ab Sally or Sally Shipping Company. It took another year or so when, on 22 February 1983, after assuming the new name 'Caribe', she was towed to Hamburg, Germany. Upon arrival there on 11 March 1983, she was refitted with diesel engines, replacing her original steam turbines. On 29 June 1983, sporting a new livery and a more “modern” look, she departed Hamburg as 'Caribe I' bound for Miami, Florida under management of Sally’s U.S.-based subsidiary, Commodore Cruise Line Ltd. In Miami, she joined the line's 1968-built Boheme in operating seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami.

She soon became a much sought after cruise ship, much due to her elegant old world atmosphere. On 14 May 1988, she received another refit in dry-dock at Norfolk, Va, which included the removal of that not aesthetically pleasing funnel (exhaust pipes decorated in a framework design) that had been fitted in 1983. It was replaced by a more conventional type.

Due to strong competition of the larger upmarket cruise ships, Commodore Cruises, decided to sell their ships in 1993. Caribe I was sold to the newly formed Palmetto Florida-based Regal Cruise Line, who renamed her Regal Empress and began sailing her out of Port Manatee, Fl in the winter season and out of New York City during the summer.

 

 

In 1996, Regal Empress was given a new “bolder” livery, with a broad navy blue band on both sides of the ship. In addition her anchor well was pained dark blue and the size of her name on her bow was increased. In 1997, she sailed to Mobile, Alabama for another refit, which included the addition of balconies to six suites, some with their own Jacuzzis, and the fitting of enclosed Lanai’s to her forward suites overlooking her bow.

After the collapse of Regal Cruises, the company ceased all operations on April 18 2003, Regal Empress was seized by U.S. Marshals at Port Manatee in a dispute over a claim against the cruise company for $730,000 worth of repair work on the 50-year old vessel. She was subsequently auctioned off on 23 May 2003 and purchased by U.S.-based Imperial Majesty Cruises who had been operating two-night mini cruises from Ft. Lauderdale's Port Everglades to Nassau, the Bahamas, using the 1955-built ss OceanBreeze. It was felt that Regal Empress (she would retain her most current name with Imperial Majesty) would be cheaper to operate while carrying more passengers than the other classic ocean liner. OceanBreeze was promptly sold for scrap and broken up at Chittagong, Bangladesh in November of that same year.

 

Like her forerunner, Regal Empress became a success story, sailing mostly to capacity and proving to be one of the most profitable ships operating in the Caribbean. In September 2008, she was removed from service and used as an aid/accommodation ship in the recovery of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike which devastated Galveston, TX She would remain in that city for two months.

 

 

Her last voyage for Imperial Majesty Cruises took place on 6 March 2009. Three days later, on 9 March 2009, she was oficially retired by the cruise Line. She was laid up in Freeport, the Bahamas and subsequently sold for scrap to Indian breakers. On 28 March 2009, she departed Freeport with an Indian delivery crew for Alang, India. The pic below, taken on 30 April 2009, shows her off Gibraltar on that final voyage.

 

 

 

 

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[DCParky]

Thanks for the info on the Olympia... What a history!! Sort of sad to see her on that last cruise to the scrap yard!

[Soundsgreat6]

My First Cruise - 1958 Was on the

Empress of England she was renamed the Ocean Monarch

The Empress of England was built in 1957 by Vickers-Armstrongs of Newcastle, following sister Empress of Britain into service by one year. Initially intended to run Liverpool-Quebec & Montreal in summer, and Liverpool-Saint John in winter, she soon began to spend winters on Caribbean cruising from New York. As time passed, more of her time was spent cruising as air travel hit the Atlantic market. Initial passenger capacity was 160 First Class and 898 Tourist Class on liner service, but less on cruising.

 

It is easy to tell the two sisters apart, since the Empress of Britain has windows spaced 2-2-2 on the boat deck each side under the bridge wings, whereas on Empress of England they are spaced 2-1-2. The third ship, Empress of Canada was quite distinct, with a different funnel top and more superstructure forward of the bridge.

 

In 1970 she was sold to Shaw Savill, who had ambitious plans to increase their cruising market. The project was doomed almost from the start, as the conversion work at Cammell Laird stretched to over a year. She reappeared eventually in October 1971 as the Ocean Monarch. She operated only until 1975, when she was sold for scrap. This page shows company and commercial postcards under both owners.

 

Empress of England details: 25500 Gross Tons, Length: 640ft, 1050 Passengers (650 on cruising), Speed 20 knots, Engines: Steam turbines, twin screw.

 

Ocean Monarch details: 25971 Gross Tons, 1372 Passengers

[Copper10-8]

My First Cruise - 1958 Was on the

Empress of England she was renamed the Ocean Monarch

The Empress of England was built in 1957 by Vickers-Armstrongs of Newcastle, following sister Empress of Britain into service by one year. Initially intended to run Liverpool-Quebec & Montreal in summer, and Liverpool-Saint John in winter, she soon began to spend winters on Caribbean cruising from New York. As time passed, more of her time was spent cruising as air travel hit the Atlantic market. Initial passenger capacity was 160 First Class and 898 Tourist Class on liner service, but less on cruising.

 

It is easy to tell the two sisters apart, since the Empress of Britain has windows spaced 2-2-2 on the boat deck each side under the bridge wings, whereas on Empress of England they are spaced 2-1-2. The third ship, Empress of Canada was quite distinct, with a different funnel top and more superstructure forward of the bridge.

 

In 1970 she was sold to Shaw Savill, who had ambitious plans to increase their cruising market. The project was doomed almost from the start, as the conversion work at Cammell Laird stretched to over a year. She reappeared eventually in October 1971 as the Ocean Monarch. She operated only until 1975, when she was sold for scrap. This page shows company and commercial postcards under both owners.

 

Empress of England details: 25500 Gross Tons, Length: 640ft, 1050 Passengers (650 on cruising), Speed 20 knots, Engines: Steam turbines, twin screw.

 

Ocean Monarch details: 25971 Gross Tons, 1372 Passengers

 

 

RMS Empress of England (1957-1975) Built in 1957 as RMS Empress of England by Vickers-Armstrong Shipbuilders Ltd, at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England for Canadian Pacific Steamships Ocean Services Ltd, a branch of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). She was launched by Lady Eden, wife of the British prime minister, on 9 May 1956. One of her distinguishing marks was the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) prefix in front of her name while in commercial service with Canadian Pacific.

Her maiden voyage started on 18 April 1957, when she left Liverpool for Quebec City and Montreal, both in the province of Quebec. She operated on this trans-Atlantic passenger liner service, also calling at Saint John, New Brunswick, from both Liverpool and Greenock until 14 November 1969 but also made several cruises to the Caribbean from New York City.

 

 

She was then operated solely for cruising for four months until March 1970, when she was purchased by British-based Shaw Savill & Albion Line who renamed her Ocean Monarch. On 11 April 1970, she started a single round-trip voyage from Southampton, England to Australia. Shaw Savill had ambitious plans to increase their cruising market so intended to convert Ocean Monrach for full-time cruising. Unfortunately, the project was doomed almost from the start, as the conversion work at Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders, Ltd, Birkenhead, England stretched to over a year.

She did finally emerge as a cruise ship in October 1971 and on 5 November of that year. sailed to Auckland, New Zealand via Barbados, Curacao, the Panama Canal, Acapulco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Honolulu, Tokelau (a territory of New Zealand) and Fiji. She was based at Auckland until 1973 when she commenced Pacific cruising out of Sydney, Australia. Withdrawn and sold for scrap in June 1975, she sailed from Southampton for Kaohsiung, Taiwan where she was scrapped that same year.

 

 

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[Panda3]

The SS Veracruz with my parents back in 1982.

[Copper10-8]

The SS Veracruz with my parents back in 1982.

 

 

ss Theodor Herzl (1957-1991) Built in 1957 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany as Theodor Herzl, she was part of a special reparations pact between what was then West Germany and the state of Israel. She was designed for Mediterranean service

 

Named in honor of the founder of the Zionist movement, she operated for Zim Israel Navigation Company aka Zim Israel Lines on routes from Marseilles, Naples and Venice to Haifa, carrying both immigrants and budget tourists. In the winter season, she could be found on Mediterranean cruises. She also had at least one season to the Mexican Riviera as well as a celebratory maiden voyage to New York and, in later years, made several immigrant crossings to South America, to Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

 

 

 

During the 1958-1959 winter season, Zim entered the international cruise market from the United States to the Caribbean Islands with three cruises per season. In 1964, she was converted into a one-class cruise ship, which saw all cabins converted to two bedded/two berth cabins, all having private facilities, She completed her final voyage for Zim on on 27 November 1969 and was sold to the American International Service Travel Services (AIST) - Yes, there is a Ted Arison/Carnival Cruise Line connection here - who renamed her Carnivale (not to be confused with the later CCL Carnivale, the former Empress of Britain) and employed her in the Caribbean as a floating luxury hotel. Nothing else came to pass for her and she did not sail again until as late as 1975, when she was sold to the New Horizons Shipping Ltd. who renamed her Freeport, rebuilt her, and used her on the Miami-Nassau-Freeport run.

 

In 1976, she was renamed Veracruz I and was largely responsible for making New York via Eastern Canada to the St. Lawrence River cruises popular.

 

 

In 1978, New Horizons Shipping Ltd became Freeport Cruises Lines and she became Veracruz Primero and in 1985, under Bahama Cruises Inc./Bahama Cruise Line management, just plain Veracruz.

 

 

In 1987, Bahama Cruise Line became the Bermuda Star Line and in 1990 was bought out by Commodore Cruise line. That same year, Veracruz was sold to Festival Shipping & Tourist Enterprises and was renamed Sun Ambassador however this did not last long and she was laid up in Florida.

 

Then in 1991, newly-formed Greek-based Fiesta Cruise Lines came calling. She was brought over to Greece as "Fiesta" and, once moored in Perama Bay near Piraeus, her resurrection began. She was to emerge as yet another "new" cruiseship, taking travelers around the Eastern Mediterranean in summers and in Caribbean waters in wintertime. But it all went astray when on 24 October 1991, she caught fire, burned out and then, overloaded with firefighters' water, capsized.

[Boatdrill]

Matson Lines. 1965.

 

S.S. Mariposa or S.S. Lurline. (sailed on both, not sure which one first)

[Copper10-8]

Matson Lines. 1965.

 

S.S. Mariposa or S.S. Lurline. (sailed on both, not sure which one first)

 

classics!

[Copper10-8]

Matson Lines. 1965.

 

S.S. Mariposa or S.S. Lurline. (sailed on both, not sure which one first)

 

Lurline (1932-1987) Built in 1932 as ss Lurline by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass. for the Matson Navigation Company/Matson Lines. She was launched in 1932 as a fast and luxurious ocean liner designed by William Francis Gibbs for the line's Pacific (Hawaii and Australasia) services from the west coast of the United States. She was the third Matson vessel to hold that name. With increasing passenger traffic to Hawaii, Matson Line had introduced the ss Malolo in 1927. Her success led to the construction of three sister ships: the ss Mariposa, ss Monterey and ss Lurline between 1930 and 1932. These were known as the great Matson liners.

 

 

Lurline was christened on 12 July 1932 in Quincy by Lurline Matson Roth (who had also christened her father's (William Matson) 1908 steamship Lurline as a young woman of 18). On 12 January 1933, she departed New York City on her maiden voyage bound for San Francisco, CA via Havana, Cuba, the Panama Canal and Los Angeles. From there, she would sail for Sydney, Australia and the South Pacific, returning to San Francisco on 24 April 1933. She then served on the express San Francisco to Honolulu, Hi service alongside her older sister Malolo.

 

On 7 December 1941, Lurline had departed Honolulu and was about half-way enroute to San Francisco, when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Naval base took place. She reached her destination on the west coast safely, traveling at maximum speed, and soon returned to Hawaii with her Matson sisters Mariposa and Monterey in convoy laden with troops and supplies.

 

She would spent the duration of the war as troopship USAT Lurline (aka USS Lurline), providing similar services, often voyaging to Australia, and once transported Australian Prime Minister John Curtin to the United States to confer with U.S. President Roosevelt.

 

She was returned to Matson Lines in mid-1946 and extensively refitted at Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard in Alameda, CA in 1947 at the then huge cost of $US 20 million. She resumed her San Francisco to Honolulu service from 15 April 1948 and regained her pre-war status as the Pacific Ocean's top liner. Her high occupancy rates during the early 1950s caused Matson to also refit/rebuilt her sister ss Monterey (actually renaming her ss Matsonia) and to put her on the same service. As a result, the two liners provided a first-class-only service between Hawaii and the American mainland from June 1957 to September 1962, mixed with the occasional Pacific cruise. Serious competition from jet airlines caused passenger loads to fall in the early 1960s and the ultimate lay-up of sister Matsonia in late 1962.

 

Only a few months later, Lurline arrived in Los Angeles with serious engine trouble in her port turbine, causing her to be laid up as well due to the required repairs being considered too expensive. Matson instead brought the Matsonia out of retirement and,characteristically, changed her name to Lurline. The original Lurline was sold to Greece-based Chandris Lines in 1963 to replace their Brittany which had been wrecked by fire earlier that year.

 

 

Under her new name of RHMS Ellinis, she had her engines repaired in the USA and then sailed from California to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England where she was refitted/rebuild at North Shields. She was given a new Chandris livery as well as a modernised superstructure with new funnels and an increased accomodation for 1,668 passengers in one class. In Chandris' service, she became one of the most important luxury cruise ships on the Australia and New Zealand services. She sailed from North Shields to Piraeus, Grece on 21 December 1963 and embarked on her maiden voyage from Piraeus to Sydney, Australia on 30 December 1963. Her homeward voyages were alternately routed via the Panama Canal to Southampton, England from 1964 and she also took occasional cruises

 

 

 

In April 1974, while cruising to Japan, Ellinis developed major problems in one engine. Chandris were able to buy a surplus engine from her former Matson sister Mariposa (Homeric) which was being broken up in Taiwan at the time. The replacement was carried out in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and was finished in March 1975.

 

Ellinis provided mainly cruises in the Meditteranean from 1975 to early 1977. In October 1980, she was laid up at Perama (Piraeus), Greece, after providing passenger services two years short of fifty years.

 

 

Despite various rumors concerning future plans for the ship including potential service as a floating hotel ship in San Francisco, CA she was sold for scrap to Taiwanese breakers in 1986. On 3 December 1986, she departed Perama under tow for Taiwan. On 11 March 1987 near Singapore, she started taking on water which resulted in her slowly developing a 15 degree list to starboard. Regardless, the tow continued and she arrived in Kaohsiung on 15 April 1987 and breaking up commenced approximately two months later.

[birdie16]

Our first cruise was not as spectacular as some of the "historic" first cruises already mentioned. My DH did not want to cruise...I made him try it at least once (after proving to him he could work out on the ship). It was the Carnival Elation, 2/2/02, Mexican Riviera. We had such a great time that it is difficult to get my DH to take any other kind of vacation now! We are still good friends with the tablemates we met on that first cruise and have vacationed with them many times since.