Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was on the Glacer Bay ship, Wilderness Discoverer, to Alaska in 2000. Glacer bay had 4 small ships, 2 devoted to active tours and 2 to port tours within Alaska. Our cruise was based in Juneau. This ship had a shower/toilet. You had enough hot water for about 4 minutes. Get wet, turn it off soap up, rinse. It was barely enough to get me through a hair wash. It had a dining room, a small lounge and a small bar. What more do you need with Alaska scenery. We saw lots and lots of whales and had a great time.

 

 

m/v Mayan Prince (1992-present) Built originally in 1992 by Luther Blount (Blount Industries) as Mayan Prince for the east coast-based American Canadian Caribbean Line. Designed specifically for in-depth coastal cruising, she and her small fleetmates offered an informal, adventure-style product that included onboard naturalists, guided hikes, kayaking, and snorkeling in the Caribbean and on the U.S. East Coast.

She was acquired in April 1998 by the Tlingit Indian (native American)-owned Glacier Bay Cruises & Tours, and renamed Wilderness Discoverer. She operated five-night roundtrip cruises from Juneau to Haines, Skagway, Sitka, Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm, Alaska during the summer and Baja California, Mexico cruises during the winter. Included in these were remote locales ranging from off-the-beaten-track hamlets in Alaska and along the Columbia and Snake Rivers to the Sea of Cortez. She was substantially renovated in 2000/2001. Glacier Bay Cruises & Tours ceased regular operations in late 2005 and their three ships are currently laid up.

 

[ekerr19]

I apologize if this has already been discussed but there is so much good info in this thread I am having a difficult time keeping it all clear in my head! Has anyone been on this ship as Noordam AND Thompson Celebration? Does it still have the same style and luxury? Or maybe improvements were made? Just curious.

 

I always wanted to do this - I was on the Maiden U.S. voyage of Noordam III, and the final sailing in 2004... we know there were extensive renovations done to the ship by Thomson. They told us on the final voyage that Thomson planned to remove the Hornpipe Club and expand the casino and create a "kids area".

 

I wonder if she still has all the A/C & plumbing problems she became infamous for, lol. We loved her none the less. :)

 

On Facebook, there is a group of fans of old Noordam III - alot of crew, staff, officers who've posted great photos - and shared some stories... :eek:

[lovinbuzz]

 

Spirit of London (1972-present) Delivered in 1972 to P & O as the Spirit of London, she had originally been ordered by Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL) and was to be named Seaward, but P & O bought her unfinished hull after NCL had pulled out of the deal. In 1974, P & O bought Princess Cruises and the Spirit of London was renamed Sun Princess, joining the Island Princess and Pacific Princess in the Princess fleet.

 

1988 saw the sale of the Sun Princess by P & O to Premier Cruises, where it was initially named Majestic, then becoming the Starship Majestic in 1989. In 1994, she was purchased by CTC and was renamed the Southern Cross. She was renamed again in 1998 when Festival Cruises began operating her as the Flamenco. After Festival Cruises collapsed, she began sailing for Cruise Elysia for which she currently operates as New Flamenco.

 

 

 

That was the first ship I ever sailed on as Starship Majestic in 91. Thanks for posting the pic!

[primetime99]

My first cruise was in 1952 on the Queen of Bermuda - NYC to Bermuda and back.

[GarySuzy]

I know I said our first cruise was the Azure Seas, However I spent over 300 days before that on the USS Coral Seas, Copper can you come up with a picture of the Coral Seas?:D

[ejbmorr]

I'm caught up in this fun thread now. My first cruise was on the Cunard Sylvania from Montreal to Greenock, Scotland in 1960 with 11 other college friends...... and have been an avid cruiser ever since.

Thanks for starting this trip down memory lane.

[Copper10-8]

I know I said our first cruise was the Azure Seas, However I spent over 300 days before that on the USS Coral Seas, Copper can you come up with a picture of the Coral Seas?:D

 

 

USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) anchored in Gage Roads, Fremantle, Australia on June 1, 1975

[Copper10-8]

Great topic, kudos:) - we need a little fun after this past rocky news week.

Carnival Festivale 1995 S. Caribbean-all port days no sea days what a great way to see the Caribbean and get hooked on cruising!

leah, RN

 

 

rms Transvaal Castle (1966-2004) Built in 1962 by John Brown & Company, Ltd at Clydebank, Scotland as ocean liner Transvaal Castle for Union-Castle Line (UK) for the Southampton-South Africa service. She was the second largest in the Union-Castle fleet and the only one-class express liner ever conceived for that historic run. International politics played an increasing role in the life of the service and after South Africa pulled out of the British Commonwealth, the government in Pretoria put greater stock in the enlargement of a South African merchant marine. In mid decade they "suggested" that Union Castle transfer two passenger ships to South African flag. Union Castle, whose sole business by then was the South Africa run, could not but comply and arranged to sell two ships to the South Africans. In 1966, the vessel was transferred to the South African Marine Corporation and renamed S. A. Vaal.

That done, she retained her Union Castle crews and continued in operation exactly as before though now wearing the white hulls of their new owners. By the mid 1970s the fleet was down to five passenger liners. The mail route was costing too much money to operate so Union Castle and Safmarine agreed to close it down. Only one of the six ships ever traded again...the S.A. Vaal.

In October 1977, she was sold to Carnival Cruise Line who converted the vessel into a cruise ship in Japan at the cost of $30 million, doubling the vessel's passenger capacity and installing discotheques, lounges and casinos. She was renamed Carnivale and began cruising in October 1978 from Miami thereby becoming one of Carnival's 'First Generation' cruise ships. With Carnival creating substantially larger cruise liners, she was superseded by the new "Fun Ships" a few years later and was sent to work on 7-day cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The winter of 1996 saw her turned over to Dolphin Cruise Lines on a bareboat charter as Island Breeze. There was still a market for passengers who preferred "traditional" looking ships, and after a brief charter with a British travel firm Thomson, Dolphin Cruise Cruise Line purchased her outright in 1998. She operated from Montego Bay, Jamaica on 7-night cruises to the Panama canal in winter and from May, 2-night and 5-night cruises from New York.

During Premiers' reorganization in the mid 1990s, all but the Oceanic (Big Red Boat I) were sold off. Premier then became an amalgamation of Dolphin and Seawind Cruises and obtained the remainder of that fleet. She was renamed Island Breeze: Big Red Boat III, as she was their third liner, and like all of their ships, had her hull painted a bright red. Premier ceased operations on September 13th, 2000. The cruise line's banker, investment firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), made the decision to pull the plug after a summer of highly visible mishaps on a fleet of aging ships that were becoming more expensive to maintain each passing day as fuel prices increased. Their ships were seized in various ports in the Caribbean, North America and Europe.

By now, old, out-of-date and in need of repairs, she could find no work and was sold to the shipbreakers in Alang, India in the summer of 2003. On June 4, 2003 she sailed as Big Boat from Freeport, Bahamas via Gibraltar, to Alang. She had the sad distinction of being the first Carnival Cruise liner to be scrapped there which occurred in 2003-2004.

 

 

[GarySuzy]

 

USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) anchored in Gage Roads, Fremantle, Australia on June 1, 1975

 

Thanks for the picture Copper. We spent 89 days "on the Line" without seeing a port at one time, with 36 people in a area about the size of a suite. We slept in bunk stacked 3 and 4 high. But those memories are some of the best I have from the Navy.

[spottedcamel]

My first was Carnival's Sensation ... my second was the (old) Westerdam - the former HomeLines ship (I think that was where it was from). Been on lots sense then, but keep coming back to HAL.

[Copper10-8]

copper 10-8 thank you for all your posts

this is a history lesson on shipping you should have a web site of your own devoted to this or how about a book?

my first cruise was the jubilee mexico 7 day out of san pedro I rember the northridge earthquake happend and many passengers had to go home early.

also at the capitans dinner the many drunken lady passengers were sitting on the capitans lap and having their photos taken. tims were different then.

copper 10-8 do you have a photo of my ss minnow ?

we had to leave her on that island and thats the last time I saw her.

 

 

"Wheeler" built in Carson, New York in 1964. The name "S.S. Minnow" was actually named after Newton Minow and was chairman on the FCC in 1961. He made a speech and called television "America's vast wasteland." The boat was named after the man who, Sherwood insists, "ruined television." Minow gave networks authority and placed the power of programming in the hands of the networks. He did this after Gilligan's Island was started.

 

There were actually four S.S. Minnows used on the show. The first Minnow was purchased and towed out to Kauai and used in the beach scenes. The second one was a rental they used in the opening credits at the Honolulu Harbor. It showed the crew boarding and then showed it sailing out to sea. The third was filmed in the opening credits of the second season at Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles. The fourth one was built for CBS Studios and is shown at the Lagoon in the second season opening credits. (See below for pics of all four boats.)

 

Minnow #1 - Towed out to filming site in Kauai

 

Minnow #2 - Rental in Honolulu Harbor

 

Minnow #3 - Marina Del Rey, CA

Second Season. "The Bluejacket"

 

Minnow #4 - Prop made at CBS Studios

 

Minnow three has been found and is now owned by a Scotsman named Scotty Taylor who resides on Vancouver Island in British Columbia (Canada). While Scotty was travelling in Hardwick Island in 1996 he noticed that a crew was pulling a capsized boat out of the water at Johnson Street, also known as the Johnson Reef. A storm had swept through this area and the individual who owned the boat piloted the vessell into the reef, sinking it. It was underwater for three days rendering all of the electrical equipment useless. After the boat was towed out of the water, it was easy to see that this boat would never set sail again. But Scotty noticed that this particular boat was a 1964 "Wheeler" built in Carson, New York. He knew that this model was very well made and had a good reputation. The owner sold the boat, called "The Bluejacket" to Scotty for $3,500. The owner told him that this particular boat was rumored to be the infamous S.S. Minnow. Scotty didn't pay much attention to this because he really wasn't a fan of the show.

 

After he purchased the "Bluejacket" though, he did his own research and found that the VIN number did indeed match the white boat that was purchased in 1964 for the second season of "Gilligan's Island." You can see this boat in the opening theme with the Professor loading something on it, Gilligan standing on it and then watching it go out of the Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles. It took Scotty two years to restore it and cost him a mere $150,000. He changed the official name to, what else, the "S.S. Minnow."

 

 

The specs on the Minnow: A 1964 "Wheeler" measuring 38'6" in a straight line from nose to tail. It's certified as a 40' boat because in the United States, the measurement is taken from the outline of the deck. It houses two Detroit Deisel engines @ 230 hp each. Maximum speed is 14 knots, with a cruising speed of 12 knots.

 

The Minnow is docked at Schooner's Cove Marina in Nanoose Bay, Vancouver Island and it available for public viewing.

 

So what is the Minnow used for? Not too much. Scotty takes it out fishing and parades the boat in a handful of shows at Maple Bay. An interesting story is that while Scotty was at Cape Beale a storm hit and a 40 foot wave knocked the dingy and zodiac off and almost capsized the S.S. Minnow, again!

 

[u4ea]

And look what happened to Mary Ann:rolleyes:;):D

http://www.kivitv.com/global/story.asp?s=7999122

 

Mark...

[bushy tail]

our first cruise was on the Ryndam for 10 days Caribbean march 17,1999.

And it took that one cruise for us to be addicted to cruising. Like the Holland America the best. Have you tried their bread pudding?

[Copper10-8]

And look what happened to Mary Ann:rolleyes:;):D

http://www.kivitv.com/global/story.asp?s=7999122

 

Mark...

 

 

Smokin' evil weed at age 69?? Mary Ann, say it ain't so!

[prescottbob]

Smokin' evil weed at age 69?? Mary Ann, say it ain't so!

 

 

She may be old but she ain't dead.

 

Bob:)

[Sunsailor]

My first cruise was on Carnival's Mardi Gras out of Ft. Lauderdale in 1986. I sailed on the Carnivale the same year but that may have been out of Miami. I've been hooked ever since.

[ssminnow]

copper 10-8

thanx for the great job on the history of the ss minnow.

[Copper10-8]

First cruise was on Holland's Zuiderdam, 7 days Western Caribbean.

 

Bob

 

 

 

m/s Zuiderdam (2002-present)

[Copper10-8]

Our first ever cruise was back in july 4th 1981 on the Home lines Oceanic:D to Bermuda ans Nassau from NYC.We were in our early 20"s then and just this past feb. we did our 70th cruise on the Noordam an 11 day S Caribbean cruise first winter cruise from NYC we love it no flying !! Been on every cruise out today and alot that are not around anymore .Love trying a new ship everytime out :D

 

 

IT"S GOOD TO BE OPN A WELL RUN SHIP

 

Sun Way cruises

 

Let your self go

 

 

s/s Oceanic (1965-present) Built in 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone, Italy. She was the first newbuild to be purpose-built for Home Lines and was designed as a two-class liner. Planned in the twilight years of the age of the ocean liner, she had many features that are commonplace in cruise ships today, like an engines-aft design, balcony suites, and a midships swimming pool with a "Magradome", a retractable roof over the pool.

 

She was to operate in summer on the Homes Lines' Canadian route from Cuxhaven, Germany, Le Havre, France and Southampton, England to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. However, by the time of her delivery and due to the increasing popularity of the jet airliner, the company had dropped the their regular trans-Atlantic line voyages. So, she headed for New York instead, where she operated seven-day cruises to Nassau, the Bahamas throughout the summer, whilst in the winter she operated extended cruises throughout the Caribbean. When leaving from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for New York City on her maiden voyage, an interesting incident occurred when she arrived in NYC. The stevedores happened to be on strike and thus would not accept the ropes required for docking. They were there on the wharves, but they just kept throwing them back in the river. However, her captain was able to dock Oceanic just the same.

 

 

After 21 years of service, Home Line decided to sell the Oceanic, and she was sold to Premier Cruises in 1985, renamed StarShip Oceanic and in 1986 was initially placed on three and four-day cruises from Port Canaveral, Fl to Nassau, the Bahamas. This cruise could be combined with a stay at Walt Disney World. Later during her career with Premier Cruises she was often marketed as "The Big Red Boat", and in 2000 she was renamed Big Red Boat I, with no change to her itineraries. When Premier folded in the fall of 2000, the ship was detained by port authorities and then laid up. Premier Cruises was forced to put the ship up for sale.

 

 

The ship was purchased by the Spanish-owned Pullmantur Cruises in late 2000. Her hull was painted white and she reverted back to her original name, beginning service with Pullmantur in May 2001. She is currently used on cruises around the Mediterranean with Barcelona as her starting port.

[Copper10-8]

HI everyone,

 

Figured I might as well add our first cruise to this list. It was on HAL's Noordam.

 

HAL Noordam March 1997 Western Caribbean 7 day (Inside cabin)

Tampa Grand Caymans Santo Thomas Guatemala Cozumel Mexico

 

We booked it thru AAA and paid way more than we should have but it was our first cruise and we didn't know any better.

 

We took a plane flight from Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá which was one of the main reasons we took this particular cruise. We did all ship sponsored excursions for fear of missing the ship and having to pay our own way home.

 

We later did another cruise on the previous Noordam for a 14 day Southern Caribbean cruise.

 

This cruise started us on cruising and we are still at it 11 years later.

 

Have a great next cruise.

 

 

m/s Noordam III (1984-present) Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France and delivered to Holland America Line in 1984, the third Noordam was the first for luxury cruise service. She made her maiden voyage from Le Havre, France to Tampa, Fl, via Horta, Azores and Bermuda on April 8, 1984. She was identical to her sister, Nieuw Amsterdam III, but with art and decor in a Dutch East Indies theme. She would become a very popular ship with passengers as she cruised, primarily in the Caribbean in the winter and in Alaska in the summer. She made her final cruise for HAL from Barcelona, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal in November, 2004. In 2005, the ship was acquired by Louis Cruise Lines (Cyprus) and was immediately placed on a long-term charter to Thomson Cruises (UK) who renamed her Thomson Celebration. She is currently operating for them on low-price cruises around Europe.

[Copper10-8]

First ocean cruise was on Rotterdam V in July, 1970 from New York (an 8:00 P. M. departure), an 11 day sailing, to Bermuda, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Lucia, and St. Barts. St. Maarten, I think, was also a port.

 

First cruise was a week-end sailing from Detroit to Buffalo, Cleveland, and back to Detroit on the Georgian Bay Line's South American. This cruise re-affirmed my interest in travel on bodies of water so that when I could, I booked my first ocean cruise on the Rotterdam.

 

I am not just "hooked", but addicted!

 

 

 

s/s Rotterdam V (1959-present) Built in 1959 she would become the flagship of the Holland Amerika Lijn/Holland America Line and sail for them for 39 years . On 3 September 1959, she set out on her maiden voyage destined for New York. Until 1971, she made regular roundtrips from Rotterdam to New York. She subsequently made cruises on behalf of HAL until her successor, Rotterdam VI, came into service in 1997. She was then sold to Premier Cruises in 1998 and renamed Rembrandt.

 

When Premier went bankrupt in 2000 she was laid up in Freeport, Bahamas until 2004 when she became the property of s.s. Rotterdam BV (part of RDM holding) From 17 June to 12 July 2004 she was towed from the Bahamas to Gibraltar where she remained docked until 2005. On 1 July 2005 she became the property of Rederij De Rotterdam BV and from 25 November 2005 to 10 February 2006 she received dock maintenance in Cadiz, Spain. From 10 to 27 February 2006 she was towed from Cadiz to Gdansk, Poland and from 24 August to 2 September 2006 to Wilhelmshaven, Germany where she stayed for renovation until making her triumphant return (see below) to Rotterdam on 4 September 2008 where she will be permanently docked and serve as a floating hotel.

 

[Copper10-8]

It was 1987, I was 14 years old. It was a cruise called The Singing at Sea, a southern gospel singing cruise and it was aboard the SS Emerald Seas. It was a converted war ship. The last I heard she was sold as scrap and was being dismantled. Kinda sad being my first cruise ship. I was so thrilled, we had a port hole. :rolleyes: Now we have balconies. ;) From then on I had cruising in my blood. My husbands was the Veendam in 1998, our honeymoon. Cruise ships have really come a long way since then that 1987 cruise. :p

 

General W. P. Richardson (1944-2004) Built by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, NJ in 1944 as General W. P. Richardson (her keel had initially been laid as General R. M. Blatchford). Her maiden voyage took her from Boston to Southampton. After the end of the war, she was transferred to the U.S. Army on February 14, 1946 and then laid up in March 1948.

 

Between 1948 and 1949, she was converted at Pascagoula, Miss. to a passenger liner and then chartered by American Export Lines as La Guardia. Her first voyage took her from New York to Naples to Genoa on May 27, 1949. Her last Mediterranean voyage begun in New York in November 1951. She was returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission on December 1, 1951 and returned to troop service in Korea briefly,before being laid up on the James River in November 1952.

In 1956, she was bought by the Hawaiian-Steamship Company, renamed Leilani, and refitted for California - Hawaii service. Her first voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu took place on February 5, 1957. Her itinerary would include San Francisco or Long Beach to Hawaii, but she also completed several Mexican Riviera cruises in 1958. This service turned out not to be popular and was discontinued in December 1958. She was laid up in San Francisco and then moved across the Bay to the Todd Shipyard in Alameda. She was seized by the U.S. Government on May 12, 1959, put up for auction in June and bought once again by the U.S. Maritime Commission.

 

She was purchased by American President Lines in July, 1960 and sailed to Seattle, WA for a $10 million refit for luxury liner service which started in March, 1961. She subsequently sailed from Seattle to San Francisco in May, 1962 as President Roosevelt and began her first voyage from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Yokohama, Japan on May 11, 1962. She conducted a world cruise in 1966.

 

In 1970, she was purchased by the Chandris Line and extensively refitted (she was cut down to two decks above the waterline and had her upper hull and superstructure completely rebuilt) at Perama, Greece for cruising. She was renamed Atlantis and commenced cruising from New York and Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

In October, 1972, she was sold to the Eastern Steamship Company as Emerald Seas and used on three and four-night Bahamas (Nassau) cruises out of Miami, Fl. Eastern Steamship Lines became Eastern Cruise Lines and then Admiral Cruise Line. Changes weren't done yet as Admiral Cruises was taken over by/merged into Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL). RCCL had no use for Admiral's two older ships (Emerald Seas and Azure Seas) so disposed of them in 1992.

 

In 1992, she was bought by Festival cruises and renamed Sapphire Seas, cruising to Egypt and Israel. She was laid up at Piraeus in October 1994. In the summer of 1998, she was renamed Ocean Explorer I for use at Lisbon, Portugal as one of three Hotel ships for the Expo 98. At the conclusion, she returned to Eleusis, Greece and was laid up once again.

 

Beginning in November 1999, the World Cruise Company, of Ontario, Canada, began operating her for global cruising with three back to back world cruises from Athens. In May 2000 however, she was taken out on service at the completion on only the first circumnavigation, and she once again was laid up at Eleusis, Greece. Discussions of her possible use as an hotel-ship for the 2004 Olympics in Greece came to nothing. Her long life finally came to an end when, in April 2004, she was sold for scrap to breakers in India.

 

 

 

 

 

[Avril]

My 1st cruise was in January 2003 onboard the Imagination (now called the Carnival Imagination). :D It was a 4 day from Miami and we went to Key West, Cozumel and had 1 sea day. Now, 12 cruises later (so yes, it started the addiction), it's still one of my favourites and the Imagination will always have a special place in my heart. :D The ship is 70,367 tons, 855 feet long and carrys 2,052 passengers. I remember when I 1st saw her how huge she looked. I was just looking at a picture of her now and was thinking "OMG! She's so small!!" :eek: Here's a pic of her:

 

 

I have four more cruises crurrently booked: the Carnival Valor for October 2008, the Eurodam for December 2008/January 2009, the Carnival Freedom for May 2009 and the Oasis of the Seas for December 2009. I can't wait to cruise again!! :D Oh, and I got my fiancee into cruising as well. I took him on his 1st cruise in February 2008 on the Carnival Conquest and he's coming on the Valor with me in 3 weeks!!!! :D

 

My Eurodam cruise will be my 1st on HAL!!

[Ando]

Cunard Dynasty, Northbound Alaska Vancouver to Seward 1995 (or maybe 1996?). I was only 25 at the time but became immediately and totally addicited to cruising and have had 25 cruises to date with many, many more to come over the next 50 years or so :D

 

It took my wife a few years to reach "addiction level" (I think it was Cunard's Sea Goddess II that sealed it) but now she is there, as is our 6 year old daughter.

[Avril]

General W. P. Richardson (1944-2004) Built by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, NJ in 1944 as General W. P. Richardson (her keel had initially been laid as General R. M. Blatchford). Her maiden voyage took her from Boston to Southampton. After the end of the war, she was transferred to the U.S. Army on February 14, 1946 and then laid up in March 1948.

 

Between 1948 and 1949, she was converted at Pascagoula, Miss. to a passenger liner and then chartered by American Export Lines as La Guardia. Her first voyage took her from New York to Naples to Genoa on May 27, 1949. Her last Mediterranean voyage begun in New York in November 1951. She was returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission on December 1, 1951 and returned to troop service in Korea briefly,before being laid up on the James River in November 1952.

 

In 1956, she was bought by the Hawaiian-Steamship Company, renamed Leilani, and refitted for California - Hawaii service. Her first voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu took place on February 5, 1957. Her itinerary would include San Francisco or Long Beach to Hawaii, but she also completed several Mexican Riviera cruises in 1958. This service turned out not to be popular and was discontinued in December 1958. She was laid up in San Francisco and then moved across the Bay to the Todd Shipyard in Alameda. She was seized by the U.S. Government on May 12, 1959, put up for auction in June and bought once again by the U.S. Maritime Commission.

 

She was purchased by American President Lines in July, 1960 and sailed to Seattle, WA for a $10 million refit for luxury liner service which started in March, 1961. She subsequently sailed from Seattle to San Francisco in May, 1962 as President Roosevelt and began her first voyage from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Yokohama, Japan on May 11, 1962. She conducted a world cruise in 1966.

 

In 1970, she was purchased by the Chandris Line and extensively refitted (she was cut down to two decks above the waterline and had her upper hull and superstructure completely rebuilt) at Perama, Greece for cruising. She was renamed Atlantis and commenced cruising from New York and Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

 

In October, 1972, she was sold to the Eastern Steamship Company as Emerald Seas and used on three and four-night Bahamas (Nassau) cruises out of Miami, Fl. Eastern Steamship Lines became Eastern Cruise Lines and then Admiral Cruise Line. Changes weren't done yet as Admiral Cruises was taken over by/merged into Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL). RCCL had no use for Admiral's two older ships (Emerald Seas and Azure Seas) so disposed of them in 1992.

 

In 1992, she was bought by Festival cruises and renamed Sapphire Seas, cruising to Egypt and Israel. She was laid up at Piraeus in October 1994. In the summer of 1998, she was renamed Ocean Explorer I for use at Lisbon, Portugal as one of three Hotel ships for the Expo 98. At the conclusion, she returned to Eleusis, Greece and was laid up once again.

 

Beginning in November 1999, the World Cruise Company, of Ontario, Canada, began operating her for global cruising with three back to back world cruises from Athens. In May 2000 however, she was taken out on service at the completion on only the first circumnavigation, and she once again was laid up at Eleusis, Greece. Discussions of her possible use as an hotel-ship for the 2004 Olympics in Greece came to nothing. Her long life finally came to an end when, in April 2004, she was sold for scrap to breakers in India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, what a story and what a ship. :D It's absolutly heartbreaking to see these wonderful old ships go off for scrap. :( I've got tears in my eyes and I never sailed on her or even saw her.