Your first cruise ship

[BJane]

I also love the history of the older ships. A few years ago we flew from our home in California to Philadelphia to begin a driving vacation through Pennsylvania. Our first stop was the SS United States. Even though it was in really bad shape it was exciting to see it. At the time I worked with a man who, as a child in a military family, had sailed home from Europe aboard the ship. He even brought a passenger list in for me to see.

[Copper10-8]

First one really--was Cunard-Ivernia-1961-Southampton-Montreal. It did NOT get me hooked!!

Took me until 2003 to try again and then it was RCI-Brilliance of the Seas/Balcony stateroom/Deck 8. PERFECT! NOW I am hooked!!!

 

RMS Ivernia (1955-2005) Built in 1955 as RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Iverni by the John Brown & Company, Clydebank (Glasgow), Scotland for the Cunard Line's Dominion service to Canada as the second of the Saxonia sisters quartet. They were the largest Cunard liners ever built purely for the company’s Canadian service.

 

Near the end of 1951, Cunard Line decided to design two new ships for their Liverpool-Montreal route. They origianlly planned to built only the two ships but later on, two more sisters were built in Clydebank. They were designed for luxury as well as speed and all ships of this new class (Saxonia, Ivernia, Carinthia and Sylvania) were built to meet the requirements of Canada’s rapidly growing population and increasing volume of overseas trade.The first two ships were named Saxonia and Ivernia. Their basic design combined a large passenger capacity, in maximum comfort, with space for a substantial amount of cargo – all within the biggest dimensions which would permit safe navigation of the St. Lawrence River up to the terminal port of Montreal, Quebec.

 

Ivernia was launched on 14 December 1954, just nine days after Saxonia steamed into New York for the first time. The original plan had the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister name her but this was changed and instead, Mrs D. C. Howe, the wife of the Canadian Minister of Trade, did the honors. As with the winter-time launching of her sister, Ivernia’s naming was not blessed with good weather. As she took to the water, she was caught by a strong crosswind which found her dangerously close to the river bank, her stern being within just a few feet of a storage quay. It took six tugs to guide her out of danger and into her fitting-out berth.That process, the fitting, like that of Saxonia, took nearly six months. On 13 June 1955, she sailed from Glasgow on a series of sea trials that lasted until 17 June.

 

Her original maiden voyage had her sail from Liverpool to Quebec City and Montreal on 30 June. However, Cunard was struck by an industrial labor action which caused a change in those plans. Therefor, on 25 June 1955, Cunard announced that Ivernia would sail her maiden voyage from Greenock instead of Liverpool. Thus, Ivernia set off on her maiden voyage on 1 July 1955 with 900 passengers and crew onboard, arriving in Montreal on 19 July 1955.

 

As was usual on that route, once the St Lawrence became impassable due to winter ice, the liners were temporarily transferred to the Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Liverpool to New York run. Ivernia’s first such sailing left Liverpool on 2 December 1955. She called at Cobh, Ireland on 3 December, Halifax on 8 December, and made her maiden arrival into New York City on 10 December 1955. She remained there, unloading and loading her cargo until 15 December, when she set sail back to Liverpool, arriving just two days before Christmas.

 

The original plans were for the new Cunarders to replace the old pre-war ships that had been operating the Canadian service. At the time Carinthia entered service however, the Franconia, Ascania and Scythia were still fully employed on the route. On 12 October 1956, Cunard announced that Franconia and Ascania would be withdrawn from service in November 1956. Then early in 1957, Scythia was transferred to the Liverpool to New York route and in January 1958 sold for scrap. This left the Canadian service entirely in the hands of the four new sisters.

 

In June 1962, Sir John Brocklebank, chairman of Cunard Line, announced that both Saxonia and Ivernia would be taken out of service and given an extensive rebuild to make them more suitable to cruising. On 11 October Ivernia arrived at her place of birth, John Brown’s on the Clyde for her refit which would last until June 1963. This refit involved a considerable amount of structural alterations and also included a completeley new interior design for her new role as a dual purpose Atlantic ocean liner and cruise ship. In the process, she was renamed Franconia. Cunard’s plan was to operate her between Southampton and the St Lawrence during the summer with calls at Rotterdam, and on a cruise schedule from Port Everglades, Fl to the Caribbean in the winter.

 

Franconia made her Caribbean debut with a series of cruises out of New York. She departed on the first of these on 23 November 1963, sailing to St. Thomas, USVI, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Kingston, Jamaica and Nassau, the Bahamas. A series of similar cruises continued until 24 April 1964 when she sailed for Southampton to join the Carmania (her former sister Saxonia) in a summer transatlantic service. By winter 1964-1965, both Franconia and Carmania were well-established on the cruise scene. Following an overhaul and refit in April 1965, she ventured into the Mediterranean for the very first time in October. Cunard had scheduled her to undertake an Iberian cruise, departing Southampton on 25 September, calling at Malaga and Cadiz, Spain, Lisbon, Portugal and Pauillac (Bordeaux), France. She followed this with a similar cruise, which called at Casablanca, Morocco, instead of Malaga.

 

 

In 1967, Franconia became a full-time cruise ship. That same year, Furness Bermuda Line ceased operations and Cunard saw this as an ideal opportunity to establish themselves in the year-round cruise market out of the United States. Arrangements were made with the Bermudan government for Franconia to become the weekly cruise ship between New York and the island. It was at this time during their winter refits, that both Carmania and Franconia underwent further changes with their cruising green livery replaced by a more conventional white hull and upper structure.

 

In 1971, Cunard suddenly found themselves facing the most important event of their long and illustrious history – a takeover bid. In August 1971, a successful 26 Million Pound Sterling bid came from Trafalgar House Investments Ltd. The new owners of Cunard Line were soon faced with the fact that both Carmania and Franconia were in need of further refitting and modernisation. With several new purpose-built cruise ships coming into the market, the two sisters were beginning to look dated, particularly when compared with their new fleetmates, the flagship Queen Elizabeth 2 and the cruise ship Cunard Adventurer. Cunard and Trafalgar House, realised that bringing Carmania and Franconia up to standard would be an expensive undertaking. It was eventually decided to withdraw the two ships, lay them up and put them up for sale.

 

 

Franconia arrived in Southampton on 17 October 1971, her career with Cunard at an end. She was laid up and joined by her sister Carmania on 31 October. Carmania and Franconia remained there for almost seven months. When it was apparent that there were no immediate buyers, Cunard decided to place them in a more permanent lay up and on 14 May 1972, the two ships sailed for the River Fal in Cornwall.

 

In 1973, Franconia (and Carmonia) were sold to the (then) Soviet Union-based Far Eastern Shipping Company. Before entering service with them, the two sisters were overhauled by Swan Hunter on the River Tyne. Franconia was the first to leave the River Fal, sailing on 14 August 1973 and arriving on the River Tyne three days later. There, it was announced that she would be renamed Fedor Shalyapin.

 

 

Far Eastern would use her for cruising beteween the Soviet Union and Australia. Upon arrival in Australia in November 1973, both ships embarked on a program of cruising out of Sydney herbor. Fedor Shalyapin would remain in Far Eastern and Pacific waters and June 1974 found her in Yokohama, Japan. From there, she sailed to a variety of Far Eastern ports before arriving back in Fremantle and then Sydney.

 

Between May and November 1976, she undertook a series of Pacific cruises under charter to Shaw Savill Cruises of Australia. It was during this charter that a much reported, but unverified, incident took place. Fedor Shalyapin was crossing the Tasman Sea on her way from Auckland to Sydney when, in the early morning hours, she suddenly stopped and all of her lights went out. Her cranes started up, a submarine suddenly came alongside and there was a transfer of personnel and cargo between the two vessels. The incident was denied by the Soviet Embassy and Shaw Savill also denied any knowledge resulting in this unusual incident remaining a mystery today.

 

 

In December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan and, as a result, the Australian government banned all Russian passenger ships from calling at Australian ports. In 1980, Fedor Shalyapin was re-registered in Odessa and transferred to the ownership of the Black Sea Shipping Company. Shortly after, she could be found on regular cargo and passenger runs from the Black Sea across the Atlantic to Cuba.

 

 

The beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 changed the future of the two former Cunarders. At first they became part of the Ukrainian fleet. Although both ships were registered in Odessa as part of the Black Sea Shipping Company, at some point Fedor Shalyapin was listed as being owned by the Far East Shipping Company again. The ship no longer carried the Hammer and Sickle emblem on her funnel. Instead, she had a broad blue band with a white and gold logo of a bird in flight on her stack.

 

 

For a while, both ships continued to sail, looking pristine and well maintained. In mid summer 1994, Fedor Shalyapin made an extended cruise from St Petersburg, calling at 20 ports around Europe and in the Mediterranean, ending in Odessa. It became clear however, that the end was in sight. By the fall of 1995, both ships were laid up at Ilichevsk, a Black Sea port some 80 miles south-west of Odessa.

 

In January 2004, after having been sold to Indian interests, she set sail from Ilichevsk under her own power bound for the scrapbreakers. On 11 February 2004, the former Fedor Shalyapin, now renamed Salona, was beached at Alang, India and the breaking up commenced soon after.

[cougar]

Our first cruise was on NCL, 2007 to the Western Caribbean, and I am absolutely hooked. Trying to figure out were to next:rolleyes:

[Clemsonfan15]

I sailed on the Ryndam about five years ago, when I was about 12-14. It was an Alaskan trip and was a ton of fun. Since then I have acquired almost 100 days. :)

[kiwijohn]

MY first cruise in 1969 was around the Mediterranean on the SS Nevasa an old British India ship used a a troop ship in World War 2 and in the Korean War.

 

The cruises were set up for British school children and their teachers with only a very small number of other adult passengers. Each day there were lectures on ports of call and European and Middle Eastern history by guest professors and lecturers which adult passengers were invited to.

 

There was certainly plenty of noise on board

[Karen Lynn]

WOW Copper 10-8 THANKS!

I often wonder what became of her..I am pretty sure my Husband came to Canada on the Franconia..must bring him up to speed as well.

 

Appreciate that great update, though rather sad that they are now gone.:(

[Cruiz'nBaers]

Our first cruise was on HAL's Zuiderdam in Aug. of '03 and we've been hooked ever since. We have been to several AI resorts in the Caribbean and the experience doesn't compare. My dream is to be one of those people who have logged more than 300 days at sea. Right now we're at 28 days............I can dream:cool:

[Copper10-8]

1982 on the Stella Solaris through the Greek Isles, but Sitmar sold me on cruising

 

ss Cambodge (1953-2003) Built in 1953 as passenger-cargo liner ss Cambodge (Cambodia) by Societe des Ateliers & Chantiers de France, Dunkerque (Dunkirk), France for French line Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes. In July 1953, she sailed her maiden voyage from Marseilles, France to Yokohama, Japan, a service she would operate alongside her two sister ships, Viet Nam (1952) and Laos (1954). Each vessel carried 117 first class, 110 tourist (second) class, and 120 third (steerage) class passengers.

Most passenger space was occupied by first class in the central portion of Cambodge. Tourist (second) class occupied the stern, and third class occupied the bow area. Cambodge had one large pool for the first class passengers, which looked over the tourist-class area at the stern. The passenger accommodations started at F Deck, the second highest level of the superstructure.

The three ships sailed monthly on a route that connected Marseilles to Port Said and Suez, both Egypt, Aden, Yemen, Djibouti, Bombay, India, Colombo, Ceylon, Singapore, Saigon, Vietnam, Manila, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Kobe and finally Yokohama, both Japan. A French style was predominant throughout the three ships, but a small amount of Asian decorations were also blended in. Cambodge, Viet Nam and Laos operated successfully on this route until 1967 when the Suez Canal was closed during the Arab-Israeli. This forced the three ships to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. In 1962, Cambodge was used to take French citizens home from Algeria. In the late sixties, due to the increasing popularity of air travel, she began to operate cruises from Australia into the Indian Ocean.

On 18 February 1970, Cambodge was purchased by Greece-based Sun Line founder Charalambos Keusseoglou. Sun Line was a cruise line that operated mostly in the Aegean Sea with smaller cruise vessels. He initially renamed her Stella V while she was docked at La Spezia, Italy, partially gutted and awaiting conversion to plans he drew up himself.

When her rebuilding plans were finalized, she sailed in February 1971 to Perama, Greece for her conversion. Some of her additions included a finned and streamlined funnel, a terraced, lengthened and expanded superstructure, two pools, full circle promenades, larger public spaces, an air-conditioning system, and modernized cabins with private baths. A large amount of Greek decor was spread throughout the ship.Her passenger capacity was revised to 765 first class passengers, while her size was reduced to 10,595 gross tons. Totally rebuilt, she emerged as Sun Lines' flagship Stella Solaris (Solar Star) in June 1973.

She would spent her summers in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, and wintered in the Caribbean and along the South American Atlantic coast. She soon became one of the most popular cruise ships of her time, and was said to have "a repeat passenger ratio that was the envy of her competitors."

In 1995, Sun Line and its chief rival Greece-based Epirotiki Lines merged to become Royal Olympic Cruise Lines (ROC). In 1998, Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines bought 70% of the Royal Olympic shares. During the 1999 Kosovo War, Stella Solaris was temporarily laid up in summer time at Piraeus, Greece. Back at sea, she would sail from Athens on a seven-day itinerary with stops at Dardanelles, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Patmos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini. In 2002, Royal Olympic withdrew Stella Solaris from cruising and used her instead used her for a short time as an accomodation ship. After this, she was laid up.

Stella Solaris was sold for scrap to Indian Breakers in 2003. She left Eleusis, Greece on 19 November under the delivery name of S Solar and on 8 December arrived at Alang, a coastal shanty town in India, mostly known for its ten mile stretch of sandy beach, used to break up ships. She was scrapped shortly after.

[jhannah]

As always ... good stuff, John.

 

Can't sleep?

[Copper10-8]

As always ... good stuff, John.

 

Can't sleep?

 

Graveyard!;)

[Copper10-8]

[quote name='Suesan Jean;18887510

What a GREAT Post.....!!!

 

My First cruise was on the: SS Regina' date=' Chandris Cruise Line in 1972. [/color']It was an "All Girl" trip. My Mom, two Sisters, two Aunts, two cousins and my Gramma.

 

I remember LOVING the cruise.....!!! My Sisters, cousins and I were the YOUNGEST (13 years old to 16 years old) passengers on the ship (so many "old people"....!!!) The staff/crew treated us girls like "Princesses".....!!!

 

It was MANY YEAR'S LATER, in April 2005 when I went on my second cruise, the FIRST with my own family (DH and DD) that we got REALLY, REALLY, REALLY "HOOKED ON CRUISING"....!!!)

 

 

It was on the Norwegian Dawn, we just LOVED IT....!!! And we have been on eight cruises since then with another one coming up in August (on the Dawn....!!!) and I am planning another cruise for next year on the Veendam.....!!!

 

ss Panama (1939-1985) Built as ss Panama in 1938 by Bethlehem Steel's Fore River shipyard in Quincy, Mass for the Panama Railroad Steamship Co. (Line) and completed in April 1939. She was the first of three 10,000 grt, 326 combination passenger-cargo liners. ss Panama and her two sisters, ss Ancon and ss Cristobal were hailed as "the beginning of a new era in shipbuilding standards of safety, efficiency, comfort and attractiveness." The three ships were designed to carry passengers, mail and cargo on one-way ten-day voyages between New York and Cristobal, in the Panama Canal Zone with Port-au-Prince, Haiti as a port of call in both directions. Their 493 foot-long and 64 foot-wide hulls were painted pearl grey with white decks and cream smoke stacks. Brochures lured passengers with pictures of comfortable, air conditioned interiors and emphasized the vessel's fireproof construction and tile swimming pools.

On her maiden voyage, ss Panama carried 202 first class passengers, a crew of 125 , and 6,000 tons of cargo from New York to Panama. She had mirrored lounges, a cocktail bar and a dining salon and her passengers enjoyed a cool glass of Rum & Coke, as they relaxed to the music of Harry James and other late 30’s favorites. In her hold on the southbound voyage were supplies for the commissary and Canal operations. Bananas, coffee and raw cotton made the northbound return trip.

 

 

After the outbreak of Worl War II, ss Panama went in harms way on 13 June 1941. Guns were mounted on her decks and the entire ship was painted in a dull battleship gray. Her holds became troop accommodations, her pool a bath-house and her lounge an officers' wardroom. Officers' quarters still had pink-tiled private bathrooms and her air conditioning system remained functional, but Panama was now a working military troop transport (and also a hospital ship) with the U.S. Army Transport Service as the newly designated USS James Parker.

During her war-time service, she initially would make frequent calls at Cristobal, Panama. Later on, she would make several transatlantic crossings to the European, Mediterranean and African theaters of war, docking in approximately 75 foreign ports including those in Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France, Italy/Sicily and Africa (as far as South Africa). Those voyages were made under combat conditions, keeping her gun crews on constant alert for enemy submarines and aircraft. Just before her return to civilian service, she was once again converted, this time for carrying war brides and babies. On one voyage, she brought back $80 million worth of paintings that the Germans had looted from various European capitals, Space was made for the art works in her air conditioned dining room, and upon arrival, the collections were delivered to the National Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.

After the war ended, she was handed over to the U.S. Maritime Commission in January 1946, refitted for passenger service and given back her original name of Panama. In 1948, she received a another rebuilt and on 1 July, 1951, following 102 years of service, the Panama Railroad Company was abolished by executive order of President Truman. As the result of an administrative reorganization, the railroad and the steamship line became separate divisions of the Panama Canal Company.

 

The Panama Line was affected by a general decline in world shipping and began to lose money. The 16-year old Panama was withdrawn in the interest of economy and sold in 1956 to American President Lines to become their President Hoover.

 

American President Lines or APL had her rebuilt to 10,603 tons and then used her on voyage to the Far East (i.e. Hong Kong) initiating out of San Francisco via Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1962 she was replaced by their larger President Roosevelt.

In 1964, she was sold to Greece-based Chandris Line who renamed her Regina and had her refitted for 650 passengers by adding additional passenger cabins in the space formely occupied by cargo. Chandris would operate her for cruising to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. In 1972, she was renamed Regina Prima in order not to be mistaken for the Regina Magna (ex-Bremen) whom Chandris had purchased the year prior from German line Happag-Lloyd. In 1979, she was laid up at Piraeus.

 

After a long lay-up, she was sold in 1983 for scrap to Turkish breakers and in December of that year, she arrived in tow at Aliaga-Izmir, Turkey where she was broken up/scrapped.

[RedmondCruiser]

John, As the ace on ships of the past I wonder if you have any information on a Fred Olson ship called the Buudicca. We were moored next to her in St Maarten and it looked like an old Royal Viking ship. The glaring thing was severe damage to her bow. (I know I should have taken a picture) About 15 feet above the water was a hole about 5 feet tall and showing internal stucture. Not a reassuring sight. Do you know what her former names were ?

Ron

[cruisun]

1982 on the Stella Solaris through the Greek Isles, but Sitmar sold me on cruising

 

The Stella Solaris was my favorite ship ever. She was a little tired, and no balconies, but there was a feeling about that ship that I can not describe. The Greek crew and Greek food was awesome. Sailed on her three times and have yet to feel the same about any other ship. :)

[Copper10-8]

John, As the ace on ships of the past I wonder if you have any information on a Fred Olson ship called the Buudicca. We were moored next to her in St Maarten and it looked like an old Royal Viking ship. The glaring thing was severe damage to her bow. (I know I should have taken a picture) About 15 feet above the water was a hole about 5 feet tall and showing internal stucture. Not a reassuring sight. Do you know what her former names were ?

 

Ron

 

You're right on, Ron! She was born as Royal Viking Sky

 

m/s Royal Viking Sky (1973-present) Built in 1973 as Royal Viking Sky by Wartsila Hietalahti/Helsinki New shipyard, Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland for Kloster/Royal Viking Cruise Line. She was the second of three near-identical ships owned by one of Royal Viking Line's initial investing partners. Royal Viking Sky was owned by Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab. Her sister ships were Royal Viking Star, owned by Bergenske Dampskibsselskab or Bergen Line, and Royal Viking Sea, owned by AF Klaveness & Co.

The three ships were nearly identical in appearance, with a tall superstructure and a single, scooped funnel. Each ship featured a double-height theater occupying an interior space on the two lowest passenger decks. These vessels were intended for longer voyages to exotic destinations, and a significant percentage of the line's passengers were wealthy retirees. As such, they featured numerous single staterooms and suites, and thus their capacity was only about 550 compared to 750-850 on similarly-sized ships of other lines. Royal Viking Line prided itself on single-seating dining, and the restaurant was situated unusually high in the ship, with large windows. Another popular feature was a glass-enclosed lounge high atop the bridge, which afforded excellent views.

 

Royal Viking Sky was launched from drydock on 25 May 1972 and delivered to her owners on 5 June 1973. Following delivery to Kloster/Royal Viking, Royal Viking Sky was used for luxury cruises around the world. On 1 May 1976, Royal Viking Sky and Royal Viking Star became the first sister ships to transit the Panama Canal simultaneously in different directions, the Sky sailing westbound and the Star eastbound.





From September to November 1982, she was stretched/lenghtened from 583 ft to 674 ft by adding a 93-foot prefabricated midship section at the A.G. Weser shipyard in Bremerhaven, (then) West Germany. This increased her capacity by 200 passengers, and mainly included the addition of cabins. Aft of the observation lounge, a new lounge and nine penthouse suites with balconies were added. The size of the main restaurant was also doubled and now occupied nearly half of one deck in order to maintain single-seating dining. The line's management had determined the expansion was more economical than building a fourth ship; however, the plan backfired, because many of their loyal passengers felt the larger ships had lost their intimate appeal.

In 1986 Royal Viking Line was absorbed by Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL), also part of the Kloster group and the forerunner of Norwegian Cruise Line. On 14 September 1991, operation of Royal Viking Sky was transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) who renamed her Sunward.







In May 1992, Sunward was sold to Sweden-based Birka Line and renamed Birka Queen (2). From June through October 1992, Birka Queen operated on the Stockholm to Riga, Latvia and Stockholm to St Petersburg, Russia runs. On 27 October 1992, she was chartered back to the Kloster Group and resumed her former identity of Sunward for Norwegian Cruise Line.

 

In June 1993, she was chartered to Princess Cruises as the Golden Princess and started cruising from San Francisco to Alaskan ports. On 7 July 1996, a fire broke out in her engine room which resulted in total engine failure. Golden Princess was subsequently towed to Victoria, BC where her passengers were disembarked. Repairs on her engines were carried out in San Francisco, CA. Following delivery of newer tonnage to Princess, the company terminated the charter and in January 1997, Birka Line wound up selling her to Malaysian-based Star Cruises who renamed her SuperStar Capricorn.



On 20 September 1998, she placed on a five-year charter to South Korea-based Hyundai Merchant Marine Co Ltd. who used transporting South Korean 'pilgrims' to North Korea and renamed her Hyundai Keumgang. In October 2001 however, Hyundai Merchant Marine declared bankrupcy and she was returned to Star Cruises, reverting back to her former name SuperStar Capricorn.





In January 2004, she became the Grand Latino for new Spanish operator Viajes Iberojet and used for Mediterranean cruises out of Spain throughout 2005.



[/url]

In January 2005, she was purchased by Great Britain-based Fred Olsen Cruises. Following a refit and the changing of her main engines at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany in December 2005, she emerged as Boudicca and entered service with Fred. Olsen in February 2006. She is currently operating for Fred Olsen.

[Copper10-8]

John, As the ace on ships of the past I wonder if you have any information on a Fred Olson ship called the Buudicca. We were moored next to her in St Maarten and it looked like an old Royal Viking ship. The glaring thing was severe damage to her bow. (I know I should have taken a picture) About 15 feet above the water was a hole about 5 feet tall and showing internal stucture. Not a reassuring sight. Do you know what her former names were ?

 

Ron

 

Boudicca sustained damage to her bow in Barbados on 20 NOV 08. It was considered 'minor' and happened when the Bridgetown port authorities decided to move her to another berth to give P&O's Ventura more room to maneuver. Due to high winds, Boudicca made contact with another cross berth. The damage caused a 7 foot dent which needed to be repaired before she could leave for Castries, St. Lucia. She was due to depart on 21 NOV but that was delayed until 22 NOV.

[RedmondCruiser]

Thank you John for all the information that you seem to be able to put together in a heart beat. The funny thing is that what they called a dent in the bow was actually a gash. Thanks again.

Ron

[LordSpain]

John;

I’ve enjoyed your posts on this thread immensely. I don’t know if you already have this photo – if not here it is for your files. BTW I’m retired 30+ yrs north metropolitan Chicago.

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Thank you John for all the information that you seem to be able to put together in a heart beat. The funny thing is that what they called a dent in the bow was actually a gash. Thanks again.

 

Ron

 

Good stuff Ron!;)

 

John;

I’ve enjoyed your posts on this thread immensely. I don’t know if you already have this photo – if not here it is for your files. BTW I’m retired 30+ yrs north metropolitan Chicago.

 

 

Thanks for the pic! Nice 'dent';) Enjoy your no-doubt well-deserved retirement!:) I've got 'till NOV-DEC this year for my thirty:)

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was Queen Frederica - Chandris Lines - 1969 - Sydney to London, with lots of exotic ports of call via the Pacific, Panama Canal, New York, Rotterdam to London.

 

Leaving port was a festive occasion with bands, streamers, etc.

 

I used to get up at 11 am in time for Greek dancing classes every day - those were the days!

 

I returned by P&O's Chusan in 1970, with lots of exotic ports of call right around Africa (the Suez was closed), India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), around Australia to Brisbane.

 

I returned with 10 pieces of luggage - those were the days!

 

Chusan was the last P&O cruise ship to call into Bombay to change crew, as it became more economical to fly crew to the ship.

 

On each occasion, I shared a quad cabin with 3 other women I hadn't met previously.

 

I have never lost the magical feeling of standing on deck watching a ship come into or out of port.

 

ss Malolo (1926-1977) Built in 1926 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, PA as ss Malolo for the United States-based Matson Line. She was the first passenger liner designed by an American named William Francis Gibbs who later became famous for designing ships like the ss United States. She was launched on 26 July 1926 intended for service on Matson Line’s San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii route.

 

Gibbs included a number of modern innovations in his design; private facilities throughout first class were provided and most cabins enjoyed portholes. Spacious public rooms with fine wood panelling added to the aesthetics and an indoor swimming pool was the height of luxury in the Pacific. Gibbs was also safety conscious and included a double bottom and watertight bulkheads.

 

On 25 May 1927 while on her sea trials in the western Atlantic, she collided with the SS Jacob Christensen, a Norwegian freighter, with an impact equal to that when the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank 15 years earlier. Malolo's advanced watertight compartments allowed her to stay afloat however and sail into New York harbor for drydock and repairs, flooded with over 7,000 tons of sea water in her hull. Those repairs took five months to complete after which she departed for the U.S. west coast via a Panama Canal crossing.

On 16 November 1927, Malolo finally departed San Francisco on her maiden voyage on the Hawaiian route. As she departed Honolulu on her return trip, Matson initiated the custom of her passengers throwing their leis into the ocean as the ship passed Diamond Head. The lei floating away would signify that the passenger would eventually return to the Hawaiian islands. Over the next few years, Malolo would establish herself as the Pacific Ocean’s premier liner, particularly during cruises to Asia, Australasia and the Pacific which were conducted anually from late 1929 through 1931.

In 1931, Malolo was re-painted to match the white hull of her younger sister, Mariposa. This would be the only change made to her until 1937 when she underwent an extensive refit which would include the addition of luxurious Lanai staterooms, proven popular on her sisters as well as an alteration of her accommodation to cater for 693 first class only passengers. In a move which surprised some, Malolo was renamed Matsonia prior to her first voyage after this refit.

Despite her successes, since 1928, on the Hawaiian route, some felt that Malolo was jinxed. They pointed to her collision during her trials as proof and there were even rumors floating around that the name 'Malolo' was under some kind of Hawaiian curse. Perhaps Matson felt there was some merit those these rumors so the newly renamed Matsonia departed San Francisco on her second 'maiden voyage' to Honolulu on 14 January 1938. She would continue on the route alongside her sister Lurline until November 1941 when events in the Pacific resulted in her being requisitioned by the United Staret Navy.

Matsonia was refitted as a troop transport and scheduled to leave San Francisco on 8 December 1941 with over 3,000 troops to reinforce American military bases in the Phillipines. On 7 December however, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor took place and her plans were hurriedly changed. Instead, she would leave San Francisco on 16 December in convoy with her sisters Monterey and Lurline and packed with 3,277 troops and urgent supplies bound for Honolulu. Matsonia would carry over 176,000 passengers during the war, mainly troops around the Pacific before being returned to Matson Lines and civilian life in April 1946.

She was once again refitted and resumed her Hawaiian trade on 22 May 1946. She continued on this service until April 1948 when her younger sister Lurline replaced her on the route. Matsonia was laid up at San Francisco and, shortly afterwards, sold to Greece-based Meditteranean Lines, a subsidiary of Home Lines.

Home Lines arranged for her to be refitted at the Ansaldo shipyard in Genoa, Italy in early 1949 where her passenger accommodation was changed to 349 first class, 203 cabin (second) class and 626 tourist (third) class. Re-christened Atlantic, she was put on the Genoa to New York route on 14 May 1959 and continued on this run until February 1952. In that year, she commenced a route from Le Havre, France and Southampton, England to Quebec City, Que, Canada in summer and cruises from New York to the Caribbean in the winter season.

In 1954, Home Lines created another subsidiary named National Hellenic Lines, under Greek flag. They transferred Atlantic to this company and renamed her Vasilessa Freideriki (Queen Frederica).

Under that name she commenced transatlantic services in 1955 on a regular route from Pireaus, Greece via Naples, Palermo and Halifax to New York. In 1958, she made her first trip to Australia since World War II, carrying immigrants from Naples, Italy to Fremantle/Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

In 1960 she was extensively refitted and her transatlantic schedule changed to a Cuxhaven, (then) West Germany to Canada route on which she would operate during the next five years.

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In the middle sixties, the transatlantic immigrant trade declined significantly, mainly due to competition from new jet airliners. As a result, another Greek company by the name of Chandris Lines took over National Hellenic Lines in November 1965. Chandris anglicised the liner’s name to Queen Frederica and then put her on a immigrant service from Southampton, England to Australia. Chandris also operated her on some transatlantic crossings from Pireaus to New York mixed in with occasional cruises. Upon her return to Europe, she was operated on a series of Meditteranean cruises on behalf of Great Britain-based Sovereign Cruises, departing from Cannes, France until September 1971. She was subsequently laid up in the river Dart at Darmouth, England.

In June 1972 Queen Frederica sailed to Greece where she was laid up in Piraeus. From April until November 1973 after being given a refit, she was chartered to Blue Seas Cruises for a series of cruises from Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Barcelona, Algiers, Naples, Genoa and Cannes. When this charter concluded, she was once again laid up at Perama Bay, Greece.

In 1977, her almost fifty year of service came to an end when she was sold for scrap to Greek interests. Shortly after, she was towed to the breakers at Eleusis, Greece under the delivery name of Chandris Queen. With demolition work in progress in February 1978, a fire broke out which temporarily halted her scrapping. Part of her hull could still be seen in 1981.

[MMDown Under]

How exciting!

 

Thanks so much for gathering all that interesting historic information on Queen Frederica, which is much appreciated.

 

I liked the look of the ship, as it looked like a real ship, which had many stories to tell.

 

Many of the passengers on my cruise were elderly, taking part on a Global World Tour.

 

Thanks again.

[MMDown Under]

Could you please tell me how to include a photo on cc, as I have a photo taken in 1969, which my husband has saved onto the computer?

[Copper10-8]

Could you please tell me how to include a photo on cc, as I have a photo taken in 1969, which my husband has saved onto the computer?

 

Sure, have him save it on a program like photobucket (www.photobucket.com) under 'my album' (you have to create an account but it's free). Once downloaded, open up your photo in 'my (so your) album', put your cursor on it and 'right click'. You'll see a 'copy' option; click on that - open up a new post on this thread; 'right click' again and then select the 'paste' option. Unless it's a real huge pic, that bad boy should show up here! Good luck!

[MMDown Under]

:)

 

[MMDown Under]

Sure, have him save it on a program like photobucket (www.photobucket.com) under 'my album' (you have to create an account but it's free). Once downloaded, open up your photo in 'my (so your) album', put your cursor on it and 'right click'. You'll see a 'copy' option; click on that - open up a new post on this thread; 'right click' again and then select the 'paste' option. Unless it's a real huge pic, that bad boy should show up here! Good luck!

 

Thanks.

 

That was an experience. :)

 

Looks like it worked, although I get an F for sizing.

[Copper10-8]

:)

 

 

 

Great job! Nice life vests!;)