Your first cruise ship

[momatibm]

Thanks John you are super.

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was for our 20th Anniversary in 1988. We sailed on the Rotterdam - Caribbean - 10 day cruise. That Rotterdam was later sold I believe. Then, work, college expenses and two weddings (kids, not us) kept us off the sea for a looong time. Then after the lifting of a vacation freeze due to Y2K -- we again sailed on the Maasdam -2000 -- full transit of the Panama Canal -- this was the cruise where they flew pax by charter to Costa Rica -- transited the canal and returned to FT Lauderdale. We then sailed the same year 2000 on the Zaandam - Southern Caribbean. Then that pesky thing called work interferred again and we didn't set sail again until 2008 for our 40th Anniversary -- Noordam from NYC to Carribbean. Our cruises have all been 10 days -- and we have the Maasdam scheduled for Dec for the 14 day partial transit of the Panama Canal.

 

 

 

ss Rotterdam V (1959-present) Built in 1959 as ss Rotterdam by the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (Rotterdam Drydock Company), Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the Holland Amerika Lijn/Holland America Line for which she would become their very popular flagship known as "the Grand Dame". At 748 feet long, 94 feet wide and weighing 38,650 tons, she would be the largest ship ever built in the Netherlands and she would sail for HAL for 39 years! She would be the last great Dutch "ship of state".

Rotterdam V was conceived as running mate to HAL's popular Nieuw Amsterdam launched in 1937, but work was put on hold at the outbreak of World War II in Europe. When economic conditions once again became favorable for completion of the new ship in early 1954, the beginning of the end of ocean liners as basic transport was visible on the horizon. Her designers took this in mind and created a groundbreaking vessel, a two-class, horizontally divided ship with movable partitions and a unique double staircase allowing for easy conversion to cruising. Rotterdam's machinery was shifted aft, to the now-traditional two-thirds aft position, and in lieu of a funnel twin uptake pipes were fitted. To provide balance, a large deckhouse was built atop the superstructure in the midships position of a typical funnel. While very controversial at the time, Rotterdam's appearance became groundbreaking, and her unique design features can be found on cruise ships today.

 

 

She was the fifth ship in the line's history to bear the name of Rotterdam, the principal city in the Dutch province of Zuid (South) Holland, second largest municipality in the Netherlands and the largest port in Europe. The name 'Rotterdam' originally comes from a dam built on the river Rotte.

Rotterdam V was painted in the then HAL house colors of a dove gray hull with a thin yellow band. Due to the absence of a traditional funnel (she had the twin set of uptakes instead), the then HAL colors (buff funnel with green-white-green bands) were unable to be applied there. Instead, all of her lifeboats were painted in the line's buff yellow colors with green and white bands (the colors of the city of Rotterdam) painted on their gunwhales.

 

On 14 September 1958, Rotterdam V was launched by her godmother, HRH Queen Juliana of The Netherlands in the city of Rotterdam in front of some 60,000 spectators. Succesful sea trials were conducted on the North Sea between 1-6 August 1959. On 3 September 1959, Rotterdam V, the flagship of the Holland Amerika Lijn set out on her maiden voyage from Rotterdam to New York, via Le Havre, France and Southampton, England under the command of her master, Commodore Coenraad Bouman. One of her passengers was the then Crown Princess of The Netherlands, the twenty-one year old Princess (currently Queen) Beatrix.

Upon passing Tompkinsville on north-eastern Staten Island, Commodore Bouman had the national flag of the Netherlands, flying on his ship, dipped in a salute to Henry Hudson. Back on 10 September 1609, the English sea explorer and navigator employed by the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or Dutch (United) East India Company, had anchored his ship the Half Moon (found in the current HAL logo) in the general area.

 

She arrived at the Fifth Street Pier in Hoboken, New Jersey on 11 September 1959 receiving a welcome by water spraying fireboats. After the Princess (via cutter and then to the Royal Netherlands Navy destroyer Gelderland in Gravesend Bay) and all her remaining passengers (the 'normal way') had disembarked, Rotterdam V was towed across the harbor to HAL's new terminal at Pier 40 in Manhattan. Rotterdam departed New York for her east bound journey across the Atlantic on 22 September 1959.

She then departed New York on her first cruise on 11 December, 1959, a 49-day cruise circumnavigating South America. She undertook a second, seventy five-day cruise on 1 February 1960. She would make her first world cruise in 1961, a seventy seven-day roundtrip from New York, From then on, she would operate the company's world cruise each year until 1986, developing a loyal following.

In 1969, Rotterdam made her last regularly scheduled transatlantic crossing and was converted to a one-class cruise ship. A new Lido estaurant replaced her Cafe de la Paix and other, more minor, changes took place. She would, however, make four more world cruises in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997.

 

 

From September until October 1989, she received a $15 million dollar (mostly interior) refit at the Northwest Marine Ironworks, a Portland, Oregon shipyard.

On 31 January 1996, HAL announced that the much loved ship would be taken out of service as of 30 September 1997. The reason given by her owners (later disputed) was the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) requirements coming into effect and the funds, supposedly U.S. 40 million, required to update the thirty-eight year old vessel. Rotterdam would make a farewell cruise at the end of her Alaska season from Vancouver, BC to Ft Lauderdale, Fl.

 

In October 1997, she was purchased by Premier Cruises who had her upgraded to SOLAS standards and renamed Rembrandt. Premier kept her classic ocean liner 'feel' and on 21 December 1997, she departed on her first cruise to South America. The summer of 1998 found her cruising in the Mediterranean. Premier however, also had grandiose plans to rename the ship 'Big Red Boat IV' and to paint her hull a bright red, an idea not very popular with her fans. As Big Red Boat IV she would sail out of Los Angeles on three and four-day party cruises to Mexico in the winter and out of Vancouver, BC on seven-day Alaska cruises in the summer.

 

As faith would have it, Premier Cruise Line ran into financial difficulties. On 13 September, 2000 during a northbound New England/Canada cruise, her captain was ordered to return his ship to Halifax, Nova Scotia. After off-loading her passengers, the ss Rembrandt was placed under arrest. As a special condition of her warrants, she was allowed to depart for Freeport, the Bahamas where she arrived on 30 December 2000 and was laid-up pending sale. Premier Cruise Lines filed for bankruptcy and went out of business.

 

 

On 7 May 2003 Rembrandt became the property of s.s. Rotterdam BV (part of RDM holding or Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij, her original builders). On 17 June 2004, the Polish ocean-going tug 'Englishman' towed her from the Bahamas to the Camell Laird yard at Gibraltar where she arrived on 12 July 2004 and where renovation work was scheduled for her. She would remain docked at the British Crown Colony until October 2005 (see below). By that time, she also had new owner, 'Rederij De Rotterdam BV'.

 

 

On 25 October 2005, after a tow from Gibraltar by the Spanish tug 'V B Artico', she arrived at Cadiz, Spain, for additional (dry) dock maintenance including the repainting of her hull in her original light gray color. In addition, she was renamed Rotterdam and registered in the same city. 'V B Artico' would tow her again, this time from 10 to 27 February 2006, from Cadiz to Gdansk, Poland where her asbestos was removed and further renovating would take place (see below).

 

 

On 25 August 2006 she received yet another tow, this time to Wilhelmshaven, Germany (see below) where she stayed until August 2008 for additional exterior restoration work.

 

[Copper10-8]

 

On 2 September 2008, she left Wilhelmshaven and on 4 September 2008, she made her triumphant return (see above and below) to her city of birth, Rotterdam, where she was berthed at the “Katendrechtse Hoofd” (Head of Katendrecht) located on the northern edge of Rotterdam Zuid (South) in the Maashaven (River Maas harbor) and where she will serve as a floating hotel, static museum ship and conference center.

 

 

[MrsMuir]

I love happy endings. I hope CC keeps this thread forever.

 

Mrs. M.

[Copper10-8]

I love happy endings. I hope CC keeps this thread forever.

 

Mrs. M.

 

I know what you mean;) - Seems for the majority of these 'oldies', their fate is being broken up into razor blades, sinking to the bottom of the sea and/or burning up in flames

[MightyQuinn]

Copper John, I never tire of reading your bits of history about Rotterdam V which will always be our favorite cruise ship.

 

Her future as a floating hotel looks very exciting. There will be Inside/Outside/Luxury Cabins (not staterooms :eek::eek:) a Lido Restaurant & an Ocean Bar. You can even book the former Captain’s Quarters with an attached Servant’s Room! Insides from 95 Euros/nite.

 

https://www.cruisehotel.nl/en/sleep/

[momatibm]

Thanks John, considering how how the 'old Dame' was -- and we were on her before that dry dock in 1989 -- she was wonderful -- we loved the Admirals Club (Lounge?). It was the first place we met up with the fantastic HAL service. After our first night, our waiter would see us walk in and bring us our drinks and Hors' dourves without us even realizing he'd seen us. We had that last year on the Noordam as well -- one more reason we are HAL fans.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Flavia, which was with Costa cruise line.This was in 1975 and went to the Bahama's

from Florida

 

ss Media (1947-1989) Built as ss Media in 1947 by John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank, Scotland for the Cunard-White Star Line Ltd as a transatlantic cargo-passenger liner. She was the first British liner to be built after the Second World War. On 20 August 1947, she commenced on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York. In 1953, she became noted for being the first Atlantic liner fitted with Deny-Brown fin stabilizers, as a "test case" for Cunards's Queens. These stabilizers proved to be so successful that they were soon fitted to the Queen Maryand the Queen Elizabeth.

 

By the early 1960’s, traditional passenger-cargo ships were becoming obsolete on the North Atlantic route, leading Cunard to start looking for a way to dispose of Media. She was subsequently sold in July 1961.

 

 

Her new owner was the Italy-based Compagnia Genovese di Armamaneto S.p.A., better known as Cogedar Line of Genoa, who had purchased her for 740,000 pounds sterling and intended to use her as an immigrant ship on routes to Australia. She arrived in Genoa on 21 October 1961 to be renamed Flavia. She received one of the most extensive rebuilding programs of any liner to date which completely transformed her into a sleek liner. She would gain 26 feet as her bow was reshaped and lengthened. She also gained a new funnel with a large fin. Her original superstructure was removed and a new one built. Her old accommodation was scrapped and her cargo spaces were transformed into extra passenger decks.

 

Flavia now had accommodations for up to 1,224 tourist class passengers in 153 two-berth cabins, 220 four-berth cabins and five eight-berth cabins, plus 100 folding-bed settees for children. The majority of her cabins had private facilities. Public rooms extended the full length of her Riviera deck, which was directly below her Boat deck. Forward was the two-deck high Ballroom, with a Movie theater located starboard aft. She also featured two swimming pools and a glass-enclosed children playground complete with wading pool forward of the upper level of the main lounge. Her two dining rooms catered to all passengers in two sittings.

 

Flavia, now at 15,465 GRT, departed Genoa on her first voyage to Australia on 2 October 1962. Sailing via the Suez Canal, she arrived in Fremantle on 30 October and in Melbourne on 5 November, remaining there for two nights, then reaching Sydney on 9 October and departing on her return voyage to Europe the next day. This time she returned to Bremerhaven, (then) West Germany which would become her European turn-around port. She would also make a number of Pacific cruises out of Sydney, including one to Japan and other Far East ports. She once again departed Bremerhaven on 22 December 1962 but it would not be until late 1963 that she began operating her round-the-world service from Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and London via the Panama Canal to Tahiti, Auckland (New Zealand), Australian ports and back via the Suez Canal.

 

Changes to immigrant contracts resulted in Codegar ceasing their Australian service in 1968. She would make one final cruise out of Australia, departing Sydney on 18 October 1968 for her return to Europe.

 

 

During that return voyage, she was chartered to Atlantic Cruise Line and on 20 December 1968, began cruising for them out of Miami, Fl to the West Indies. In 1969, she was purchased by Italy-based Costa Line or Linea "C" (now Costa Crociere S.p.A.) who had her refitted as a cruise ship.

 

 

Flavia thus began what turned out to be a successful second career, operating year-round three and four-day cruises from Miami to the Bahamas. She would remain on that service until July 1977. She then operated a series of cruises out of South America, before returning to Europe for Mediterranean cruising which commenced in April 1978. In September of that year she returned to Miami where she recommenced her previous cruise duties.

 

Flavia ultimately developed engine problems so in 1982 was sold to Hong Kong-based C.Y. Tung Group, owned by the shipping magnate of the same name. Her name was changed to Flavian and the plan was for her to begin local Asian cruises out of Hong Kong harbor. This fell through however, and she was laid up. In 1986, she was sold to another Hong Kong shipping company by the name of Virtue Shipping. They renamed her Lavia but their plans also did not pan out so she remained laid up at anchor near Landau Island.

 

On 7 January 1989, the by then neglected Lavia caught fire which gutted her and caused her to partially sink. Shortly after this, her hulk was sold to Taiwanese ship breakers. She was ultimately towed to Kaohsiung where she met her fate at the hands of the breakers.

[Copper10-8]

Copper John, I never tire of reading your bits of history about Rotterdam V which will always be our favorite cruise ship.

 

Her future as a floating hotel looks very exciting. There will be Inside/Outside/Luxury Cabins (not staterooms :eek::eek:) a Lido Restaurant & an Ocean Bar. You can even book the former Captain’s Quarters with an attached Servant’s Room! Insides from 95 Euros/nite.

 

https://www.cruisehotel.nl/en/sleep/

 

Excellent excuse for a road trip to Rotterdam to see Rotterdam!;)

[notes4theheart]

My first cruise was on the Americanus. We sailed from New York harbor to Bermuda in the late 1980s. I've never seen any information about this ship, except one with the same name that was part cargo ship which I definitely wasn't on. Can you shed any light? I may be able to dig up an old picture.

[Copper10-8]

Thanks John, considering how how the 'old Dame' was -- and we were on her before that dry dock in 1989 -- she was wonderful -- we loved the Admirals Club (Lounge?). It was the first place we met up with the fantastic HAL service. After our first night, our waiter would see us walk in and bring us our drinks and Hors' dourves without us even realizing he'd seen us. We had that last year on the Noordam as well -- one more reason we are HAL fans.

 

 

ss Rotterdam V alongside the Wilhelminakade, Rotterdam in 1961

 

 

ss Rotterdam V on her way westbound to New York - Taken from ss Statendam on her way eastbound to Rotterdam - somewhere in the Atlantic in 1962

 

ss Rotterdam in her 'Nieuw Amsterdam' blue livery in 1987

As Rembrandt in Rotterdam in 1998

 

As Rembrandt in Rotterdam in 1998

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Americanus. We sailed from New York harbor to Bermuda in the late 1980s. I've never seen any information about this ship, except one with the same name that was part cargo ship which I definitely wasn't on. Can you shed any light? I may be able to dig up an old picture.

 

ss Kenya Castle (1951-2001) Built in 1951 as passenger liner ss Kenya Castle by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast, Northern Ireland for the UK-based Union Castle Mail Steamship Company, Ltd. aka Union Castle Line. She was the second of a three sister class, the others being lead ship ss Rhodesia Castle and ss Braemar Castle, and she was delivered to her new owners at Southampton on 18 February 1952. From there, she departed on her maiden voyage, a 14-day cruise to the Canary Islands before settling in on the line's London (Southampton) - Cape Town, South Africa via Suez service.

 

 

The Union-Castle Line, at the time, was a prominent shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners as well as freighters between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. Union-Castle named most of their ships with the suffix "Castle". They were well known for their lavender-hulled liners with black and red funnels, running on a rigid timetable between Southampton and Cape Town. Every Thursday at 4:00 PM, a Union-Castle Royal Mail Ship would leave Southampton bound for Cape Town. At the same time, a Union-Castle Royal Mail Ship would leave Cape Town bound for Southampton.

 

 

In 1958, Kenya Castle had her funnel remodeled and in 1960 her accommodation altered to cater for 442 one-class passengers. The British National Export Council considered using her as an exhibition ship in 1966 but the plans did not proceed. On 22 April 1967 she was laid up in the River Blackwater.

 

 

In August 1967, she was purchased by the Greek-based Chandris Line who renamed her Amerikanis (“American Maiden”) and intended to use her for summer Atlantic Ocean liner service. They had her converted into a one-class, 920 passenger vessel at Piraeus. On 8 August 1968, she departed for New York City from Piraeus on her maiden voyage for her new owners with calls at Messina, Naples, Lisbon and Halifax. She became somewhat famous for being the first passenger ship to have a television in every cabin. After three additional line voyages, Chandris decided to base her out of New York City for cruises to the Caribbean during the following winter. This operating pattern was repeated in 1969.

 

 

In 1970 she was transferred to a cruising-only operation with a passenger complement of 617. She operated inexpensive 3, 4 and 7-day cruises out of U.S. East coast ports and the Bahamas to Bermuda and Caribbean ports. Between 1980 and 1984, she was leased to Italy-based Costa Crociere/Costa Cruises for cruises to the Bahamas.In 1989, back at Chandris (by then Chandris Celebrity Cruises), they replaced her on their New York - Bermuda service with the then newly-built Horizon and Amerikanis was subsequently transferred to and home based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

 

In 1996 she was laid up at Eleusis Bay, Greece while decisions were made about her future. Although there were plans to use her as a floating hotel in London, nothing materialized and she was sold for scrap in either 2000. In early June 2001, a Russian skeleton crew took Amerikanis to Alang, India where she was subsequently broken up.

 

[Copper10-8]

 

Amerikanis in San Juan, PR in 1987

 

 

Amerikanis in San Juan, PR in 1987

 

In New York in 1988

[clogaltocruise]

We are newbies. Our first was on the previous Westerdam .. actually our 1st and 2nd was with her. She and her crew got us hooked! We took our first cruise because my parents had such great experiences on Sitmar Cruise Lines. I heard wonderful stories from them and their friends as I was growing up ... left behind while they cruised ... now it's my turn! Thankx Mom & Dad!!

[Copper10-8]

We are newbies. Our first was on the previous Westerdam .. actually our 1st and 2nd was with her. She and her crew got us hooked! We took our first cruise because my parents had such great experiences on Sitmar Cruise Lines. I heard wonderful stories from them and their friends as I was growing up ... left behind while they cruised ... now it's my turn! Thankx Mom & Dad!!

 

 

Homeric (1986-present) Built by Jos. L. Meyer GmbH shipyard, Papenburg, (then) West Germany and delivered in 1986 as "Homeric" for Italian-based Home Lines for New York to Bermuda cruising in the summer and Caribbean cruising in the winter months. Homeric was planned during the first half of the 1980s as a replacement for the ageing ss Oceanic in the Home Lines' fleet. The ship was named in honor of the company's earlier ss Homeric, a popular ship for the line that had been destroyed by a fire in 1973.

 

 

She left Emden, West Germany on 12 May 1986 for New York. She then departed on her maiden voyage from New York City to Hamilton, Bermuda on 31 May 1986.

 

In March 1988, Home Lines (Homeric and Atlantic) was purchased by Holland America Line. Following their final season in Bermuda. HAL sold Atlantic to Premier Cruise Line and moved Homeric into a drydock and refit at the Norshipco yard in Norfolk, Va. Homeric was renamed Westerdam II on 2 November 1988 and departed Ft.Lauderdale, FL on her first HAL cruise, an alternating seven-day run to the Eastern, followed by a seven-day run to the Western Caribbean on 16 November 1988.

 

She was the second ship in Holland America Line history to receive the name Westerdam. The first Westerdam sailed for Holland America Line from 1946 to 1965. She was a combination cargo-passenger ship with accommodations for 143 first-class passengers. While being constructed during World War II, Westerdam I was sunk three times: On 27 August 1942, she was bombed and sunk by Allied aircraft while in the shipyard in Rotterdam. The German occupiers raised the ship in September 1944, but she was quickly sunk again, this time by Dutch resistance fighters. After being raised a second time, the resistance again sank her on 17 January 1945. After the Netherlands were liberated in May, 1945, Westerdam I was raised a third time and finally completed. She would go on to be a regular on the transatlantic run, making two eight-day crossings each month between Rotterdam and New York. Her name translates to one of the four directions of the compass in the Dutch language; wester meaning, well, westerly.

 

In the winter of 1989, Westerdam II was sent back to her place of birth, Jos. L. Meyer GmbH, Papenburg, West Germany for lengthening, emerging in 1990 with a new overall length of 243 meters (originally 204 meters) and a new passenger capacity of 1,476 souls (originally 1,132). She was primarily assigned to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl cruising the Caribbean in the winter and to Vancouver, BC for Alaska cruising in the summer months.

 

In 1997, the romantic commedy "Out to Sea" starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon, Gloria DeHaven and Brent Spiner was partially filmed onboard Westerdam II. Compulsive gambler Charlie Gordon (Matthau), hiding out from his various bookies and loan-sharks, cons his brother-in-law Herb Sullivan (Lemmon) into an all expenses-paid luxury cruise in search of rich, lonely ladies to fleece. The catch, which Charlie does not reveal to Herb until the ship has left port, is that they are required to be dance hosts and must sleep in a cramped cabin in the bowels of the ship.

 

Ruled over by tyrannical, control-freak Cruise Director Gil Godwin, "a song and dance man raised on a military base" (Spiner), they do their best, despite Charlie's not actually being able to dance. They each meet a lady of interest. One is the luscious heiress Liz LaBreche (Cannon), whose wealth attracts Charlie every bit as much as the rest of her does. The other is lovely widow Vivian (DeHaven), who is under the impression that Herb is a doctor, not a dancer. By the time Charlie literally drags ship owner Mrs. Carruthers (McClanahan) across the dance floor, the boys aren't sure if they will find true love or need to abandon ship.

 

 

 

In March 2002, After 643 cruises spanning over 13 years with Holland America, she was internally transferred within the Carnival Group to Italy-based Costa Crociere/Costa Cruise Lines. After a drydock in Genoa, Italy, she was christened Costa Europa and in April 2002 commenced cruising for the Italian company. She is still sailing for them as of this time.

 

 

In July 2009, Carnival Corporation announced that Costa Europa will join British tour operator Thomson Cruises under a 10-year bareboat charter beginning in April 2010. Under the agreement, Thomson has an option to purchase the ship after five years.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was about 1976 aboard the MS Caribe (Commodore Cruise Line) out of Miami to the Caribbean. I was only 11 and I went with my parents and younger sister. My sister and I loved the cruise. My parents, rightfully so, hated it. I just pulled up pictures of the ship and can't believe how old it looks. The four of us were squeezed into a porthole cabin. We stopped in Haiti (poverty was crazy), Puerta Plata and Montego Bay. The best thing on board were the cheeseburgers by the pool. I remember there were a couple of days when the seas were really rough and my father and I would run to the grill for burgers for the my mom and sister. I won the putting contest. My poor parents were miserable but the kids loved every minute. Not to worry though, my parents will be taking their 5th World Voyage on HAL this January and probably have 700 days at sea with HAL, Princess and Celebrity. I was married onboard the Grand Princess in 2000. We cruise every year and our four year old will be going on his 4th cruise this October/November. I didn't take my second cruise until 1998, but we've been hooked ever since.

 

tss Olympia (1953-2009) 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.

 

 

[Goldryder]

Regal Empress is now awaiting her plot of sand, she was due to be beached yesterday but according to this, it doesn't appear to have been done as yet...

 

http://www.exim-india.com/newsletter/vesselmove/charts/alang-arrived.htm

 

:(

[Copper10-8]

Regal Empress is now awaiting her plot of sand, she was due to be beached yesterday but according to this, it doesn't appear to have been done as yet...

 

http://www.exim-india.com/newsletter/vesselmove/charts/alang-arrived.htm

 

:(

 

Thanks for sharing that bit of info! My guess is that it'll be just a matter of time before the hammer will fall on old Olympia:(

[Copper10-8]

Our first was the Celebrity Meridien in 93. A ten day Caribbean to see as much as possible just in case we couldn't cruise again. Hah! Second was the old Noordam, then the Oceanbreeze, the Zenith, always a smaller ship in order to actually feel that we were at sea. Sad to say that those days are pretty much gone unless you're very wealthy.

 

ss Galileo Galilei (1963-1999) Built in 1963 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy as ss Galileo Galilei for Trieste, Italy-based Lloyd Triestino di Navigazione S.p.A. Galilei and her younger sister, Guglielmo Marconi, were designed to replace the line’s three older ships, Australia, Neptunia and Oceania on the immigrant service from Italy to Australia.

The 27,888 gross registered ton ocean liner was launched on 2 July 1961. Her new owners took delivery of her on 23 March 1963 and she operated some Mediterranean cruises for them. She would then depart on her official maiden voyage from Genoa to Sydney on 22 April 1963, arriving there on 15 May 1963. Due to their increased speed, both Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi were able to reduce what used to be a month-long voyage to twenty three days, simultaneously introducing a new standard of luxury to immigrant travel.

Originally the ships traveled to Australia via the eastern route, passing through the Suez Canal in both directions, but in the later years the return trip to Europe was via the Panama Canal. Both ships sailed successfully for several years until the 1973 oil crisis struck which, combined with the increasing use of commercial airliners, contributed to the demise of the ocean liners. Galilei was scheduled to operate a cruise from Sydney in December 1973 however this was cancelled and she laid idle until 3 January 1974. On 13 January 1975, she struck a reef off the coast of West Africa which forced her to divert to Monrovia, Liberia. She sustained substantial damage to her hull plating and sailed for Genoa where she entered dry-dock for repairs, returning to service in March of that year.

Galileo Galilei continued to operate on the Italy-Australia run until quietly departing Sydney on 13 April 1977. (Her sister Marconi had left Australia for the last time on 23 November 1974). It had been originally planned for Galilei to operate the Aussie service until the end of 1977, however a 23 May 1977 departure was suddenly cancelled without explanation, stranding some 1,000 passengers. Upon arrival back in Genoa, she was withdrawn from service and laid up. Her lay-up was short however, and on 21 October 1977 she arrived at the Cantieri Navali Riuniti’s Palermo, Sicily yard for a lengthy reconstruction into a full-time cruise ship.

On 24 March 1979, Galileo Galilei started Mediterranean cruise service from Genoa for Italia Crociere (owned by Italia di Navigazione S.p.A., also known as the Italia Line). However, this venture proved unprofitable as soon as 29 September 1979 when Galilei was withdrawn from service and laid up again, this time for four years, interspersed with occasional charters. (Italia Crociere ceased trading in 1980).

In August 1983, the vessel was purchased by the Greek-owned Chandris Group. She was again rebuilt, this time with additional cabins on her forward deck, and her name was shortened to just Galileo. In 1984, Galileo began operating Caribbean (short) cruises from Miami, Fl on charter to Fantasy Cruises. This was followed in May 1985 with summer cruises, mostly to Bermuda from New York, but also to Nova Scotia, the Bahamas plus some cruises to ‘nowhere’. After her summer season, Galileo returned to Miami from where she operated five-day cruise to Key West, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.

In October 1985, Chandris purchased Fantasy Cruises outright, making it their new subsidiary, Chandris Fantasy Cruises, and operating the Galileo (but also their Amerikanis, Britanis and the Victoria) under that banner. Galileo would receive a refit in early 1986 and would continue to operate Caribbean cruises during the winter and Bermuda cruises during the summer seasons.

When Italy-based Home Lines collapsed in 1988, Chandris made a decision to enter the upscale market. Galileo was therefore sent to the German Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven for a multi-million dollar refit between October 1989 and February 1990. Most of her interiors were rebuilt, and externally her rear superstructure enlarged. On 1 March 1990 she emerged as the ss Meridian, the first ship of Chandris’ new subsidiary, Celebrity Cruises. She received a more stylished white “X” (Greek for “CH” or Chandris) on her funnel, dark blue markings on the upper part of her hull and would operate Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades, Fl as well as a Boston/New York to Bermuda run during a very successful Celebrity career.

In 1997, following Royal Caribbean International’s acquisition of Celebrity Cruises, Meridian was sold to Singapore-based Sun Cruises, which operated her as ss Sun Vista, cruising throughout the Malaccan Straights from her home port of Singapore. In doing this, Sun Cruises took on giant Star Cruises (the owner of Norwegian Cruise Line) who operated similar itineraries but with newer and superior ships, a battle Sun Cruises would lose.

 

During the night of 20 May 1999, while enroute back to Singapore from Phuket, Thailand in the Straits of Malacca, a fire broke out in Sun Vista’s engine room. During the following morning, only a small amount of smoke was observed near the ship’s funnel. However, the fire would spread uncontrollably and this would ultimately result in a total loss of power on the ship. During the late afternoon of 21 May 1999, Meridian’s master, Captain Sven Hartzell ordered the ship abandoned. All 472 passengers and 632 crew were safely evacuated and rescued. Sun Vista went down on 22 May at 0121 hours, 45 nautical miles west of Penang Island in the Andaman Sea.

[deerose]

My first cruise was to Hawaii, 16 days on the Regal Princess in August of 2007. It was her last roundtrip out of LA. Her next cruise was from LA to her new home as I believe she was going to P&O cruises. We were forever hooked on cruising. My only regret is we didn't discover cruising before.

[Steelboat]

My first cruise was is March 1964. Miami to Nassau aboard the Yarmouth, sister ship to the infamous Yarmouth Castle.

 

It was a four day cruise. The crossing to Nassau was so rough that almost no one showed up in the dining room for Lobster Night.

 

I ate three of them.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was is March 1964. Miami to Nassau aboard the Yarmouth, sister ship to the infamous Yarmouth Castle.

 

It was a four day cruise. The crossing to Nassau was so rough that almost no one showed up in the dining room for Lobster Night.

 

I ate three of them.

 

ss Yarmouth (1927-1979) Built in 1927 as ss Yarmouth by William Cramp & Sons Ship And Engine Building Company, Philadelphia, PA for Eastern Steamship Lines (formerly Eastern Steamship Company), one of the last companies to specialize in short-haul ocean voyages with United States-flagged vessels. Yarmouth was put to use on the seasonal (summer) coastal service between Boston, Mass and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. During the winter months she operated on the New York-Bermuda and New York-Nassau (Bahamas) service. Her older sister, but only by months, would be the ill-fated Evangeline, later renamed Yarmouth Castle.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Yarmouth was delivered to the U.S. government for wartime service in 1942. She would be pressed into action as a troopship transporting thousands of soldiers and Marines to their areas of operation. When the war concluded, Yarmouth was converted from wartime to peacetime service by being refitted and refinished at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation's shipyard between 1946 and 1947 at a cost of U.S. $1.5 million. She returned to passenger service in May of 1947 on her old summer run to Nova Scotia.

 

 

In April 1954, Yarmouth, her sister Evangeline as well as the company name, were acquired by Frank Leslie Fraser, a Scottish-Jamaican businessman. Fraser renamed Yarmouth the Yarmouth Castle, and started cruising her out of Miami, FL. He then negotiated a contract with the Government of the Bahamas. As a result, he again renamed the now Yarmouth Castle as the Queen of Nassau and began operating her on short cruises between Miami and Nassau. When the contract ended after two years, the ship reverted back to Yarmouth Castle and received some modernization. She ultimately reverted back to her original name of Yarmouth.

 

After Fraser passed away in 1962, both ships were purchased by Florida businessman W.R. Lovett. He changed the company's name to Eastern Steamship and began operating both ships, dubbed the 'twin fun ships', in tandem on twice-weekly three and four-night pleasure cruises between Miami and Nassau, using the old downtown Miami seaport as their point of departure.

 

In 1962, Yarmouth was acquired by Stanley B. McDonald, a Canadian businessman and the subsequent founder of Princess Cruises, who brought her to the United States west coast by sending her via the Panama Canal to Pacific Northwest. She operated ten-day package tours from San Francisco, CA to the Seattle World Fair and back (with a stop at Victoria, BC as a result of the Passenger Vessel Services Act). After the Fair closed down, Yarmouth retraced her route back to Miami.

 

By the end of 1964, Yarmouth Castle was operated by the Yarmouth Steamship Company, Inc. aka Yarmouth Cruise Lines. The ship once again ran pleasure cruises on the 186-mile stretch between Miami and Nassau.

 

Yarmouth' sister, by now renamed Yarmouth Castle, departed Miami for Nassau on 12 November 1965 with 376 passengers and 176 crew aboard for a total of 552 individuals. The ship was due to arrive in Nassau the next day. Shortly before 1:00 AM on 13 November, a mattress stored too close to a lighting circuit in a storage room caught fire. The room was filled with mattresses and paint cans, which fed the flames. The fire swept through the ship's superstructure at great speed, driven by the ship’s natural ventilation system. The flames rose vertically through the stairwells, fueled by the wood paneling, wooden decks and layers of fresh paint on the walls. The whole front half of the ship was quickly engulfed, causing passengers and crew to flee to the stern of the ship.

 

Two ships that came to Yarmouth Castle's aid, the passenger liner Bahama Star and the freighter Finnpulp, were able to rescue 240 passengers and 133 crew and 51 passengers and 41 crew respectively. The aftermath of this tragedy at sea resulted in eighty-seven casualties plus three of the rescued passengers who later died at hospitals, bringing the final death toll to ninety souls.

 

Yarmouth was scheduled to begin her own cruise to Nassau on the afternoon of 13 November 1965 but due to the disaster involving Yarmouth Castle that morning, her cruise was canceled. She would eventually cruise again but the damage had been done, The Yarmouth Castle tragedyhastened the demise of the company.

 

After a period of lay-up and yet another name as San Andres, she was sold in 1966 to Greek interests which, upon her arrival in Piraeus, renamed her Elisabeth A. Whatever plans her new owners had never reached fruition. Elisabeth A. never operated again and after a lay-up of some thirteen years, was sold for scrap and broken up in 1979.

 

As a side note, the Yarmouth Castle disaster led to the creation of the Safety of Life at Sea law, or SOLAS, in 1966. This law brought new maritime safety rules, requiring fire drills, safety inspections and structural changes to new ships. Under SOLAS, any vessel carrying more than 50 overnight passengers is required to be built entirely of steel. This is because Yarmouth Castle's largely wooden superstructure was found to be the main cause of the fire's rapid spread.

[Steelboat]

Thanks for the post and pictures John. That really brings back memories.

 

I actually worked my way through college parking cars at the Miami cruise port in the early sixties. I believe the ships making the Nassau run were the Yarmouth, Yarmouth Castle, Bahama Star and the Florida.

 

I guess I own a part of cruise ship history!!

[Copper10-8]

Thanks for the post and pictures John. That really brings back memories.

 

I actually worked my way through college parking cars at the Miami cruise port in the early sixties. I believe the ships making the Nassau run were the Yarmouth, Yarmouth Castle, Bahama Star and the Florida.

 

I guess I own a part of cruise ship history!!

 

Good stuff Steelboat!;)

[JolieMadam]

What memories all these photos bring back...my first sailing was on the Rotterdam in the summer of 1961. Went with my parents but I could not stay in their stateroom...had to be in an inside cabin to share with 3 other females whom I did not know. It was fairly large with 2 upper and 2 lower berths...each of us had a closet and there were 2 sinks. Had to go down the corridor to use the bathroom and shower. I swore then if I ever went on another ship, it would never be in an inside cabin. We had to get dressed every morning just to get on deck to see what the weather was like.

 

Almost fainted when I first saw the ship with it's bow sticking so far out of the water at the pier in New Jersey...had never seen anything so huge and now it looks so tiny in the pictures!