RMS QUEEN MARY AND THE BLUE RIBBON
By Michael L. Grace | February 9, 2010
Cunard Line History: RMS QUEEN MARY AND THE BLUE RIBBON
RMS Queen Mary arriving 1936 in Southampton, England. Painting from the British Maritime Museum.
Famous film star CLARK GABLE seen aboard the RMS QUEEN MARY in the 1950s.
RMS QUEEN MARY (HOTEL) in Long Beach with Cunard Line’s new rms QUEEN MARY seen arriving last year in harbor.
Actor BURT LANCASTER seen in the first class smoking room of the RMS QUEEN MARY.
Topics: CUNARD LINE | No Comments »
Titanic History – TITANIC the movie vs. TITANIC the sinking.
By Michael L. Grace | February 8, 2010
TITANIC THE MOVIE vs RMS TITANIC THE SINKING. Titanic ( released – 1997) – Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Bill Paxton, Billy Zane based a screenplay by director James Cameron, whose fictional love story is intertwined with a chronicle of the April 1912 Titanic sinking.
Titanic youTube video History – One of many interviews recorded in 1970s and 1980s of survivors of the RMS TITANIC tragedy.
Topics: CRUISING THE PAST VIDEOS, CUNARD LINE, Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia | No Comments »
TITANIC HISTORY – THE ONLY EXISTING FILM FOOTAGE OF THE TRAGIC LINER
By Michael L. Grace | February 7, 2010
TITANIC HISTORY – The history of the RMS Titanic – Cunard History
TITANIC HISTORY – THE ONLY EXISTING FILM FOOTAGE OF THE TRAGIC LINER
PART 1 – EXCELLENT TITANIC DOCUMENTARY
PART 2 – EXCELLENT TITANIC DOCUMENTARY
The history of the RMS Titanic has enthralled the world quite unlike any other shipwreck known to man. A number of books, articles and movies have been made detailed the tragedy of the RMS Titanic. Both the 1950’s version of the Titanic’s sinking, “A Night to Remember’ and the more recent film have been very popular. James Cameron’s 1997 box office hit”Titanic” was so popular with viewers that it succeeded in breaking a number of box office sales records.
The public seems incapable of forgetting the tragic history of the Titanic. Numerous myths and legends have developed over the years since the ship sank on April 15, 1912. Some of the myths are true, and others have simply been derived from the imagination of the numerous people who have become somewhat obsessed with the history of Titanic. In part, some of the tales regarding Titanic history can be contributed to the tales spun by the 705 survivors. It has been speculated that more than one of the survivors ‘embellished’ their personal story. The ‘unsinkable’ Molly Brown is just one of the surviving passengers who are suspected of having added more than a little flair to their tale.
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Topics: CREW MEMBERS, CRUISING THE PAST VIDEOS, Cruise History, Titanic, WHITE STAR - CUNARD LINE | Comments Off
Holland-America Line History – SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM – THE MOST GRACIOUS OF ALL THE TRANSATLANTIC LINERS.
By Michael L. Grace | February 5, 2010
Holland-America Line History – SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM – THE MOST GRACIOUS OF ALL THE TRANSATLANTIC LINERS.
Queen Wilhelmina launches the Nieuw Amsterdam in the late 1930s. Video includes newsreel footage of the pre-war liner. Along with a trans-Atlantic crossing from Holland to New York. Then shots of the ship during WW II. Newsreel of cruising after the war from a Holland-America Line promo film.
(Left: Cary Grant was a big fan of Holland-America Line.)
The Nieuw Amsterdam, of all the Depression era ships of state, led a charmed existence. Introduced in recessionary 1938, her prewar service life consisted of a single brilliant year and can be seen as the final elegant flourish of the golden days day of travel before the war, postwar austerity and jet travel permanently altered the way people traveled. Neither the largest nor the fastest, the Nieuw Amsterdam earned her place in liner history by being the ultimate combination of elegance, comfort, and practical design in a three class ship.
Topics: HOLLAND AMERICA LINE, STEAMSHIP LINES | Comments Off
THE LAST VOYAGE – THE MS STELLA POLARIS – the most famous cruise ship of all time.
By Michael L. Grace | February 2, 2010
THE LAST VOYAGE – THE MS STELLA POLARIS – the most famous cruise ship of all time.
THE MS STELLA POLARIS: A great video of the last voyage of the most famous cruise ship of the thirties, the inter war years and probably even in the history of cruising.
The ship was considered one of the most elegant and exclusive devoted to cruising. She sailed to the Mediterranean, North Cape, Caribbean and Around The World. She had no rivals.
On the World Cruise there was more than one crew member for every passenger.
The elegant Stella Polaris.
She was owned by Bergen Line from Norway during the first part of her career, and resembled a royal yacht, with her clipper bow, bow sprit, well deck and lavish accommodations for just 200 passengers. She was built by Gotaverken in Goteborg in 1925-26, measured 5.020 GRT and went into service in early 1927.
As mentioned, Bergen Line ordered Stella Polaris in Sweden; it was the first passenger vessel built by Gotaverken. They built the hull, and interior fittings were subcontracted to other firms.
She was launched in September 1926 by miss Lehmkuhl, the daughter of Bergen Line`s director. Sending her on trials in February 1927 already, these were so successful that the yard had no problems at all to deliver her on schedule. Instead of April 1st 1927, she was delivered 5 weeks early on February 26th.
Stella Polaris is considered one of the first “real” cruise ships in the history of cruising, being not only one of the first full-time cruise ships, but also one of the first purpose built cruise ships. For the most part, until the 1950s passenger ships were a means of transportation, and consequently, most cruise ships were passenger liners that were sent off cruising in “weak” periods, e.g. winter on the North Atlantic when passenger numbers were low.
Stella Polaris’ interiors were nothing short of splendid. There were 6 passenger decks, Bridge Deck and below Decks A to E. On A Deck, 7 life boats were placed, but she also carried two motor barges. Aft on this deck nine passenger cabins were located and the gymnasium. On B Deck: the Music Salon, Verandah Cafe, and Smoking Room were situated. One deck below, C Deck housed the dining room seating max. 214 guests, meaning all passengers could be served in one seating. On its ceiling 150 lamps formed a star. On the remaining part of C deck and the two decks below D and E, passenger cabins were located. Her most luxuriously appointed accommodations were 4 suites (on C Deck), each fitted with its own sort of wood!
Topics: BERGIN LINE, CLIPPER LINE, Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia, STEAMSHIP LINES | Comments Off
THE COAST DAYLIGHT – THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAIN IN THE WORLD – Southern Pacific’s famous streamliner between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
By Michael L. Grace | February 1, 2010
THE COAST DAYLIGHT – THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAIN IN THE WORLD – Southern Pacific’s famous streamliner between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Train Town Video Productions Presents a railroad video featuring Southern Pacific’s Daylight 1937-1957. Considered the most beautiful train in the world – covering some of the most spectacular scenery in America. The down home music in the video hardly represents this sophisticated train. It was anything but “country”!
The Daylight had its inaugural run on March 1, 1937 and was hauled by GS-2 steam locomotives. It was the first of the Daylight series that also included the San Joaquin Daylight, Shasta Daylight, Sacramento Daylight, and Sunbeam. The Coast Daylight ran behind steam from March 1937 until it was dieselized on January 7, 1955. After dieselization, the train continued to run until May 1, 1971 when Amtrak took over service and rerouted their Coast Daylight to Oakland. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Amtrak, STREAMLINERS, Southern Pacific | Comments Off
“CATCHER IN THE RYE” AUTHOR J. D. SALINGER, DEAD AT 91, SERVED AS CRUISE DIRECTOR ABOARD SWEDISH AMERICA LINE’S MS KUNGSHOLM.
By Michael L. Grace | January 28, 2010
MS KUNGSHOLM on Carribean Cruise – by 1941, with the war in Europe, most liners were not crossing the Atlantic.
“The young man—his name was Ray Kinsella, and he was a member of the ship’s Junior Entertainment Committee—waited for Barbara at the railing on the portside of the promenade deck. Nearly all passengers were ashore and, in the stillness and moonlight, it was a powerful place to be. The only sound in the night came from the Havana harbor water slucking gently against the sides of the ship. Through the moon mist the Kungsholm could be seen, anchored sleepy and rich, just a few hundred feet aft. Farther shoreward a few small boats corked about.” J. D. Salinger – A Young Girl In 1941 With No Waist At All – Mademoiselle 25, May 1947, pages 222-223, 292-302
Cruising The Past: “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger has died at age 91 in New Hampshire.
In 1941, the position of entertainment director for the Swedish America Line’s M.S, Kungsholm (built in 1928) was held by Salinger. He authored a number of short stories with the Kungsholm or a “liner” as the setting. The official Swedish American Line website documents Salinger’s position aboard the Kungsholm. He made one cruise.
Mr. Salinger would go on to become a world-renown author with the publication of “The Catcher in the Rye” in 1952.
Salinger was undoubtedly the Kungsholm’s most famous crew member.
Topics: Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia, STEAMSHIP LINES, Swedish America Line, cruise reviews | Comments Off
January 2010 – Website Of The Month – THE WARD LINE
By Michael L. Grace | January 28, 2010
January 2010 – Cruising The Past Website Of The Month – THE WARD LINE
We applaud Michael Andelson’s THE WARD LINE terrific website!
The Ward Line is best remembered for the ill-fated Morro Castle of 1930.
Andelson’s site not only explores the Morro Castle disaster but gives you a unique history of The Ward Line.
Footage from the fire of 1934 to the aftermath of the Morro Castle luxury liner.
The turbo-electric liners Morro Castle and Oriente were the largest and finest Ward Line ships ever built, though hardly the most successful.
Launched in the early stages of the Great Depression, the so-called “millionaire’s yachts” were fast, well-appointed, and safer than most ships of their era.
On the Oriente in 1939 – The bar of the Oriente of 1930 was one of the few shipboard locations that betrayed her Art Deco origins. All in all, the interiors of the Morro Castle and Oriente were quite traditional.
But a strange series of circumstances led to the Morro Castle’s destruction by fire in September 1934, resulting in the loss of 134 lives– the largest loss of life at sea in peacetime in U.S. history.
This tragedy has been the subject of many articles, books, and television programs, so this page is dedicated solely to images and memorabilia related to the Morro Castle and her sister.
Hopefully, these images give a better insight into the ship before her tragic loss– the “feel” of the ship, how she was advertised, and life onboard the Ward Line’s most infamous liner.
The Morro Castle, like the Titanic, was a scene of great tragedy.
Topics: CRUISING THE PAST VIDEOS, Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia, STEAMSHIP LINES, WARD LINE, cruise reviews | Comments Off
SAILING ABOARD THE RMS ORCADES -1960S VIDEO
By Michael L. Grace | January 27, 2010
Video of 1950s sailing aboard RMS ORCADES – Tourist class pool area.
The RMS Orcades (later SS Orcades) was built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd in Barrow-in-Furness as Yard Number 950. She was launched on the 14th October 1947 and completed on the 14th November 1948. Orcades replaced her predecessor, Orcades II, which had sunk during the war when she was only five years old.
Orcades, the first ship built for Orient Lines after the war, shared her hull design with P&O Line’s Himalaya, but her superstructure was different with her having a new look with her bridge located amidships crowned with a tripod mast and a upright funnel sitting high directly aft of the mast. She was a contemporary of P&O’s Himalaya.
(Left: Orcades sailing from Sydney) As a two class ship, she provided accommodation for 773 First Class and 772 Tourist Class. Later, in 1964, she became a one class ship accommodating 1635 passengers. Her specifications are as follows. 28,164 GRT (tons), length 706ft (216m), width 60ft (27.6m), Draft 30ft 5in. With twin screws and steam geared turbines Orcades achieved 24.7 knots during her sea trials in November.
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Topics: Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia, P & O Line, STEAMSHIP LINES, VIDEOS, orient line | Comments Off
SS CATALINA – THE GREAT WHITE STEAMER – EARLY VIDEO
By Michael L. Grace | January 24, 2010
This video is from a super 8 home movie collection. It was filmed around 1972. The Great White Steamer sailed to Catalina Island during the summer. This is one of its last trips before being discontinued.
The S.S. Catalina, also known as The Great White Steamer, was a 301-foot steamship built in 1924 that provided passenger service on the 26-mile passage between Los Angeles and Santa Catalina Island from 1924 to 1975.
According to the Steamship Historical Society of America, the Catalina had carried more passengers than any other vessel anywhere.
The S.S. Catalina also served as a troop ship during World War II, transporting more than 800,000 soldiers and sailors.
After a period of service as a floating discotheque, the ship ran aground on a sandbar in Ensenada Harbor in 1997, remained half-submerged and decaying at that location for more than a decade and was scrapped last year.
Topics: CATALINA ISLAND STEAMSHIP LINE, Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia | Comments Off
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