2009 December |

“VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED” SUNDAY (DEC 13th) 70 YEAR REUNION – WHEN THE MS ST LOUIS WAS DENIED ENTRY INTO THE USA BY FDR

December 13, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

“VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED” 70 YEAR REUNION IN MIAMI THIS SUNDAY (DEC 13) – WHEN THE MS ST LOUIS WAS DENIED ENTRY INTO THE USA CARRYING OVER 700 GERMAN-JEWISH REFUGES BY FDR AND HIS DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION. THE MS ST LOUIS IS SEEN ABOVE UNABLE TO DOCK IN HAVANA, CUBA.

Telegram appealing unsuccessfully to FDR to help.

Postcard view of the liner MS ST LOUIS or SS ST LOUIS – Built by the Bremer Vulkan shipyards in Bremen for the Hamburg America Line, the St. Louis was a diesel-powered ship, and properly referred to with the prefix “MS” or “MV”. She is often known as the “SS St. Louis”. The St. Louis regularly sailed the trans-Atlantic route from Hamburg to Halifax, Nova Scotia and New York and made cruises to the West Indies. St. Louis was built for both transatlantic liner service and for leisure cruises.

Public Rooms aboard the ST LOUIS in first class.

CRUISING THE PAST – CRUISE SHIP HISTORY – Seventy years after the MS St. Louis was turned away from the United States, the surviving passengers of the ill-fated voyage may be reuniting for the last time near where their chance at freedom was denied.

Thirty-three of the 75 survivors — ranging in age from 71 to 91 and coming from more than two dozen U.S. cities, Canada and Israel — are scheduled to assemble in Miami Beach for Sunday’s reunion.

They will sign a U.S. Senate proclamation issued earlier this year marking the first time the United States officially acknowledged the suffering of those aboard the ship.

“It will be the last one,” said Herb Karliner, 83, of Aventura, Fla, about this reunion. “We’re getting smaller and smaller, and it’s difficult to organize.”

The voyage of the St. Louis, a German ocean liner, dramatically highlights the difficulties faced by many people trying to escape Nazi terror. In May 1939, 937 passengers, most Jewish refugees, left Hamburg, Germany, en route to Cuba. Most of them planned eventually to emigrate to the United States and were on the waiting list for admission. All passengers held landing certificates permitting them entry to Cuba, but when the St. Louis reached the port of Havana, the President of Cuba refused to honor the documents.

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Filed Under: HAMBURG AMERICA LINE, STEAMSHIP LINES Tagged With: Cruise History, cruising the past, ms st louis, ss st louis, voyage of the damned

RMS QUEEN MARY – GREAT VIDEO PREVIEW

December 12, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

VIDEO PREVIEW OF THE GREAT LINER SERIES

Producer/writer Des Cox has searched the world for over ten years to find the rare archive film necessary to make this most brilliant production.

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Filed Under: CUNARD LINE Tagged With: cunard, cunard lines, rms queen mary

SS HOMERIC IN THE 1960s.

December 10, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

GREAT VIDEO OF THE SS HOMERIC IN 1960s

Home Lines S.S. Homeric at her New York pier on February 15, 1969 just before sailing to Nassau. Another former Matson liner, built in 1931 as Mariposa for the U.S. West Coast – Pacific service.

SS HOMERIC IN THE 1960s.

Cruising the Past: History of Home Line’s SS HOMERIC: Originally the SS Mariposa. She was a luxury ocean liner launched in 1931; one of four ships in the Matson Lines “White Fleet” which included SS Monterey, SS Malolo and SS Lurline.

(Left) Princess Margaret boarding the SS Homeric , Tilbury, Essex, 1962.

In World War II she served the United States as a fast troop carrier, bringing supplies and support forces to distant shores as well as rescuing persons stranded in foreign countries by the outbreak of war.

In 1947 the ship was mothballed for six years at Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard in Alameda, California. Her engines were overhauled by Todd San Francisco Division. Home Lines bought her and renamed her SS Homeric, sailing her to Trieste for reconstruction to allow 1243 passengers: 147 First Class and 1,096 tourist class. Gross register tonnage increased to 18,563.

SS HOMERIC

Total length increased to 641 feet (195.5 meters). Home Lines operated her beginning 24 January 1955 for liner service between ports in the north Atlantic. In 1964 she replaced the SS Italia to steam on the regular run between New York and Nassau, Bahamas, though she in turn was shortly replaced by SS Oceanic. SS Homeric was reassigned to intra-Caribbean cruises.

SS MARIPOSA – 1930s

In 1973, a major fire destroyed much of her galley and restaurant and she was scrapped in Taiwan in 1974.[10] During the ship breaking process, her sister ship Ellinis (ex-Lurline) suffered major engine damage on a cruise to Japan; Chandris Lines was able to purchase one of the Mariposa engines from the ship breakers.

Filed Under: HOME LINES, MATSON LINES, STEAMSHIP LINES Tagged With: cruise ship history, HOME LINES, MATSON LINES, ss homeric, ss mariposa

S.S. GREAT NORTHERN – When the San Francisco to Portland by steamship was faster than the train…

December 7, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

Cruising the Past: When going by steamship between San Francisco and Portland was faster than the train. Aboard the SS Great Northern.

The Great Northern Pacific Steamship Company was formed by James Hill on September 30, 1914. The line was to compliment the passenger train service on the Astoria Line and compete with the Southern Pacific trains to San Francisco. The company operated two ships, the S.S. Great Northern and S.S. Northern Pacific. The ships proved faster than the SP’s express trains until bridges replaced much slower ferries. During the winter season of 1915-6, the ships also ran to Hawaii.

Eventually the service was not a success and the line was for sale when World War I intervened. The U.S. government commandeered the ships on September 17, 1917, ending the line. Both ships survived the war, but the Northern Pacific burned and sank on while being towed to be refit. The Great Northern returned to coastwise liner service for many years with the Pacific Steamship Co. as their H.F. Alexander. She was commandeered a second time for World War II, and saw duty as the General George S. Simmonds. This would be her last duty as a post-war surplus of ships left her obsolete and scrapped.

S.S. Great Northern

ss LURLINE – Matson Line’s Flagship – “The Lurline is Hawaii”!

December 5, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

YOUTUBE – View of Matson Line’s SS LURLINE – A home movie of the SS Lurline on Boat Day in Honolulu. Taken in the early 1960s, this scene was a regular occurrence in Honolulu during the golden era of steamship travel (1927-1978). Each week, Matson’s grand white passenger ships arrived from California or the South Seas, and later continued on their voyage across the Pacific. The complete history of Matson’s passenger ship era is now available in a coffee-table book called “The White Ships.” Published in 2008 by Pier 10 Media, available at whiteships.com.

SS LURLINE Arriving in Hawaii on 1940s Maiden Voyage after WW 2.

Cruising the Past – Matson Line’s SS LURLINE – History of a great ship:

Design and Construction (1931 – 1932):

The Lurline was built by the Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on the 18th July 1932.

Prewar Matson Line era (1932 – 1941):

On the 27th December 1932 the Lurline sailed on her maiden voyage from San Francisco to Australia via Los Angeles, Honolulu, Auckland, Pago Pago, Suva, Sydney and Melbourne.This was the heyday of the great Matson Liners, crack passenger trains were adopted as “Boat Trains”, carrying passengers from New York and Chicago to connect in San Francisco with the liner sailings.

Visit to Australia during the 1930s.

The Lurline and her sister ships were attracting the Hollywood stars sailing to Hawaii in ever increasing numbers. These stars including famous names such as William Powell, Carole Lombard, Jimmy Durante, Claudette Colbert, Myrna Loy, Joel McCrea, Frances Dee and Shirley Temple. Despite the difficulties of the Depression, the popularity of travel to Hawaii remained high.

During this period the Matson Liners became such a popular institution in San Francisco that during the Golden Gate Exposition celebrations on Treasure Island in 1939, the City named the 9th August 1939 as Matson Day!

A LONG LIST OF RETIRED CRUISE SHIPS

December 4, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

Cruising the Past and Cruise History – A Long List of Retired Cruise Ships – from 1979 to 2007

For all you cruise ship addicts here is a listing of retired liners. Its extensive, showing you that many of the ships you enjoyed in the past. Many of these are gone, laid up or scrapped. Ships many of you will remember: Angelina Lauro, Prinsendam, Regency, Cristobal, France, Argentina, Norway, Andrea C., etc.

SS FRANCE – In her glory days.

SS FRANCE/NORWAY – Scrapped.

Youtube – Passenger liner ex SS France/SS Norway renamed Blue Lady for scrapping is wrecked on the beaches at Alang, India. This still shot shows the first stages of cutting designed to make it impossible to float the vessel again.

RETIRED CRUISE SHIPS

Year – Cruise ship – Year – Built as – G.R.T. – Max Pass – Cabins – Crew – Speed – Cause

1979
ANGELINA LAURO – 1939 – ORANJE – 20565 – 21,5 – FIRE
XING HU – 1967 – CABO IZARRA – 4438 – 19,5 – TRADING AS PASSENGER LINER
Number cruise ship – 2 – Total grt//Total passenger – 25003
GRT year/Total GRT retired//Pass year/Total pass.capacity – 0,97%

1980
PRINSENDAM – 1973 – 8566 – 455 – 201 – 164 – 21 – FIRE
Number cruise ship – 1 – Total grt//Total passenger – 8566 – 455
GRT year/Total GRT retired//Pass year/Total pass.capacity – 0,33% – 0,38%

1981
FIESTA – 1946 – MONA’S QUEEN – 3659 – 0 – 20 – BROKEN UP
GOLDEN PRINCESS – 1943 – U.S.SHELIKOF – 3008 – 236 – 105 – 15,5 – SUNK
REGENCY – 1952 – IRISH COAST – 4811 – 343 – 142 – 17 – TRADING AS PASSENGER LINER
Number cruise ship – 3 – Total grt//Total passenger – 11478 – 579
GRT year/Total GRT retired//Pass year/Total pass.capacity – 0,44% – 0,48%

COME TRAVEL ABOARD CUNARD LINE’S RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH IN 1947

December 3, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

Cruising The Past and Cruise History aboard the RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH: Enjoy 8MM travel footage from the fabulous website shipgeek.com as viewed on YOUTUBE. Deck scenes aboard CUNARD LINE’S RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in 1947, accompanied by Ray Noble and his Orchestra! Home movies of another era. When “Getting There Was Half The Fun!”

Click on the following to see YOUTUBE video of the RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH:

Filed Under: Cruise History, Cruise Memorabilia, CUNARD LINE Tagged With: 1947, crossing the atlanitc, crossing the pond, CUNARD LINE, rms queen elizabeth

Great Hotels and Dining Rooms – The Pump Room in Chicago’s Ambassador East Hotel

December 1, 2009 By Michael L. Grace Leave a Comment

The Pump Room – 1950s…

Cruising The Past – Social and Travel History – THE PUMP ROOM – History of The Pump Room and Ambassador East Hotel Chicago.

The Pump Room – 1960s…

When Ernie Byfield opened The Pump Room in The Ambassador East Hotel on October 1, 1938, he undoubtedly had little idea that he was beginning an enterprise that would still be thriving to this day. Today, The Pump Room remains a magnet for movie stars and celebrities as well as a highly-acclaimed restaurant and Chicago landmark.

THE GRACE LINE HISTORY

December 1, 2009 By Michael L. Grace 1 Comment

Cruise History – THE GRACE LINE – In the mid 1800s, the Irish-born Grace brothers, William Russell and Michael, established a commercial and shipping business in Callao, the port of Lima, Peru. They prospered, especially in the exporting of guano from the Chincha Islands to the United States, where this fertilizer was in considerable demand.

In 1865, leaving Michael in charge of their interests in Callao, William established the firm of W.R. Grace & Co., in New York. By 1880 he had become a leading citizen and was twice elected Mayor of New York, despite opposition from Tammany. In the 1890′s the company entered the steamship business with a line of freighters running from New York to the South American west coast via the Strait of Magellan flying the British flag.

Grace’s original British-flag ships had black hulls, white painted masts and booms, and a green stack with a black top. After the First World War successors were painted grey, with masts and booms of the usual mast color. Hulls became black again in 1928 and masts and booms reverted to white in 1932. (about 1959-60 Grace passenger ships again turned to grey hulls).