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 time was elegant and this is great glimpse into cruise and social history.

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!

Officers, Cruise Director and Hostess aboard the Stella Polaris.

The MS STELLA POLARIS on a Scandinavian Cruise.

Normally, the Stella Polaris carried about 200 passengers, and only half this number on round the world cruises. With a crew numbering 130, one can imagine the impeccable service onboard. When not on a world cruise, she mostly sailed in European waters.

In 1940 she was seized by the Germans and was used as a recreation vessel for U-boat crews until 1943. Until the end of the war she sailed as a troop ship. When returned in 1945 to her owners Bergen Line, her once beautiful classic interiors were almost completely destroyed by the Germans.

Bergen Line still saw potential in their beloved ship and sent her back to her builders Gotaverken, and an almost new ship was redelivered. In the process her bridge was enclosed and a new dance salon was added. It cost Bergen line more than her original building price in 1927!

In 1952 she was sold to Swedish Clipper Line of ship owner Einar Hansen after having been on the sales list for several years. She retained her name, but was immediately sent to Gotaverken again for a refit during which she received new carpeting and air-conditioning in her public rooms.

Two years later, another refit took place, but this time work was carried out by AG Weser in Bremen. Her passenger capacity was now a mere 155 and her public areas were completely rebuilt.

Stella Polaris sailed for Clipper Line until 1969. She had been refitted several times during this period, in 1965 and 1968, which saw her passenger capacity reduced again and her number of crew members also to about a hundred.

Because of her age (over 40 now), a new ship was needed, but Clipper couldn’t finance a newbuilding at the time. So Clipper ended all cruise activities and closed her doors…

In 1969 she was sold to the Japanese to International Houdse Cy. from Tokyo.

Stella Polaris has been used as a floating hotel in the small village of Kisho Nishiura until a few years ago, when her hotel facilities were shut down. Her restaurant is still open and she can be visited by those who are interested in this still magnificent vessel.

Although she still had the name Stella Polaris on her bows, she was presently marketed under the name of Floating Restaurant Scandinavia. As her propellors have been removed, she was classified as a building nowadays.

In 2005, rumors started to circulate that the ship would be sold to undisclosed buyers and towed to Stockholm for further use as a hotel and restaurant. Indeed, a few months later a Swedish firm, Petro Fast AB confirmed this and at the end of August 2006, she left her berth for the first time in 30 years to be taken to a yard nearby for necessary refitting before the long voyage to Europe.

Alas, on September 2nd, while under tow, the Scandinavia started to take on water and sank in southeastern Japanese waters in 70 meters deep water.

The Stella Polaris on a European cruise.

Captain with passengers on a North Cape 1932 Cruise.

Passengers exercising on deck – 1960s.

Dining Salon.

Swimming pool.

Passengers in the dining salon (my aunt and uncle with another couple) on World Cruise.

Stella Polaris’ buffets were sumptuous.

Welcome aboard.

Sitting-room suite.

Deluxe Suite.

Main Lounge.

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!

Passengers aboard world cruise in the early 1960s seen with the Captain.

The ship during World War 2.

Passengers on the world cruise – 1960s.

Sailing through the Norwegian Fjords.

The Stella Polaris was called the “Royal Yacht” of cruising.

Deck Plan when the ship was limited to a very small number of passengers in her final days.

The elegant cruise ship. So very yacht like.

As a floating hotel.

Thanks to Paul Timmerman. Photos and illustrations Grace Collection.

The bow of the RMS Titanic lies on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada…

THE RMS TIANTIC…

A high-tech expedition that aims to create a detailed map of the wreckage of the Titanic has begun exploring the ocean floor where the ship sank nearly one hundred years ago, the crew said Thursday.

Sonar onboard an automated submersible vehicle combined with high-resolution video will be used to create three dimensional images of the fabled ocean-liner.

The expedition, organized by the American group RMS Titanic, which holds exploration rights for the wreck, arrived on Wednesday aboard the scientific vessel Jean Charcot and started by laying flowers on the water’s surface to commemorate the 1,500 victims of the shipwreck.

Transponders were then deployed at the bottom of the Atlantic to determine, with the help of sonar pings from an automated underwater vehicle (AUV), the exact position of the Titanic.

Finally, the AUV “Mary Ann” was deployed at 0647 GMT. She reached the bottom after diving for an hour and 40 minutes.

“Surveying of the Titanic wreck site has begun,” said the expedition on its website.

Another robotic submersible equipped with a video camera will be deployed next.

Christopher Davino, president of RMS Titanic, said in a statement that the goal is to “create the most detailed portrait of Titanic’s wreck site to date.”

The team of experts, he said, “will be using some of the most advanced technology available to create a portrait of the ship unlike any that has been created before — virtually raising Titanic and sealing her current state forever in the minds and hearts of humanity.”

The mission, which set sail from St John’s, Newfoundland, will provide real-time video and photo updates on Facebook and Twitter during a more than 20-day expedition.

Other images and information will be found on the mission’s website, www.expeditiontitanic.com.

The Titanic, a luxury passenger ship once thought to be unsinkable, hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank in the early morning of April 15, 1912, killing 1,500 people.

After decades of searching, the wreckage of the Titanic was discovered in 1985 some four kilometers (2.5 miles) beneath the surface of the sea.

Holland America Line’s MS NIEUW AMSTERDAM carries on liner and cruise history of the famed cruise line.

Launched from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice on July 4, 2010, the 86,000-ton Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates the glamour and history of New York City, formerly called Nieuw Amsterdam, with its inspired interior design and art collection.

Holland America Line has installed an array of works valued at over $3 million, ranging from antiques by traditional Dutch masters to creations by renowned contemporary artists. Some pieces reflect the Dutch Golden Age while others, such as the spectacular centerpiece in the atrium, express a contemporary curiosity. Adorning the ceiling of Nieuw Amsterdam is an eye-catching abstract sculpture of the inverted New York skyline made from clear translucent blocks that hang upside-down. The sculpture was created by husband and wife Italian artists Gilbert Lebigre and Corinne Roger of Creazioni Lebigre & Roger. The significant collection, which includes works by celebrated artists Andy Warhol, Richard Estes and Roy Lichtenstein, continues with astounding displays throughout the ship.

A complimentary self-guided iPod art tour is available for guests wishing to view the entire collection. The iPod art tour is also available to download at no charge at www.hollandamerica.com and on iTunes.

Nieuw Amsterdam joins the recently launched Eurodam to further define and expand the Holland America Line premium brand with new concepts such as the innovative pan-Asian Tamarind restaurant and Silk Den lounge surrounded by panoramic views overlooking the ocean expanse and the Lido pool. Other additions are an Explorer’s Lounge Bar, a premium wine-tasting lounge, an elegant luxury jewelry boutique, new atrium bar area, enhanced and reconfigured The Showroom at Sea, and a new photographic and imaging center.

The new ship continues several much-admired Holland America Line features, including outside-view, glass elevators at midship; the Explorations Café — a cyber-coffee house powered by The New York Times; the Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar; the innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, where culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and intimate classes in a state-of-the-art on-board show kitchens; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with thermal suites and hydro-pool, the largest gymnasium ever built for Holland America Line; and a youth facility that includes the teens-only Loft. In addition the ship will feature the family-style Canaletto Italian restaurant.

Nieuw Amsterdam features 11 guest decks and staterooms spotlight all the Signature of Excellence premium amenities. Also featured are innovative spa staterooms with additional spa amenities.

The first Nieuw Amsterdam.

Deck scene aboard the first Nieuw Amsterdam.

The first Nieuw Amsterdam was launched in 1906 and used both a full set of sails and steam engines. She was 17,149 tons and carried 2,886 passengers, 2,200 of them in third class. She sailed in regular service through World War I and then through to 1932.

A look at the second Nieuw Amsterdam.

(Left: 6/5/1948-New York, NY: Star of stage and screen Katharine Hepburn, becomingly clad in slacks, unbent and gave an interview to the boys of the press as she sailed from New York, June 5th, on the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam.)

The famed Nieuw Amsterdam II joined the fleet in 1938 as the company’s flagship. The silhouette of this ship can still be seen today behind Henry Hudson’s Half Moon in the company’s logo. At 36,287 tons, “the Darling of the Dutch,” as she was known, was decorated in great style and was launched by Her Majesty Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands.

Nieuw Amsterdam II served proudly in World War II completing 44 war time voyages carrying nearly 400,000 passengers (mostly troops).

Following the war she was rebuilt and, as the queen of Holland America Line’s “spotless fleet,” hosted countless well-known figures among her guests, including Katherine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Spencer Tracey and Albert Schweitzer.

The Nieuw Amsterdam III.

Nieuw Amsterdam III was launched in 1983 as one of the most elegant ships of her time. At 33,900 tons, Nieuw Amsterdam III sailed in Alaska in the summers and in the Caribbean in the winters.

With innovative design and guest offerings, Nieuw Amsterdam IV continues the proud tradition of her name and evolution of Holland America Line’s sophisticated mid-sized ships.

For complete information on Holland America Line’s cruises – click here.

Because of shipping shortages in World War I, Alcoa (formerly the Aluminum Company of America) developed its own shipping line to carry bauxite from its source in what is now Suriname and Guyana to aluminum mills in the United States and elsewhere. At first the line operated under foreign flags. From 1940 to 1969 it operated under the US flag.

Following World War 2, Alcoa Steamship Company acquired three unfinished Victory ship hulls in 1946.

The ships were redesigned and finished with accommodations for 96 first class passengers.  Alcoa hoped that by entering the passenger business, this would give the company an edge on any rival who might want to lure away some cargo, thereby reducing income per voyage.

In 1947 the ALCOA CAVALIER, THE ALCOA CLIPPER and the ALCOA CORSAIR established regular service between New Orleans and South America.  The ships were modern and provided excellent service.  But the mounting costs of U.S.-flag operations, forced the company to abandon their passenger service in 1960.

Portion of deck plan showing public rooms and suites.

The three cargo passenger liners.

All those cruise lines advertise what great times the passengers are having.   They’re wrong.

You use to be able to hang out with crew.  No more.

Most of the time the cruise lines are pitching junk like spas, hideous art auctions, napkin folding, etc.  Who orchestrates this?  The living dead?

This was the “fun” associating with the staff in the past…

Staff with the captain… 1960s…

Great youtube video: The “TSS Pasteur” was a special case in ocean liner history. The great liner was never officially in service. It arrived just in time for World War II and saw little passenger service.  The Pasteur was one of the least-documented great liners of its era, yet its interiors were truly magnificent. This video is an excellent collection of Pasteur interiors. From a great youtube classic liner enthusiast.  The wonderful collectibles is scarce, and not reduced to a beautiful PIN, and postcards, stamps, etc. The Cie de Navigation Sud Atlantique, organized some trials in the British Channel with the brand new liner.  The photos shown were taken aboard, and from the l’Illustration dated September 9th 1939, special Edition “Déclaration de Guerre”.

TSS or SS Pasteur was a turbine steam ship built for Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique.  She later sailed as the Bremen for Norddeutscher Lloyds. Over the course of her career, she sailed for 41 years under four names and six countries’ management. In 1936, the French shipping company Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique planned to build a new liner as passenger and freight transport ship for South Atlantic routes, which with Cap Arcona from the shipping company Hamburg South America Line. The construction began in 1938 at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, St. Nazaire in France.

In 15 February 1938, she was christened after the scientist Louis Pasteur on the names Pasteur. A fire in March 1939 delayed her completion. So, she had to be launched in August 1939, one month before the World War II broke out. The Pasteur was 29,253 gross tons. She was 212.4 m long and 26.8 m wide. She had 11 deck and possessed extensive loading spaces.

She was designed to carry 751 passengers. She could reach around 50,000 HP and up to 26 Knots run, however generally, her service speed was around 22 knots. Her depth was 93 m.. She had four propellers. She was the third fastest ship of her time. Although she was sometimes referred to as an SS (Steamship), she really was a TSS or TS (Turbine Steam Ship).

(Left: Pasteur entering the dock at IJmuiden.) Only the journey of the Pasteur could already be written off by the beginning The Second World War do not take place. The ship laid up in St. Nazaire in Brest, France. In 1940, she was commissioned to carry 200 tons of gold reserves from Brest, France to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in a voyage that should be her maiden voyage at first, because her maiden voyage from Bordeaux to Buenos Aires was canceled due to the outbreak of World War II. After the defeat of France, she was taken over by Great Britain and placed under Cunard-White Star management. She was used as troop transporter and military hospital ship between Canada, South Africa, Australia and South America, and was transported thereby around 300,000 soldiers. She was sometimes called HMTS Pasteur.

(Left: Pasteur, foreground at Halifax, During the WW 2) Due to her speed, as a troop transporter, the Pasteur normally made her crossings alone, not as a member of a convoy (without a warship escort). She made a voyage from Glasgow to Halifax with a various complement, including officers arranging the 20,000 British troops’ transport across Canada and the Pacific to Singapore in October, 1941. The Pasteur apparently returned loaded with German prisoners and carried them to prisoners of war camps, which located in North America. In addition, carrying as many as 2,000 German prisoners of war, she transported prisoners from Suez, Egypt to South Africa. She visited Freetown, Cape Town, Durban, Aden and Port Tewfik, and then back to the Clyde and Halifax in 1943. She had carried British 8th Army Corps’s 10,000 men; army, the US 1st Army Corps’s and 5,000 men before the battle of Alamein. Together, she had carried 220,000 troops, and 30,000 wounded, and traveled 370,669 miles during the war.

(Left: During the WW 2) After the war, she repatriated US and Canadian troops and returned to her owners in October 1945. And management was returned to Cie Sudatlantique in early 1946. To the return at France, she remained in military starting from 1946 in French services as troop transporter to Vietnam (Vietnam War) and from 1954 to 1957 between Algeria. She was awarded the French’s highest honor, Croix de guerre, however, for her owner, she never made a crossing as a passenger ship but only one voyage bringing 4,000 Dutch troops from Indonesia to The Netherlands in February 1950.

She was laid up at Toulon in 1956 and then at Brest in 1957. During the Suez Canal affair, the ship was activated again in September 1956 along with other passenger and military ship to be a troop transporter. While she was fastened in Port Said harbor in December 1956, the HQ General of the French troops was on board the Pasteur. At the end of the affair, Pasteur was one of the last Allied ships to leave Port Said in Egypt. She was sold to North German Lloyd for 30 millions DM in September 1957. The sales released violent protests with the French population. The transfer took place in September 1957 from Brest to Bremerhaven. The Lloyd left her on the Bremer Vulkan of Bremen for further approximately 65 millions DM changes and she used Bremen under the name in the North Atlantic service. On July 9 1959, she was placed on the Bremerhaven-Southampton-Cherbourg-New York route. She was considered as one of the most beautiful passenger liners of her time.

As the Bremen – The 1st class dining room of the new 32,000 ton Norddeutscher Lloyd liner Bremen, smaller than her famous namesake. Her hull belongs to the French liner Pasteur, but was bought and refitted in 1957. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

After she was acquired by North German Lloyd and renamed TS Bremen in 1957, she was refitted comprehensively at Bremer Vulkan in Bremen. Her size was increased to 32,336 GRT and the load-carrying capacity with 8,700 tdw. She received new boilers and four turbines with a maximum output of 60,000 HP rendering a maximum speed of 26 knots. Economical output of 53,500 HP gave a very useful speed of 23 knots. Three 1,375 KVA generators had an output of 6,600 kilowatt. One very noticeable change was the new drop-shaped funnel, which was much more in proportion with the ship than the original tall funnel. To enhance comfort, two 4,50 m Stabilizers were fitted. In June 1959, she underwent new sea trials.

Bremen – Lounges in First Class (Getty Images).

In 1960, Bremen could carry approximately 14,000 passengers from Europe to the USA and likewise many guests into the opposite direction. Besides Bremen was used starting from 1960 and also in cruise traffic in the Karibik and to South America. Also 1961 were very good their extent of utilization with 85%. In 1971, she was transferred to cruising since the air travel became more popular. In 1970, NDL merged with Hamburg America Line to form the large shipping company, Hapag Lloyd. The bulbous bow was added after she had another refit in 1965-1966 at the repair yard of North German Lloyd. In September 1971, she made her final voyage from Bremen to New York for Hapag-Lloyd. In October 1971, Bremen was sold to Greek shipping company Chandris Cruises after 175 Atlantic crossings and 117 cruises for 40 millions DM, which was accomplished on January, 1972.

After another refit, which changed her tonnage to 23,801 tons, she was placed on cruising service in the Mediterranean and in Piraeus as Regina Magna. Until 1974, she had cruised around the world, which she was once again she was laid up in Piraeus, Greece because of rising fuel costs and the loss of emigration charters to Australia.

She was sold to Philippine Singapore Ports Corporation of Saudi Arabia and renamed Saudiphil I in 1977. For Philippine workers, the ship was used as an accommodation ship. In November 1, 1977, She arrived at Jeddah and served as a floating hotel. In 1980, apparently, she was sold to the Philsimport International in Hong Kong and renamed Filipinas Saudi I. She rolled over onto her port side and sank stern first in Indian Ocean in the same year while being towed to the Taiwanese ship breaker in Kaohsiung, Taiwan by Panamanian tug Sumatra.

Excellent photos of the TITANIC from this youtube video.

The City of Belfast once again is commemorating and celebrating the world’s most famous ocean liner, the RMS Titanic. The 98th Anniversary of the Sinking – April 15th…

Be sure to visit this excellent website – THE ENCYCLOPEDIA TITANIC – one of the best websites dedicated to the RMS TITANIC and famous tragedy.

The ninth annual ‘Titanic Made in Belfast’ festival, organised by Belfast City Council, begins today , and continues until Sunday 11 April, with tickets for various events now at the Belfast Welcome Centre.

This year’s festival is centred around a variety of events at the City Hall, while special Titanic themed tours, on both land and water, will give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the Titanic story.

“The Titanic story is probably one of the most fascinating, amazing, poignant, thought provoking and absorbing tales from the last century, if not the last millennium,” commented the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Naomi Long, who will join John Andrews – a descendant of Titanic’s designer, Thomas Andrews, and President of the Belfast Titanic Society – to officially open the eight day festival at the City Hall tomorrow morning.

“For too long, Belfast’s part in the Titanic story, and the role of the people of Belfast in bringing Titanic to life, has been neglected. Over the past few years, the city that gave birth to the ship, and many others, finally and rightfully acknowledged her part in the tale, and Belfast City Council once again is proud to celebrate the achievement, commemorate the tragedy and educate the world about our city’s role in the Titanic story,” concluded the Lord Mayor.

A wealth of activities have been organised by Belfast City Council throughout the month of April, and specifically during the week of 3 – 11 April, including:

* the return to the City Hall of the acclaimed ‘Titanic – Past and Present’ exhibition, which traces the ship’s story from her inception to her portrayal in the 21st century;
* a display of more than 250 museum-quality artefacts and memorabilia connected to Titanic and the White Star Line, by leading auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son;
* special children’s activities tomorrow, Sunday 4, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April, including ‘Tea And Tales’ storytelling sessions, badge making and face painting;
* a series of daily ‘Titanic Talks’ by leading experts in their fields, looking at many different aspects of the Titanic story, from Edwardian fashion to Lord Pirrie’s Surrey estate, from Titanic’s children to the marketing phenomena which has surrounded the ship for the past century;
* the story of ‘Titanic on Film’ with a series of special screenings at City Hall throughout the week, including James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ and ‘Ghosts Of The Abyss’, BBC Newsline’s ‘A Journey To Remember’ and Robert Ballard’s ‘Secrets Of The Titanic’, Roy Ward Baker’s 1958 classic ‘A Night To Remember’ and ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’, from 1964;
* ‘All Aboard The Titanic’, a play by students from Dominican College, being staged in the City Hall tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 3 April), and the story of the Titanic told in dance by the Ballynafeigh School of Irish Dancing, on Sunday 11 April;
* the ‘Titanic: Designed and Built in Belfast’ exhibition, which takes visitors on a journey into the past through the photography of RJ Welch, the official photographer of Harland and Wolff, currently on show at W5 and continuing until Sunday 11 April, during normal W5 opening hours;
* daily boat tours from Donegall Quay, bus tours of Queen’s Island and walking tours of the Belfast known by Thomas Andrews, designer of Titanic and her sister ships – and a chance to try out the award-winning interactive ‘Titanic Trail’, using the latest handheld GPS technology;
* tours of the Thompson Dry Dock and Pump House, as are personalised ‘Titanic Tours’ conducted by Susie Millar, the great-granddaughter of a Titanic crew member.

On Thursday 15 April – the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic – Belfast City Council and the Belfast Titanic Society will hold the annual ceremony commemorating everyone, and especially the local people, who lost their lives that fateful night.

Full details of all the events being staged to celebrate ‘Titanic Made in Belfast’ are available in the April edition of ‘Whatabout’, available from outlets throughout the city.

Great Video – save the SS UNITED STATES

Every ship has a soul – Franklin D. Roosevelt

The great steamships and liners – UNITED STATES, AMERICA, CONSTITUTION, BRAZIL, SANTA ROSA, LURLINE, PRESIDENT WILSON – were the pride of the nations that built them, an integral part of history, and a glorious symbol of an age passed. Their preservation should have been assured as a legacy to be gazed upon with a sense of wonder by the generations that followed the golden decades of transatlantic travel.

Great Britain had the Mauretania, the Olympic, and the Queens, Mary and Elizabeth. Italy built the Rex and the Conte di Savoia; Germany, the Imperator. The French launched the Ile de France and, later, the Normandie. America produced one ship that could fit into that august company of legendary ocean liners: the S.S. United States.

With the exception of only two, they are gone forever. They may have outlived their times, but the magnificent liners of the past earned a greater respect than what was ultimately accorded to them. Some of mankind’s grandest achievements were reduced to piles of metal junk.

Allied bombing during World War II destroyed the Rex. The Queen Elizabeth was consumed by fire in Hong Kong harbor. The Olympic, Imperator, Conte di Savoia, and Ile de France all fell victim to the scrap yards, as did the Normandie after she was ravaged by a blaze during refitting for war service in 1942. Franklin Roosevelt stated that sinking the Mauretania in the deepest part of the ocean was a far more worthy fate for her than the indignity of being stripped naked and then dismembered. He was right.

Marlon Brando and Salvidor Dali enjoying after dinner coffee in the First Class Lounge of the SS United States.

One of the Queens escaped. In 1967, the Queen Mary was converted into a hotel, museum and tourist attraction in Long Beach, Calif. Work is ongoing to restore her to her former glory.

At the other end of the country, time has not been as kind to the S.S. United States. She is moored, structurally sound and intact, beside Pier 84 on the Delaware River just south of downtown Philadelphia. Although the ship still presents an impressive sight, recalling the awe that she must have conjured as the flagship of the United States Lines, a closer look gives the viewer the unnerving feeling that she is slowly, but inexorably, just fading away.

Tracks of brownish rust now cascade down the once immaculate white superstructure and large flakes of peeling paint hang from the black hull. At one time, her two gigantic winged funnels were brightly painted in the nation’s colors, brilliant red, with a gleaming white band and topped in blue. Today, the stacks look as if they are both enveloped in a fine mist, the once vibrant tones are as muted and indistinct as a photograph left too long in the sun.

SS UNITED STATES – waiting for fate.

On her maiden voyage, the United States broke the speed record held by the Queen Mary for the previous 14 years, besting the Cunard liner’s time by 10 hours, to become the recipient of the coveted Blue Riband. It is an honor that she still holds over half a century later.

The United States was 108 feet longer than the Titanic and boasted three more decks than the fabled White Star liner. She was built in Newport News, Va., at a cost of $78 million. No wood was used in the ship’s framing or in her interiors to minimize the risk of fire. Launched in 1952, the vessel made 400 crossings during her 17-year career, traveling a total of 2.8 million miles.

After the United States Lines withdrew her from service in 1969, the ship passed through a series of owners. She was purchased by the Norwegian Cruise Line in 2003. The company’s plans to put her back into passenger service fizzled and she is now up for sale.

Even as the waters of the Delaware constantly slap gently against her hull, the specter of the scrap yard forever hangs over the great liner. The country that once took such an immense pride in the ship as a symbol of American might, ingenuity, and accomplishment seems to have largely abandoned her.

She has not been completely forgotten, however. Since 2004, the S.S. United States Conservancy has been attempting to save the ship from the ignominious fate that befell other great passenger vessels of the 20th century. Norwegian Cruise Line spends around $750,000 annually in docking fees for the United States, and they are understandably anxious to divest themselves of that expense. Last year, NCL granted the Conservancy first refusal on the sale of the ship, but the group has, thus far, been unable to raise enough funds to meet the $1.5 million purchase price.

We are a people who traditionally place a great value upon our past. Four American presidents were passengers on the ship. The loss of this noble vessel to the scrapper’s yard would be tantamount to blowing up Mt. Rushmore for the sole purpose of increasing the nation’s supply of driveway gravel. The preservation of the S.S. United States would endure, not merely as evidence of a maritime marvel, but as testimony to the people who built her, who sailed in her, and who recognized and rewarded the immeasurable contribution that she made to our nation’s sense of pride.

Conservancy member Mark Perry has produced an award-winning documentary film, “S.S. United States: Lady in Waiting,” that was broadcast on Public Television. Visit bigshipfilms.com to watch the trailer or purchase the DVD. It is also available at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester.

Please consider donating to the efforts to save the ship affectionately known as The Big U. My son was married a few days ago, and I would love to be able to take a grandchild to see her in all of her restored splendor some day.

Go to www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org or www.ssusplankowner.org on the Web for more information or to make your contribution.

Holland-America Line History – In 1926 the University World Cruise set out from the New York harbor (Hoboken) aboard the Holland America Line Ryndam for a seven month odyssey that visited 35 countries

A History of Shipboard Education

Click Here To Visit the SEMESTER AT SEA ORGANIZATION

Nearly 100 years ago, the idea for a floating university that would travel the world became the passionate pursuit of James Edwin Lough, a psychology professor at New York University. He believed changes needed to be made to traditional teaching methods of American universities and soon became a leader in a new educational movement. Travel and first-hand experience, he felt, must be part of every scholar’s education and he set out to find others who shared this vision.

DINING ROOM aboard the RYNDAM

One of Lough’s most significant counterparts was Constantine Raises, a Greek student who supported the effort and assisted with necessary academic and itinerary preparations. Although the program was successfully planned, enrollments fell short of expectations and the sailing was postponed for one year. Embarrassed, New York University dropped its sponsorship of the program and James Lough took a leave of absence.

Despite the setback, Lough’s original vision eventually led to the successful maiden voyage of the SS Ryndam on September 18, 1926. Departing Hoboken, New Jersey with a capacity 504 students and a faculty and administrative staff of 63, Lough sailed as Dean and Raises served as Voyage Director. Because the program was no longer sponsored by a single school, colleges and universities were eager to participate, and applications poured in.

It was an exciting sailing. Imagine: the glorious SS Ryndam decorated with flags from stem to stern; thousands lining the Fifth Street pier to see off their loved ones; excited students waving from the decks-many got so caught up in the spirit of the moment that they tried to book passage themselves.

The students, representing 143 colleges, came from 40 states as well as Canada, Cuba, and Hawaii. During the 7 ½ month voyage, the ship covered 41,000 miles and visited 35 countries and more than 90 cities, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Colombo, Bombay, Haifa, Venice, Gibraltar, Lisbon, and Oslo.

Public Rooms aboard the MS SEVEN SEAS – UNIVERSITY AT SEA

As the ship set sail, Lough tried to describe what lay ahead: “This shall not be a mere sightseeing tour, but a college year of educational travel and systematic study to develop an interest in foreign affairs, to train students to think in world terms, and to strengthen international understanding and good will.”

Upon their arrival home and again years later at their 1976 reunion, the students aboard described the sailing as “the greatest educational experience of our lives.”

Although the voyage was a great success, the concept of shipboard education did not fully take hold until the 1960s when it was resurrected as the University of the Seven Seas by a visionary California businessman named Bill Hughes. In February 1963, a charter contract was signed with the same shipping company that had provided the SS Ryndam—Holland America—and preparations begun to create a university aboard the newly named MS Seven Seas.

SEVEN SEAS UNIVERSITY

The stars aligned for the future of shipboard education on that voyage. Although the university was authorized by the state of California to issue transcripts and award diplomas, it was never fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This prevented the university from assuring students that their credits would be transferable to, or even recognized by, any other school. However, a meeting on that voyage with prominent Chinese businessman C.Y. Tung ensured the continuation of the concept in spite of the demise of the University of the Seven Seas.

Eventually Chapman College in Orange, California provided the program with academic credentials and the new life it needed as World Campus Afloat. In 1970, the prophetic meeting of Bill Hughes and C.Y. Tung led to a profound and important relationship with the Tung family which continues to this day. C.Y. Tung provided the program with the ship and ship management expertise to launch the program into a new era. His fond saying that ships could transport more than cargo, they could carry ideas helped to bolster the stature and reputation of both shipboard education and global, comparative study as rigorous academic pursuits.

The program continued to gain momentum through the 1970s and 1980s. The University of Colorado-Boulder became the academic sponsor in 1977 and in 1978, a watershed year, both the non-profit Institute for Shipboard Education was formed and the program took the name Semester at Sea. In 1981, the program was brought to the University of Pittsburgh where it remained for 25 years.

In 2006, the program found a new home and academic sponsor at the University of Virginia. The institution’s belief in and support of Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village” made it the perfect fit for the program, which is now the premier global comparative study program in the world.

CLICK HERE to check out this excellent website to view the comparisons between Ttitanic the Movie and the historic RMS Titanic.

Titanic youTube video History – One of many interviews recorded in 1970s and 1980s of survivors of the RMS TITANIC tragedy.