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Cruise Ship History: UNITED STATES LINES SS WASHINGTON AND SS MANHATTAN – $127 One-Way – From New York to Europe in 1938 – TEDDY KENNEDY was a passenger!
By Michael L. Grace | June 21, 2008
The United States Lines had these ads running in a 1938 edition of Travel Magazine.
Europe would enter World War II the following year.
United States Lines to Ireland, England, France and “Nazi” Germany…
Rose Kennedy with daughters and sons, Teddy and Bobby, sailing on the SS Washington to Europe…
Peter Lorre aboard the SS Washington returning from England to New York aboard the SS Washington after completing an early Alfred Hitchcock production…
The US Lines was “crossing the pond” with 1938 service from New York to Ireland, England, France and Nazi Germany…
The SS Washington sailing from New York. Streamers, bands and fond farewells. This is totally missing in today’s sailing experience because there are no visitors bidding adieu. There is usually nothing but an empty pier.
Topics: CELEBRITIES AT SEA, STEAMSHIP LINES, UNITED STATES LINE | 6 Comments »
May 25th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
S.S. Washington
My parents and I (I was not quite four years old) sailed from LeHavre, via Southhampton and Cobh to New York City, arriving on 9 February 1939. We had gone from Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany, through Basel, Switzerland, and Paris France, to LeHavre. We travelled by Tourist Class (cabin #D-72) and had our medical examinations in Germany. We were able to obtain USA visas (the USA quota for Germany was full) because my father was Swiss born, even though my mother and I were German born and all of us were German citizens. We landed at a pier on the Hudson River and did not go through Ellis Island.
The crossing was mid-winter and the seas were quite rough. We were two days late getting to NYC. I remember very little, except: (a) my mother was seasick for most of the crossing, (b)the cabin seemed small but quite glorious to my 3+ year-old eyes, and (c) my apprehension upon entering the nursery filled with other children and a “nurse” in her white uniform and cap to watch the children.
My father told me that he carried me on deck to view the Statue of Liberty, but of that I have no memory.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I came over on the SS Washington from France when I was 8 months old in 1950. My mother was a French girl from Normany and my father was an American soldier
April 30th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I emigrated from Germany to the U.S. on the SS Washington on April 6, 1939. We were on one of the last boats getting out of Nazi Germany, and, as Jews, were extraordinarily lucky to get out.
I was 2 1/2 at the time so have no personal memories, but do have photos of me on the boat.
May 1st, 2010 at 3:26 am
My mother,my sister and myself sailed on the SS Washington. We left Southampton on May 7th, 1949, paused at Cobh during the evening to pick up passengers who boarded via a smaller boat and at LeHarve for more passengers before proceeding on to New York City.
June 12th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
value of menus from Volcania, Italian cruise line in 1938, just prior to WW ll breaking out in Europe.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:30 am
My great grandparents Stickney sailed to and from Cobh, Ireland arriving back in NY on March 26, 1937.