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THE AROSA LINE – Immigrants and Students – Compañia Internacional Transportadora 1952-1958
By Michael L. Grace | September 21, 2009
Cruise History: The Compañia Internacional Transportadora or Arosa Line was founded by Nicolo Rizzi. He was a Swiss/Italian financier. A little known shipping service – THE AROSA LINE – it provided Trans-Atlanitc service for immigrants and students.
The company was known as a Swiss organization – all the ships were registered in countries of convenience – such as Panama and Liberia.
These were small ships, without stabilizers and could provide a very rough crossing.
A limited amount of first class passengers were carried on each liner. This was done to secure a lower tourist class fare. It was a required by the Trans-Atlantic Passenger Steamship Conference.
The SS AROSA SUN – AT SEA
The SS AROSA KUHN – READY TO DEPART FROM CANADA TO EUROPE
During the 1950s, it was difficult to operate an all tourist class ship because of the association. Passenger companies had to belong to the TA Conference in order to sell easily to travel agents and have an exchange for tickets should passengers want to return on another line.
These are various shipboard photos of sailing aboard THE AROSA LINE in the 1950s. Many students were carried.
Rizzi took advantage of the immigrant trade, along with students and tourists on limited budgets, sailing from Canada, the USA to Europe.
His company filled a niche for half a decade.
But cheaper air fares, the jets, competition from mayor companies such as Cunard, French Line, US Lines, etc. – who were matching his fares and had newer ships – soon forced the Arosa Line into bankruptcy.
Exchange students going to Germany ‘58-59. Sailing under the auspices of American Friends Service on the SS Arosa Star.
German students sailing to Canada – Captian’s party aboard the SS Arosa Star.
The Arosa Line had quite a collection of ships that operated for other lines. They are:
SS Arosa Kulm – Built in 1919 by American International Shipbuilding Corp., Hog Island, Pennsylvania | ex- Cantigny (US Army transport), ex- American Banker 1924 for American Merchant Lines, 1934 transferred to United States Lines, 1940 sold to Société Maritime Anversoise, Belgium renamed Ville d’Anvers, 1945 returned to USL, 1946 transferred to Isbrandtsen Line renamed City of Athens, 1947 sold to Incres Line renamed Protea, 1952 sold to Arosa Line renamed Arosa Kulm, 1959 scrapped at Bruges. (8,929 Tons) Flying the Panamanian flag, she sailed from Bremen on 18 March 1952 for Zeebrugge, Southampton and Halifax. Starting Arosa Line service.
First and Tourist Class Passengers facilities aboard The Arosa Line.
MS AROSA SKY – Was Arosa Line’s most modern ship but her career was brief.
MS Arosa Sky – Built in 1944 by Société Provencale de Construction Navale, La Ciotat. Launched as Marechal Pétain but scuttled in German retreat, 1947 raised and renamed La Marseillaise, 1949 entered service, 1957 purchased from Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes renamed Arosa Sky, 1958 sold to Costa renamed Bianca C, 1959 rebuilt 18,427gt, 22 October 1961 explosion in engine room when anchored at Grenada abandoned by passengers and crew and foundered in deep water. (17,321 Tons). This was their best ship but saw very limited service.
Rizzo begun assembling a trans-Atlantic passenger line after World War II. He chose the name “Arosa” in honour of the Swiss village where he and his wife had spent their honeymoon. With the purchase of La Marseilles the Arosa line acquired a new flagship. She underwent a three month re-fit at Marseilles and was transformed from a luxury liner to a more utilitarian vessel with accommodation for 64 first class and 834 tourist class passengers.
Re-christened the Arosa Sky, the largest and newest liner of the Arosa Line left Marseilles on 10 May 1957 for a cruise to Le Havre and Bremerhaven where she arrived on 16 May. Under the command of Captain Clemens Broering she sailed the next day on her maiden trans-Atlantic voyage via Southampton and Halifax to New York. The passengers included a large number of immigrants as well as refugees from Hungary. The crossing was rough in heavy seas but the ship arrived safely in Halifax on May 24th and then continued on to New York where she arrived on May 26th. The Arosa Sky began her last voyage from Bremerhaven on September 21, 1958, and arrived in New York on the 30th. On her return to Europe, she was sold to the Costa Line.
Accommodations aboard the SS AROSA STAR.
The SS AROSA STAR.
Arosa Star - Built in 1930 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass. | ex- Borinquen built for New York & Porto Rico Steamship Company, ex- Puerto Rico 1949, 1954 purchased from A.H. Bull, New York renamed Arosa Star, 1959 sold to Eastern Steamship renamed Bahama Star, 1969 sold to Western Steamship Co. renamed La Jenelle, 13 April 1970 destroyed while under tow on her way to being converted into a floating hotel. (9,070 Tons)
The SS AROSA SUN.
Arosa Sun - Built in 1930 by Ateliers & Chantiers de La Loire, St. Nazaire | ex- Felix Roussel and 1955 purchased from Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes renamed Arosa Sun. In 1960 she was sold to Dutch Hoogovens and used as a stationary hotel ship, 1974 scrapped.
Hungarian Immigrants going through Canadian Immigration aboard the SS AROSA SUN and dockside photo of relatives waiting.
Routes and voyages:
- Regular – Quebec, Le Havre, Southampton, Bremerhaven. Southampton and / or Le Havre sometimes omitted on eastbound voyages.
- Return Bremerhaven to Quebec, normally with calls at either Zeebrugge or Hoek van Holland, and with occasional calls at Southampton and Le Havre.
Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, Quebec.
- One westbound voyage to Montreal instead of Quebec.
- Eastbound voyages from Quebec (one from Montreal) called at Cuxhaven with debarkation for Hamburg; one voyage from Quebec to Bremerhaven instead of Cuxhaven.
- Regular – Bremerhaven, Southampton, Le Havre, Montreal.
- One westbound voyage to Quebec instead of Montreal ; one non-stop Bremerhaven-Montreal.
- One eastbound voyage from Quebec instead of Montreal ; Southampton omitted on one voyage.
- One voyage from Bremerhaven to Southampton, Le Havre and Quebec. Return from Quebec to Zeebrugge and Bremerhaven.
- One voyage from Bremerhaven via Zeebrugge to New York. Return from New York to Le Havre.
- One voyage from Le Havre to New York. Return from New York to Le Havre and Bremerhaven.
In 1957 there was a decline in passengers to and from Canada and the Arosa Line undertook a series of Caribbean cruises from New York between December 1957 and April 1958 and also cruised from Miami, but the results were disastrous owing to several mishaps with the ships.
In September 1958 the Arosa Line was forced to sell the AROSA SKY to the Costa Line and in December that year the AROSA STAR was arrested at Bermuda for debts. On 10 April 1959 a judge at Geneva declared the company bankrupt.
The AROSA KULM was scrapped at Bruges, the AROSA STAR sold for further services and the AROSA SUN was bought by a Dutch concern as a floating hostel for their workers at Ijmuiden.
The SS AROSA STAR ended up wrecked off the coast of California. Click here to read more about the SS AROSA SUN wreckage.
Topics: AROSA LINE, trans-atlantic | 15 Comments »
March 10th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Love this site I traveled on the ship Arosa Sun that landed in Quebec December 8, 1956 Wondered if it is possible to see a passenger list There was my father and sister.
James Anderson Jean and Susan
Thanks
March 16th, 2010 at 2:23 am
my father came from bremen to montreal in october 1958, on the arosa star. i would love to see a passenger list. it would be very neat to have that little bit of family history
March 16th, 2010 at 2:27 am
my father came from bremen to montreal in october 1958, on the arosa star. i would love to see a passenger list. it would be very neat to have that little bit of family history. thanks very much
March 19th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
My mother and I crossed to Canada to join my father on the Arosa Star in October of 1954. I would love to see a passenger list! Many thanks!
March 20th, 2010 at 1:30 am
53 years ago my family emmigrated to Canada on the Arosa Kulm inApril 1957,
The photo of the dance hall on this site took my breath away. I have a photo of me singing into a microphone, with the crew around me. My father was leaned up against the pole as he watched me.
I also have a photo of our family group at the dining table, probably a captain’s dinner. We all had the same hats and paraphernalia as the students in the photo on this site.
We had a long, rough journey on the icey seas.
I have subsequently taken two transatlantic cruises. My original journey as a young child makes these trips even more magical to me. I was a poor immigrant on the Arosa Kulm. My life has been a realization of the dreams that brought my parents to Canada.
Thanks so much for you lovely site.
March 29th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
My parent came over from Germany to Monteal in 1957. Left Germany on May 15, 1957 and arrived in Montreal on May 29, 1957. Wondering if there was a passenger list? This would be very interesting to see and to show them. Thanks
March 29th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
That was on the Arosa Star. Thanks
April 6th, 2010 at 11:49 am
I’d love to see a list for the ArosoaKulm.
My grandfather, Bruno J. Von Borziskowski came over on this ship in 1952 (I think) when it arrived Montreal. I’m trying to find his name on the passenger lists but I haven’t had any luck.
May 18th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
In September 1954 my family emmigrated to Canada. We sailed with the “Arosa Kulm” from Bremerhaven and our Port of Entry was Quebec. I celebrated my 16th birthday on board. What a day!
I have been trying to find our name on a passenger list without success. Our departure was Sept. 17th 1954 and arrived in Quebec Sept. 28th 1954. Please can you help!
June 8th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
My father left Germany on April 29, 1956 from Bremen and arrived in Quebec on May 13, 1956 on the Arosa Star. It would mean very much to us to locate his name on a passenger list. Thank you!
June 11th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
My great grandfather Herman Grossnick was on the Arosa Kulm (March 1953) and he entered Canada at Pier 21 in Halifax.
Today, 57 years later I am trying to immigrate to Canada as well. And it was just last summer when I went to Pier 21 which is such a breath-taking place.
It would be great to find people that took the journey with him.
July 6th, 2010 at 1:57 am
Where can I obtain passenger list Aurora STAR sEPTEMBER 1956 bREMEN TO mOMTREAL WILLING TIO PAY
July 16th, 2010 at 3:02 am
My father Arno Proske, wife Jozefa, children, Herbert, Renate and Sonja did the crossing in September (I think we left Bremen around the 13th) 1957. We disembarked in Montreal. I remember very rough seas as the result of the tail end of a hurricane. Another highlight was the Queen Mary, headed east passing us.
July 16th, 2010 at 3:04 am
Arosa Star. My father Arno Proske, wife Jozefa, children, Herbert, Renate and Sonja did the crossing in September (I think we left Bremen around the 13th) 1957. We disembarked in Montreal. I remember very rough seas as the result of the tail end of a hurricane. Another highlight was the Queen Mary, headed east passing us.
July 16th, 2010 at 3:07 am
In addition to the previous posting, I forgot to mention the crossing was aboard the Arosa Star.