South Seas |

SAIL ABORD THE SS MARIPOSA – 1960s – LAST OF THE U.S. FLAG CRUISE SHIPS…

Journey back in time with us now to the SS Mariposa as she embarks on a south seas cruise, photographed in glorious 16mm Kodachrome by Mildred and Harry Brown of Glendale, California between February 25th and April 3, 1963. See leisurely, voyeuristic shots of a lithe woman sunning herself with a tiny folding canopy to shield her face from the sun! See the bloody and messy Neptune Ritual as passengers are carved up with a meat cleaver and left to stagger, bloody away, only to be doused in foam and tossed into the pool! See a woman possessed by the mood of the afternoon as she bursts into a spontaneous twist in front of King Neptune’s Court! See exotic dancers galore! But above all… please have a good time! Courtesy of SHIPGEEK.

Cruise and Liner History – SS MARIPOSA – LAST OF THE U.S. FLAG CRUISE SHIPS…

The elegant all first class liner SS MARIPOSA – sailing in the South Pacific of Pago Pago on a Matson Line Cruise in the 1950s.

If you can find a copy on Ebay or Amazon, rush to buy Nothing Can Go Wrong By Capt. John H. Kilpack with John D. MacDonald. Here is a vacation post card, a valentine and a lament. Captain Kilpack was the skipper of the S. S. Mariposa when, in May 1977, it undertook one of its last long cruises – in this case a 77-day voyage from San Francisco to Leningrad and back again, with two transits of the Panama Canal and a dozen stops in between. The former Matson Line ship would be sold later in the year to a Chinese company. These were the last two passenger liners sailing under the American flag operated by American companies. This book is wonderful… amusing and touching.

The New York Times book review follows.

Cruising The Past awards FIVE STARS to MS EUROPA = the highest distinction for the being the number one cruise ship in the world.

Elegance afloat – aboard the contemporary MS EUROPA… awarded five stars!

Cruising The Past awards the MS EUROPA of the highest distinction for the being the number one cruise ship reflecting the glory of the great liners.

The Europa is a cruise ship in the tradition of the great liners and Cruising The Past selects the MS EUROPA as the number one cruise ship in the world.

Ms Europa, the flagship of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, is distinguished as the great 5 Star Cruise Ship in the World.

MS EUROPA – CLICK HERE TO VISIT HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES

The EUROPA, the flagship of our fleet, sets international standards: for the eighth time in succession, it was the only cruise ship in the world to be awarded the coveted ranking of 5-stars plus by Berlitz Cruise Guide 2010. Never before has there been so much space for each guest and so much private sphere in which to simply feel good. The accommodation for the maximum of 408 guests on the EUROPA is comprised solely of suites, each with separate living and sleeping areas. Every one of them has a walk-in wardrobe, and almost all of them have a private veranda. One small detail: every passenger on board is given his/her own e-mail address. All of the guests are served at a single seating and order à la carte in the Europa Restaurant with the large panorama windows. The more intimate speciality restaurants, “Oriental” and “Venezia”, serve the very best of Euro-Asian or Italian cuisine. International show stars appear on the stage of the Europa Lounge, our concert hall and ballroom. Various bars and lounges, the library with Internet access and an auditorium for talks and seminars guarantee relaxation in sophisticated surroundings.