Does anyone remember the Lucaya?

[BTromboneFrack]

When I was a young kid (5 or 6) back in the 60's, my parents took me on my first cruise. It was a ship called the Lucaya out of probably Miami, but maybe Ft. Lauderdale. We travelled to the Bahamas and back. As I remember it, it was only a day trip and into the evening. The ship looked like a small cruise ship (by today's standards) and not just a fast ferryboat. I've been searching but can't find any information on it. Love to find out if I just dreamt about it or it really happened!!!

[modelman]

She was the former and future Wappen Von Hamburg, sailing for one season out of Florida as the Lucaya..

 

 

Built in 1965 as a day cruiser out of Hamburg, she lasted until 2005. She was scrapped in 2010.

[BTromboneFrack]

She was the former and future Wappen Von Hamburg, sailing for one season out of Florida as the Lucaya..

 

 

Built in 1965 as a day cruiser out of Hamburg, she lasted until 2005. She was scrapped in 2010.

 

Amazing!!! That's the ship. I remember the yellow forward mast. Thanks.

[MrChocoholic]

My dad worked for Canaveral International, the company that originally brought this ship over from Germany where she worked as a Wilhelmshaven-Heligoland ferry until the early 60s. She was renamed "Calypso Liner" and outfitted for similar service in the tropics between Miami Beach Marina (5th Street and Alton) and Bimini and Freeport in the Bahamas. We went on her many times and she was the first ship I ever cruised aboard. In 1965 she was renamed "Lucaya Queen" which is around the time when I'm guessing you were aboard her. A year later her name was changed again to "Carib Queen" which stuck with her until 1971. That year her name was changed again, this time to "Fiesta" by which she was known until 1980 when she was broken up.

[BTromboneFrack]

My dad worked for Canaveral International, the company that originally brought this ship over from Germany where she worked as a Wilhelmshaven-Heligoland ferry until the early 60s. She was renamed "Calypso Liner" and outfitted for similar service in the tropics between Miami Beach Marina (5th Street and Alton) and Bimini and Freeport in the Bahamas. We went on her many times and she was the first ship I ever cruised aboard. In 1965 she was renamed "Lucaya Queen" which is around the time when I'm guessing you were aboard her. A year later her name was changed again to "Carib Queen" which stuck with her until 1971. That year her name was changed again, this time to "Fiesta" by which she was known until 1980 when she was broken up.

 

 

Great information. This was my first cruise ship too. 1965 sounds about right. I would have been 7 at the time and the trip was a surprise from my parents to me. I got so excited when we pulled up to the dock and I saw the ship. I remember I got seasick on the way over to the Bahamas that day, but I still had a great time. Somewhere in our scrapbooks, I have the program that was given to all of the guests when we got on board. I guess I should thank my parents for my obsession with ships and the ocean.

 

Thanks for the post.

[BTromboneFrack]

On 10/11/2015 at 2:53 PM, MrChocoholic said:

My dad worked for Canaveral International, the company that originally brought this ship over from Germany where she worked as a Wilhelmshaven-Heligoland ferry until the early 60s. She was renamed "Calypso Liner" and outfitted for similar service in the tropics between Miami Beach Marina (5th Street and Alton) and Bimini and Freeport in the Bahamas. We went on her many times and she was the first ship I ever cruised aboard. In 1965 she was renamed "Lucaya Queen" which is around the time when I'm guessing you were aboard her. A year later her name was changed again to "Carib Queen" which stuck with her until 1971. That year her name was changed again, this time to "Fiesta" by which she was known until 1980 when she was broken up.

 

[BTromboneFrack]

I know it's been awhile since we wrote on this thread, but the ship you have pictures of does not look like the Lucaya that I remember.   I will try to attach a picture here of the ship I was talking about.