Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was when I was 7 years old, over thanksgiving in 1990. Emerald by Admiral line. I still have the pen with the ship in it, when you move the pen up/down the little ship moves. Haha. I remember it was a small boat and we hit rough waters I was very excited because the boat was rocking a lot!! I was hooked on cruises and have been cruising ever year since!

 

Crown Princess in December!

 

General W. P. Richardson AP-118 (1944-2004) Built in 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, NJ in 1944 as General W. P. (Wilds Preston) Richardson. AP-118 was laid down under Maritime Commision contract on 2 February 1944 as General R. M. Blatchford on 15 April 1944. She was renamed General W. P. Richardson on 1 July 1944 and launched on 6 August 1944. She was acquired by the United Staes Navy on 31 October 1944, and commissioned at Bayonne, NJ on 2 November 1944 with Captain Joseph S. Rosenthal, USCG, in command.

 

 

General W. P. Richardson sailed from Boston, Mass on 10 December 1944 with over 5,000 fighting men and, after delivering them to Southampton, England on 21 December, returned to New York, arriving there on 4 January 1945 with troops and casualties. Ten days later the busy ship got underway from Newport News, VA with 5,000 soldiers bound for Naples, Italy, disembarking them on 25 January and then returning to Newport News on 9 February with rotation troops and casualties. Underway again on 18 February with 5,000 more soldiers, she disembarked them at Naples on 1 March and subsequently carried 5,500 British troops to Marseilles, France. She once again returned to Naples on 9 March to embark 4,600 homeward-bound American troops and casualties who were delivered safely at Boston, Mass on 21 March 1945.

 

General

 

She then sailed to Le Havre, France in April 1945 with 2,500 troopers and carried over 1,000 liberated American prisoners of war from France plus 2,900 troops and casualties from Southampton, home to New York on 28 April 1945. Following a troop-carrying run from New York to Naples and Trinidad and back, she sailed from New York to Southampton, putting in at Boston on 26 June with 4,300 wounded and other troops. Through the summer and fall of 1945 the transport made four more round-trip voyages from Boston to France, two to Le Havre and two to Marseilles, to help insure an even flow of men and supplies from the New World to the Old.

On 14 October 1945 she sailed from Boston to Karachi, (British) India, via the Suez Canal and returned to New York on 24 November with over 5,000 World War II veterans. On 30 November she embarked 4,500 rotation troops at New York and delivered them to Naples on 10 December 1945, then steaming via the Suez Canal to Koorramshar, Iran to take on board 3,800 men of the Persian Gulf Command, returning via Naples and Casablanca, Morocco to New York on 23 January 1946.

General W. P. Richardson was decommissioned at New York on 14 February 1946 and returned to the Maritime Administration for peacetime operations as a U.S. Army transport until 10 March 1948 when she was laid up.

 

Between 1948 and 1949, she was converted at Pascagoula, Miss. to a civilian passenger liner and then chartered on 6 May 1949 by American Export Lines as La Guardia. Her first voyage took her from New York to Naples to Genoa, Italy on 27 May 1949. She would also make port calls at Palermo, Sicily, Piraeus, Greece and Haifa, Israel. Her last Mediterranean voyage begun in New York in November 1951. She was returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration on 1 December 1951 and returned briefly to troop service as USAT General W.P. Richardson for the Korea conflict, before being laid up as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet on the James River in November 1952 for the next four years.

 

 

In 1956, she was bought by the Hawaiian-Steamship Company, renamed Leilani, and refitted for California - Hawaii service. Her first voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu took place on 5 February 1957. Her itinerary would include San Francisco or Long Beach to Hawaii, but she also completed several Mexican Riviera cruises in 1958. This service turned out not to be popular and was discontinued in December 1958. She was laid up in San Francisco and then moved across the Bay to the Todd Shipyard in Alameda. She was seized by the U.S. Government on May 12, 1959, put up for auction in June and bought once again by the U.S. Maritime Commission.

 

 

She was purchased by American President Lines in July 1960 and sailed to Seattle, WA for a $10 million refit for luxury liner service which started in March 1961. She subsequently sailed from Seattle to San Francisco in May 1962 as President Roosevelt and began her first voyage from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Yokohama, Japan on 11 May 1962. She conducted a world cruise in 1966.

[Copper10-8]

 

In 1970, she was purchased by the Greece-based Chandris Line and extensively refitted (she was cut down to two decks above the waterline and had her upper hull and superstructure completely rebuilt) at Perama, Greece for cruising. She was renamed Atlantis and commenced cruising from New York and Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

 

In October, 1972, she was sold to the Eastern Steamship Company as Emerald Seas and used on three and four-night cruises to Nassau, The Bahamas, Western Caribbean and Mexico out of Miami, Fl. She was one of the first cruise ships to offer moderately priced short duration (3-5 days) cruise vacations.

Eastern

 

Steamship Lines became Eastern Cruise Lines and then Admiral Cruise Line. Changes weren't done yet as Admiral Cruises was taken over by/merged into Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL). RCCL had no use for Admiral's two older ships (Emerald Seas and Azure Seas) so disposed of them in 1992.

 

 

In 1992, she was bought by Festival cruises and renamed Sapphire Seas, cruising to Egypt and Israel. She was laid up at Piraeus in October 1994. In the summer of 1998, she was renamed Ocean Explorer I for use at Lisbon, Portugal as one of three Hotel ships for the Expo 98. At the conclusion, she returned to Eleusis, Greece and was laid up once again.

 

 

Beginning in November 1999, the World Cruise Company, of Ontario, Canada, began operating her for global cruising with three back to back world cruises from Athens.

 

 

In May 2000 however, she was taken out on service at the completion on only the first circumnavigation, and she once again was laid up at Eleusis, Greece. Discussions of her possible use as an hotel-ship for the 2004 Olympics in Greece came to nothing. Her long life finally came to an end when, in April 2004, she was sold for scrap to breakers in India.

[modelman]

My first cruise was about 1976 aboard the MS Caribe (Commodore Cruise Line) out of Miami to the Caribbean. I was only 11 and I went with my parents and younger sister. My sister and I loved the cruise. My parents, rightfully so, hated it. I just pulled up pictures of the ship and can't believe how old it looks. The four of us were squeezed into a porthole cabin. We stopped in Haiti (poverty was crazy), Puerta Plata and Montego Bay. The best thing on board were the cheeseburgers by the pool. I remember there were a couple of days when the seas were really rough and my father and I would run to the grill for burgers for the my mom and sister. I won the putting contest. My poor parents were miserable but the kids loved every minute. Not to worry though, my parents will be taking their 5th World Voyage on HAL this January and probably have 700 days at sea with HAL, Princess and Celebrity. I was married onboard the Grand Princess in 2000. We cruise every year and our four year old will be going on his 4th cruise this October/November. I didn't take my second cruise until 1998, but we've been hooked ever since.

 

My first cruise was in 1980 on board the same Caribe of Commodore Cruise Line. I was 7 and we sailed on a 2 night cruise to no where out of Alexandria Virginia. I do remember the burgers by the pool deck as well. My brother and I were also all over the ship in the two days. I remember the cabin being somewhat small. Interestingly a few years ago a friend and I were in Fort Lauderdale and decided to do the one day sail to the Bahamas. Low and behold, the ship we sailed on, the Discovery Sun, was the old Caribe!!! She was still going "strong" It had been too many years to remember much about the ship, but the pool still looked the same to me, as did the "racey" smoke stack. She was built in 1968 as the Freeport, and still today calls on her original namesake port.

 

As built as the Freeport

 

As the cruise ship Caribe

 

Back as the day cruiser / ferry Discovery Sun

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was also on the Carnivale, it was in 1981. I went with a female friend and we were booked into an inside cabin with 2 other women who we did not know....and had 2 sets of bunk beds! Our TA neglected to inform us that we were booked into some kind of singles cruise! The cabin had a pole in the middle of it, like a support beam that you would find in your basement, and you probably had the same line-up that we encountered for the bathroom.We departed from Miami and I remember going to St. Thomas because I remember buying duty free liquor. I was 23 years old and the cruise cost me $999 with airfare from Canada. I guess Carnival had the market on cruises back then...especially for those of us in our 20's. Were you on a singles type cruise?

 

ss Empress of Britain (1956-2008) Built in 1956 as ss Empress of Britain by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering, Govan (Glasgow), Scotland for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. She was launched on 22 June 1955 by HM Queen Elizabeth II, nearly fifty years after the first CP Empress of Britain was launched from Govan in November 1905. Eleven months later, she set off on a maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montreal, Quebec departing on 20 April 1956.

 

 

The 25,516-ton vessel had a length of 640 feet, and her beam was 85.2 feet. The ship had one funnel, one mast, twin screws and an average speed of 20 knots. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 160 first class passengers and for 984 tourist class passengers. She would sail for Canadian Pacific Line until 1964 when she was sold to the Greek Line and renamed Queen Anna Maria.

 

 

Her new owners had her rebuilt at the Marriotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy to 21,716 gross tons with accommodations for 168 first class passengers and for 1,145 tourist class passengers. She sailed on the Piraeus, Greece to Naples, Italy to New York route. Towards the latter part of her career with the Greek Line, she provided service on the Haifa, Israel to New York route. In 1975, after her owners ran into financial problems and ultimately collapsed, she was laid up at Perama (Piraeus), Greece.

 

 

She was sold to Carnival Cruise Line in 1976. Her former stable mate with Canadian Pacific, the third Empress, the Empress of Canada, was already at Carnival as their Mardi Gras. Queen Ana Maria entered drydock in Newport News, VA and emerged as Carnivale in February 1976. Carnival placed her on weekly cruises from Miami, FL to the Caribbean, alongside Mardi Gras. By the late eighties, she had been placed on three and four-night "party cruise" runs to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, FL.

 

 

As Carnival's market expanded and the company was able to afford buying new ships, the ship was transferred in to a Carnival Latin market subsidiary cruise line by the name of Fiesta Marine Cruises in 1993. With Fiesta Marine, and as the Fiesta Marina (her new name), she became something of a test ship in a cruise-line expansion venture, sailing out of San Juan,Puerto Rico and Caracas, Venezuela. After only three months, this ultimately proved to be unsuccessful.

 

In 1994, Fiesta Marine sold her to Greece-based Epirotiki Line. She sailed for Perama, Greece and emerged in the spring of 1995 as the Olympic for Epirotiki's Mediterranean cruise program. She was loved by her passengers and for a while, was once again "queen" of a Greek fleet. In 1996, Epirotiki Lines merged with longtime competitor, Sun Lines, to form Royal Olympic Cruises.

 

 

In 1997, the former Olympic was sold to Greece-based Topaz International and, after a rebuilt at Eleusis, Greece, the ship was re-named Topaz on a bare boat charter to British tour operator Thomson Holidays in the spring of 1998.

 

[Copper10-8]

 

In 2003, the vessel was placed on a long-term charter through 2006 with the Tokyo, Japan-based Peace Boat International orginazation, still as Topaz for world-wide cruising. Peace Boat is an international non-governmental organization based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, seeking to establish a global network among people, grassroots movements and NGOs working on issues such as peace, human rights development and environmental protection.

 

 

In the past 15 years it has chartered passenger ships to make 25 voyages and taken over 10,000 people to more than 80 ports.Through personal exchange and co-operation with people in other countries, particularly in areas of conflict and former conflict, it works to increase mutual understanding and bridge the gap between peoples, countries and cultures. By inviting guests from all over the world to join the voyage and participate in conferences on board it offers a global perspective on events and issues.

 

 

In April 2008, she was retired from the Peace Boat organization; and she was laid up at Singapore Roads. On June 15, while she was anchored there, she was struck by the chemical tanker Champion Brali. The collision severed off part of her bow.

 

She was subsequently sold for scrap to Indian shipbreakers and in the late summer of 2008, she arrived at Alang, India where she was beached awaiting to be scrapped. She was placed not too far away from where the remains of the former liner ss France (later NCL's ss Norway) are located. The ship's demolition was started a few months after being beached. As of November 2009, most of the former Empress of Britain had been scrapped.

[Copper10-8]

Some add'l pics of Empress of Britain

 

 

As Empress of Britain

 

 

As Queen Anna Maria at Gaspe Bay, Quebec in 1972

 

 

As Carnivale off Miami in 1989

 

 

As Topaz in Barcelona in 1999

 

 

As Topaz approaching Yokohama, Japan in 2006

 

 

As Topaz in New York in 2007

[Copper10-8]

I think that my second cruise was on Epirotiki, on the World Rennaisance. It was indeed offered by Regent Holidays and we took the package departing Toronto that included the airfare as well as an overnight prior to the cruise. Our hotel was up on a hillside with a very nice view of the ocean. In the morning I took a city tour while my husband lounged around at the hotel. When I got back he informed me that something was not right, that there was a lot of packing and unpacking of the luggage on the bus that was to take us to the pier. When we arrived at the pier there were 2 Epirotiki ships, the World Rennaisance and the Pegasus. We were instructed to indentify our luggage that was set out on the pier. If the luggage was on the left side of the ship we were to get on and turn left, if on the right side get on and turn right. Ours was on the left side, as we boarded we were served free drinks and snacks and asked to make ourselves comfortable. I said to my husband that something was up...why the free liquor? Anyhow, we were told that the ship that we were supposed to go on had sank and that we could either go on the World Rennaisance or we could go home! The Pegasus was at capacity and so we were told that we would be upgraded on the World. Then we were told that the World was not doing the same itinerary as we had booked! So we took the upgrade (a huge outside cabin) and went on our mystery tour. As this was a repositioning cruise we spent a lot of days at sea and still laugh at the 2 forms of entertainment that were offered to us in the evening....1 professional ballroom dancing couple and the crew that did skits for us every night for 14 days. Just thought that I'd share our Regent holiday with you!

 

ms Renaissance (1966-present) Built in 1966 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Sainte Nazaire, France as ms Renaissance for Compagnie Francaise de Navigation, a subsidiary of France-based Paquet Cruises.She was intended as a dual purpose vessel on the line’s regular Marseille to Haifa, Israel run but also for cruises, primarily to the Eastern Mediterranean. Renaissance was delivered to her new owners on 10 May 1966 as their flagship.

 

 

Compagnie Francaise de Navigation was set up by Paquet to run their (Paquet’s) passengers to Israel and thus allow the company to bypass the Arab Legion’s boycott of firms dealing with Israel. Paquet itself was seriously involved in trade with Arab Morocco. Renaissance would sail successfully for four years but the increasing use of commercial airliners as well as the expense for French passenger line companies to operate under the French flag, contributed to less than stellar financial results.

 

Paquet, in turn, made a decision to wind down their passenger and cruise ship fleet and formed a new company, Nouvelle Compagnie de Paquebots (NCP). This company wound up taking over the operation of several of those ships, one of them being Renaissance in 1970. Paquet continued to market her and NCP would use her on voyages from Marseille to the United States.

 

On 28 October 1977, ownership passed to Greece-based Epirotiki Lines who, after purchasing her, added some cabins to her, renamed the vessel Homeric Renaissance and made her the line’s flagship. Epirotiki's operations stretched back to 1830, when it was founded as a shipping company by George Potamianos, making it one of the world's oldest continuously operating shipping lines. Epirotiki went on to develop a leading position in the Greek cargo and passenger transportation trade, and began operating cruises among the Greek islands in the 1930s. In the 1950s, Potamianos's grandson, Anastassios, took over the direction of the company and focused it entirely on the cruise ship market, which was then undergoing a transformation from being a privilege of the wealthy to becoming a common vacation option affordable to the larger, middle-class traveling public.

 

In 1978, Italy-based Costa Crocieri S.p.A./Costa Cruises made a substantial offer to charter the ship, which was accepted by her Greek owners, and with that came yet another name change to World Renaissance. Upon completion of that charter, she resumed full-time cruising operations for Epirotiki but kept the name World Renaissance.

 

From 25 November 1983 until April 1984, she was chartered again, this time by South Africa-based travel company TFC Tours for a voyage from Plymouth, England to Cape Town, South Africa. In 1985, back with Epirotiki, who used her, among other itineraries for some cruises to the Caribbean and down the Amazon River in Brazil.

 

 

By 1993, however, the company seemed unable to resist the prevailing mood of consolidation sweeping the cruise ship industry, which was hard hit again by the global recession and by the collapse of the tourist industry following the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War. While rumors suggested that Epirotiki would pursue a marriage with domestic rival Sun Line, the company instead turned toward a partnership with industry heavyweight Carnival Cruise Lines in 1993. In August 1995 however, after the Carnival partnership had collapsed in the face of Greek cabotage rules,Epirotiki did agree to a merger with Sun Line, creating a new company, Royal Olympic Cruise Lines (ROC), in 2003 changed to Royal Olympia Cruise Lines. Operated as a joint venture between the two families, ROC initially maintained its two brand names, with Sun Line orientated towards a more affluent, older, and primarily American customer base, and Epirotiki attracting a younger, more diversified passenger list.

 

In 1995 World Renaissance was purchased by the Jakarta, Indonesia-based Awani Modern Group/Club Awani and renamed Awani Dream. She received a refit in 1996 and was promoted as a luxury cruise ship. Awani Cruises, however, never really got off the ground, after being hit both by the collapse of the Asian economy and the political instability in Indonesia.

 

 

In January 1998, she was reacquired by the “new” Royal Olympic Cruise Lines, once again assumed the name of World Renaissance, and put on mostly 3 and 4-day Aegean cruises starting in March of that year. Her 3-day itinerary left Piraeus and included Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos and Kusadasi, Turkey while her 4-day schedule included port calls at Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini and Kusadasi.

 

 

By this time however, ROC had an aging fleet, high labor costs and increased foreign competition. The events of 11 September 2001 dealt a fatal blow to Royal Olympic/Royal Olympia and by December 2003, it was downhill. The company was able to survive the summer of 2004 but collapsed for good that autumn.

 

On 6 April 2005 after a period of lay-up at Piraeus, World Renaissance was sold at public auction for $3.4 million to the Pelorus Maritime Inc. (USA-based Ravenscroft Ship Management), renamed Grand Victoria, and placed under Elysian Cruise Lines management. She was promptly chartered out until the end of 2006 to Russia-based Metropolis Tur.

 

In 2007, the ship was chartered once again, this time to Blue Monarch Shipping Inc. (managed by newly formed Monarch Classic Cruises) and renamed Blue Monarch. After an extensive refit, Monarch Classic Cruises used her on 3,4 and 7-day cruises in the Aegean to the various Greek islands. Blue Monarch Shipping decided to purchase her outright in the beginning of 2008 however, was unable to come up with the purchase price of $8 million by 25 August 2008 and her charter continues

[Copper10-8]

Some additional pics of the ship born as Renaissance

 

 

As Renaissance for Compagnie Francaise de Navigation

 

As Renaissance for Compagnie Francaise de Navigation

 

 

As World Renaissance on charter to Costa Crocieri

 

 

As World Renaissance for Royal Olympia Cruises at Antwerp, Belgium

 

 

As Grand Victoria departing Gothenburg, Sweden

 

 

As Blue Monarch for Monarch Classic Cruises departing Piraeus in 2007

[Copper10-8]

Carnvial Tropicale October 98. A 4 day, Cozumel and Key West, and yes after 15 cruises over the last 11 years , I can truly say she got us hooked.

 

First cruise was Carnival Tropicale in 1988. I was only 9 at the time. It was a 7 day to the Mexican Riviera. That was such a great trip! I absolutely love cruising!

 

 

ms Tropicale (1981-present) Built in 1981 as Tropicale by Aalborg Værft A/S, Aalborg, Denmark for Carnival Cruise Line. She was delivered on 4 December 1981 as the first of Carnival’s “new builds”, as all Carnival ships before her were older ships, either purchased or chartered from other companies. Carnival commissioned naval (interior) architect Joe Farcus to handle the design and layout of the ship's passenger accomodation and the first true "Fun Ship" was born.

 

Tropicale became the prototype of all future Carnival ships and was also the first Carnival ship to feature their trademarks, a distinctive tall and winged “whale-tail” funnel painted red, white and blue, as well as a water slide into the midships pool.

 

After a transatlantic crossing, Tropical was christened in Miami, Fl by Madeleine Arison, her godmother and wife of Carnival Corporation president and CEO Micky Arison. In January 1982, she departed Miami on her maiden voyage into the Caribbean. 17 September 1982 found her on the west coast in Los Angeles (San Pedro) from where she sailed a maiden cruise under charter to Westours, an Alaska-based tour operator. In 1983 she operated her first Alaska season on seven-day cruises from Vancouver, BC.

 

 

 

As the company expanded and acquired larger ships, Carnival decided that Tropicale would be their 'test ship' for new or revised cruise itineraries. As a result, in 1990 she was the first Carnival ship to be based in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in 1994, the first Carnival ship to sail from New Orleans, La.

 

In September 1996, Carnival signed an agreement with the South Korea-based Hyundai Chaebol conglomerate in order to start to offer cruises in Asia. In February 1997, this initiative was christened Carnival Cruises Asia, and it was announced that Tropicale would be assigned to that joint venture. However, in August 1997, that enterprise was dissolved due to disagreements between the two parents over developments in the Asian market. Instead, a new market was opened from Tampa, Fl from where Tropicale began offering four-day cruises to Key West, Fl and Cozumel, Mexico and five-day cruises to Grand Cayman and Cozumel in April 1998.

 

On 27 September 2000, after the demise of Cape Canaveral Cruises, Carnival announced that Tropicale would begin operating two and three-day cruises from Cape Canaveral, Fl as well as a series of Panama Canal cruises from Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) at the conclusion of her 2001 Tampa summer season. On 7 December 2000 however, Carnival Corporation announced the cancelation of the entire Cape Canaveral-based cruise program and the internal transfer of Tropicale to Italy-based Costa Crocieri/Costa Cruises in 2001 instead.

 

After her last cruise for Carnival on 10 February 2001, Tropicale crossed the Atlantic and entered the Mediterranean on her way to the Cantieri Temistocle Mariotti S.p.A. shipyard at Genoa, Italy for an extensive 30 million Euro refit (interior/exterior and technical) by Costa's own techical department. Over the course of the first half of 2001, Tropicale was customized there for a European client base including new fittings, furniture, carpets and toilets to all of her cabins. Her public rooms were renovated and a new alternative restaurant, the Bahia Club, and an internet/coffee lounge were added. On the technical side, her propulsion system (main motors, shaft lines, propellers, etc.) were overhauled and an additional aft thruster and new cylindrical stack installed.

 

 

On 23 June 2001, Costa Tropicale (her new name) was once again christened by Madeleine Arison. The complexity of the refit delayed her first commercial cruise by two weeks until 14 July 2001. Costa Tropicale sailed every Saturday from Venice to the Aegean Sea and the Greek isles, calling at Bari, Italy, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kusadasi, Turkey and Katakolon, Santorini and Mykonos, Greece. In the winter of 2002, Costa Tropicale sailed from Brazil on cruises designed for the South American market and in the summer of 2003 she operated on year round 7-day Costa Riviera cruises from Savona, Italy

 

She served with the company until 2005, when replacement by larger, more modern cruise ships prompted yet another internal transfer to P&O Cruises Australia.

 

 

Before departing for down under, she was given another refit at Fincantieri's yard in Palermo, Sicily to the tune of $20 million in order to make her suitable for the Australian cruise market. Her new name would be Pacific Star and entered service as Queensland latest cruise liner in December 2005. Her home port was Brisbane and her itinerary included cruises along the tropical Queensland coast to various islands in the South Pacific, New Caledonia and to New Zealand.

 

[Copper10-8]

 

In March 2008, the ship was acquired by Spain-based tour operator (and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd subsidiary) Pullmantur Cruises and after a refit in Singapore, began cruising for them in May 2008 under her new name Ocean Dream.

 

 

Her home port for Pullmantur is Barcelona, Spain from where she offers 7-day itineraries with port calls at La Goulette/Tunis, Tunesia, Valetta, Malta, Messina/Sicily, Civitavecchia, Italy and Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.

 

[Copper10-8]

I'm not sure if my first trip qualifies as a "cruise" as it was a transatlantic trip to Italy aboard the Italian Line's Raffaello. That was my introduction to ships and have been hooked ever since. My first Caribbean cruise was in 1979 aboard the Guglielmo Marconi also of the Italian Line, though the company's days were numbered by then.

 

ts Raffaello (1965-1983) Built in 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy as ts (turbine ship) Raffaello for the Società di navigazione Italia also known as the Italian Line. She was one of the last ships to be built primarily for liner service across the North Atlantic on the Genoa-New York City route.

 

Società di navigazione Italia had begun planning new ships in 1958. Originally they were to be only slightly larger than ss Leonardo da Vinci (1960) which was still being built, but the jet passenger aircraft had not yet had a notable effect on the Mediterranean area at the time and a pair of genuine superliners seemed like an attractive idea, not only from a commercial point of view but also from the point of view of providing jobs to shipyard workers and sailors. As a result, a decision was made that the new ships would be the largest to be built in Italy since the ss Rex in 1932.

 

 

It was also decided that the sister ship would be true ocean liners with their accomodations divided into three classes. For some reason, it was also decided that their three lowest-most passenger decks would not have any portholes. The new sisters were ver advanced on the technological side, their most striking feature being their Turin Polytechnic-designed funnels. These consisted of an intricate trellis-like pipework (instead of the traditional even surface) to allow wind to pass through the funnel, and a large smoke deflector fin on the top. Although much criticised, the funnel design proved to be highly effective in keeping smoke off the rear decks. The smoke deflectors became popular in ship design during the 1970s and 1980s, and the idea of allowing wind to pass through the funnel was picked up again in the late 1980s and is almost the norm in modern shipbuilding.

 

Raffaello was launched on 24 March 1963 and completed in July 1965. She made her first voyage, a prelude Mediterranean cruise, on 10 July 1965. Her maiden voyage to New York took place on 25 July 1965 from Genoa. The Italians showed that they were still able to produce first class ships for a worldwide market. The staterooms and the public rooms on board the liners offered the passengers unlimited luxury. THere were at least one private shower and toilet in every cabin, and there were altogether six swimming pools - three for adults and three for children. The first class ballroom aboard the Raffaello was dominated by huge crystal chandeliers and the ship's two luxury suites were equipped with a large television in each room.

 

On 31 October 1965, she suffered an engine room fire and had to limp back to Genoa on one propellor. In 1966, Raffaello hosted two unusual passengers for an ocean liner: two Spider 1600 cars which to be exhibited in the U.S.A. The cars were even driven on the first class lido decks of the ship which was a first for an ocean liner. In 1970, "Raf", as she was nicknamed, had another "first" in the shipping business: her theater stage was converted into a skating rink and skating shows were performed to the passengers. Later in May 1970, the ship also suffered the most serious accident of her career when, under the command of Senior Captain Luigi Oneto, she collided with a Norwegian oil tanker off the south coast of Spain. Fortunately no lives were lost as a result of the collision.

 

 

Although Raffaello was larger than her older sister, Michelangelo (1965), and her interior more distinctive, she was always the less important sister in the eyes of Italian Line's executives. As a result, when transatlantic traffic started declining due to competition from air traffic, Raffaello was sent cruising in order to make more money while Michelangelo kept doing crossings. Unfortunately, she was not very well suited for cruising. Although she did have a large amount of open deck space, she was too large, her cabins too small and most of them too spartan for the demands of cruise passengers. It would have been possible to rebuild her as a genuine cruise ship, but the required funding that her owners required for that conversion was not available.

 

 

Even though Raffaello and Michelangelo failed to make any money for her owners, they were "kept alive" by the Italian Government's generous subsidies. But in 1974, after nine years in service, the North Atlantic operations almost ceased. From then on, Raffaello was used mainly for cruising.

 

 

After spending 1974 cruising, Italian Line decided to withdraw both the Raffaello and her sister Michelangelo in April 1975 after the Italian Government had informed them they would no longer be subsidising the ships anymore. On 21 April 1975, Raffaello departed for the last time from New York towards lay up. Initially laid up in Genoa, on 6 June 1975 she arrived at La Spezia, near the infamous scrapyard. She was inspected by several potential buyers such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Costa Crocieri, Chandris Group and Home Lines. The latter even made a serious offer to buy the ships despite large rebuilding costs, but the Italia Line turned down the offer.

 

Finally in 1976, the Shah of Persia/Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah,emerged as a buyer the Italian Line could accept. She and her sister, Michelangelo, the former flagships of Italy that has cost a total of $90 million in 1965, were sold for a mere $4 million a decade later. Raffaello made her final journey late in the same year from La Spezia to Bushehr, Iran, where she served as a floating barracks/accomodation ship for army personnel, oil workers and navy trainees for the next seven years.

 

In 1978, plans emerged to resurrect the Michelangelo and Raffaello as cruise ships. The Raffaello would have become Ciro il Grande, a luxury cruiser accommodating 1,300 passengers. However, specialists sent from Italy to evaluate the condition of the ships realised they were simply in a too poor condition to make reconstruction financially viable. As a result Raffaello stayed in her moorings. She was heavily damaged and looted during the Islamic revolution in 1979.

 

In 1983, plans were again made to bring the sisters back into service as cruise ships. Even if those could have been realised it was already too late for the Raffaello because during an air attack on Bushire by the Iraqi Air Force during the Iran-Iraq war in February 1983, she was struck by a missile and slowly sank in the shallow harbor waters. Some time later her wreck was rammed by an Iranian cargo ship and local divers further looted her hull during the following years. Reportedly, her hull still remains partially submerged where she sank. No breaking up of the ship ever commenced, although there have been reports of plans to scrap her. Her sister Michelangelo remained in Bandar Abbas, Iran until 1991 when she was towed to Pakistan and scrapped.

[berwyn]

Copper,

Your pics are greatly appreciated,thanks a lot.

[Armchairtravelwoman]

My wife and I took our first cruise aboard the Carousel from Festival cruises in 1998.:)

 

Our first cruise was also on the Carousel, but in February 2000, and it was operated by Sun Cruises then. We were on the last cruise before they ran aground a week later and the cruises were suspended for awhile. We felt very fortunate to have gotten our cruise completed. Though there was certainly some foreshadowing of what was to come, as our ship bumped against the rock wall of the harbor as we left! :cool:

[mew1]

It is amazing looking back on the small ships, my first cruise was Carnival Mardi Gras, paid big bucks to get the best cabin, a porthole. It brings a smile to my face remembering how small the cabin was and experiencing cruising magic. The Mardi Gras, was sunk in port to improve the reef. I am enjoying the trip down memory lane.

mew1

[Copper10-8]

Carnival's Festivale (No longer in service) in 1978. Haven't stopped since. It went to the Virgin Islands.

 

rms Transvaal Castle (1966-2004) Built in 1962 by John Brown & Company, Ltd at Clydebank, Scotland as ocean liner Transvaal Castle for Union-Castle Line (UK) for the Southampton-South Africa (Durban) service. She was the second largest in the Union-Castle fleet and the only one-class express liner ever conceived for that historic run.

 

Transvaal Castle was the last in a series of three similar but not identical ships planned by the Union-Castle Line in the 1950s as replacements for the company's oldest ships. Transvaal Castle was preceded by Pendennis Castle (1958) and Windsor Castle (1960)

 

The new Tansvaal Castle set out on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to Durban, South Africa on 18 January 1962. With the new ships the travel time between the UK and South Africa was cut from 13 1/2 to 11 1/2 days, with departures fro both Southampton and Durban at 4:00 PM on Thursday, every week. In 1965 the departure day/time was changed to 1:00 PM every Friday.

 

 

International politics played an increasing role in the life of the service and after South Africa pulled out of the British Commonwealth, the government in Pretoria put greater stock in the enlargement of a South African merchant marine. In mid decade they "suggested" that Union Castle transfer two passenger ships to South African flag. Union Castle, whose sole business by then was the South Africa run, could not but comply and arranged to sell two ships to the South Africans. In 1966, the vessel was transferred to the South African Marine Corporation and renamed S. A. Vaal.

 

 

That done, she retained her Union Castle crews and continued in operation exactly as before though now wearing the white hulls of their new owners. By the mid 1970s the fleet was down to five passenger liners. The mail route was costing too much money to operate so Union Castle and Safmarine agreed to close it down. Only one of the six ships ever traded again...the S.A. Vaal.

 

 

In October 1977, she was sold to Carnival Cruise Line who converted the vessel into a cruise ship at Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan at the cost of $30 million (almost twice the initial cost), doubling the vessel's passenger capacity and installing discotheques, lounges and casinos. She was renamed Festivale and began 7-night cruising for Carnival on 28 October 1978 from Miami thereby becoming one of the line's 'First Generation' cruise ships. With Carnival creating substantially larger cruise liners, she was superseded by the new "Fun Ships" a few years later and was sent to work on 7-day cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

 

 

The winter of 1996 saw her turned over to Dolphin Cruise Lines on a bareboat charter as Island Breeze. There was still a market for passengers who preferred "traditional" looking ships, and after a brief charter with a British travel firm Thomson, Dolphin Cruise Cruise Line purchased her outright in 1998. She operated from Montego Bay, Jamaica on 7-night cruises to the Panama canal in winter and from May, 2-night and 5-night cruises from New York.

 

 

During Premiers' reorganization in the mid 1990s, all but the Oceanic (Big Red Boat I) were sold off. Premier then became an amalgamation of Dolphin and Seawind Cruises and obtained the remainder of that fleet. She was renamed Island Breeze: Big Red Boat III, as she was their third liner, and like all of their ships, had her hull painted a bright red. Premier ceased operations on September 13th, 2000. The cruise line's banker, investment firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), made the decision to pull the plug after a summer of highly visible mishaps on a fleet of aging ships that were becoming more expensive to maintain each passing day as fuel prices increased. Their ships were seized in various ports in the Caribbean, North America and Europe. Big Red Boat III was laid up at Freeport in the Bahamas.

 

By now, old, out-of-date and in need of repairs, she could find no work and was sold to the shipbreakers in Alang, India in the Summer of 2003. On June 4, 2003 she sailed as Big Boat from Freeport, Bahamas via Gibraltar, to Alang. She had the sad distinction of being the first Carnival Cruise liner to be scrapped there which occurred in 2003-2004.

[Copper10-8]

my first cruise was royal caribbean's grandeur of the seas, from baltimore to bermuda, sept 2007... DEFINITELY hooked!!

 

ms Grandeur of the Seas (1996-present) Built in 1996 by Kvaerner Masa Yard Oy, Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland as ms Grandeur of the Seas for Royal Caribbean International. RCI calls the six vessels members of the Vision class, with Legend of the Seas (1995) being the lead ship. In reality the Vision class consists of two pairs of sister ships (Legend OTS & Splendour OTS–1996 at 69,130 grt and Rhapsody OTS–1997 & Vision OTS–1998 at 78,491 grt) plus another pair of ships, one of which (Enchantment) was later lengthened, thereby being in a class by themselves (Grandeur OTS-1996 at 74,140 grt & Enchantment OTS–1997 at 80,700 grt). The six ships are not identical to each other and as such do not constitute a class by the actual definition of the term. In fact, the Vision class is named after the last ship built, and formerly the largest ship in its class.

 

The trademarks of the six ships, known as the “ships of light”, are their glass skylights and massive floor-to-ceiling windows that allow natural sunlight to come in.

 

 

When Grandeur OTS emerged from the Finnish shipyard on 20 November 1996, she measured 74,140 gross registered tons and could carry 2,446 passengers. The ship features an on-board casino, Casino Royale, on Deck 5. There are also eight themed bars and lounges, including the pool deck bar, South Pacific Lounge, Singin' in the Rain (a children's themed lounge), the Schooner and the Viking Lounge. There is an open atrium, called the Centrum, that stretches from deck 4 to deck 10. An outdoor pool is found on the top open deck (deck 9) along with four whirlpools, two on the starboard side and two on the port side. On the same deck is the indoor Solarium area with its own pool and two additional whirlpools, one on starboard and one on port. A jogging track can be found on deck 10.

 

Several youth facilities are scattered about the ship, including an Arcade area, the already mentioned Singin' in the Rain lounge, and the Explorations desk on deck 5. A special edition of RCI's daily program (The Compass), called Explorations is published specifically for children. The Spa and Fitness Center can be found on deck 9. The main dining room, known as the Great Gatsby, is located on decks 4 and 5. The show lounge, known as The Palladium is located on decks 5 and 6. The ship also contains a conference center, a library, a card/board game room (both the library and card room are located on deck 7 around the atrium area), a buffet called The Windjammer, two shuffle board courts, of course, a RCI-trademark rock wall, a photo shop, several stores specializing in jewelry, souvenirs, cigars, cigarettes, and liquor, and a piano area and the other RCI trademark circular Viking Crown Lounge.

 

 

After crossing the North Sea, British Channel and Atlantic, Grandeur of the Seas arrived in Miami, Fl. She was christened there on 13 December 1996 by her godmother, Aviva Ofer, wife of Israeli shipping magnate Sammy Ofer, and mother of Eyal Ofer, a member of the Royal Caribbean Board of Directors. She departed on her maiden voyage to the Caribbean on 14 December 1996.

Grandeur of the Seas was initially deployed on 7-night cruises from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean until 2000, when she was replaced on that run by the new Explorer of the Seas. Since 2000, Grandeur has deployed to Europe in the summer season and has been homeported in Tampa, Fl, New Orleans, La and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl for western and southern Caribbean cruising in the winter. Other summers have been spent in Eastern U.S. ports such as Norfolk, Va, Baltimore, Md, and Philadelphia, Pa, visiting the Caribbean, Bermuda, New England and the Canadian Maritimes.

 

 

While docking in Costa Maya, Mexico on 21 April 2005, a 42-foot long hole was torn in Grandeur's hull when she collided with the concrete pier. The hole was located on deck one of the ship, approximately 5-foot above the waterline, and was 5 feet wide at its widest. According to Royal Caribbean, winds of 17 miles per hour plus a 3-knot strong current contributed to the accident. Grandeur wound up staying an extra two days at Costa Maya awaiting materials to patch up the hole. Consequently, her next seven day cruise had to be shortened to five days. Upon return to the U.S. the ship was dry-docked so the damage could be repaired.

 

 

 

For the 2010-2011 (November-April) winter season, Grandeur will be based out of Colon, Panama where she will be replacing her sister ship, Enchantment of the Seas. She will be alternating seven-night Western and Southern Caribbean itineraries. Her Western Carib. ports of calls will be Cartagena, Colombia, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Roatan, Honduras while Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Cartagena and Santa Marta, Colombia will be stops on her Southern Carib. cruises.

[MiamiSpartan]

M first cruise was on NCL's Westward in 1993....

I remember looking over to see RCCL's Majesty of the Seas and thinking it was such a HUGE ship!! :D

[Mrs.Linarcos]

My first cruise was on the SS DOLPHIN, she was with Pacquet Ulyssess Line then, in May 1981 and she went to the Bahamas on all of her trips. This was a 3 day cruise, I didn't get interior photos of her then, but I made up for it when I cruised on her in '96 and '97. A wonderful little ship. That first cruise led to 57 more. Haven't been on another cruise since my husband passed away.

[Copper10-8]

First "cruise" was a T/A in 1950 (still don't know if it was the SS United States or the SS Washington). I was four years old, and Army Dad was transferred to Stuttgart, Germany. Second "cruise was in 1954 (on one of those ships) back to the US.) Just remember being very seasick each way, sleeping in a bunk bed, being offered half-melted chocolate ice cream, throwing up constantly, hating my little brother for not being sick, and arriving back in New York. Scared and overwhelmed! Culture shock being back in the US with - gasp - TV! Fast forward - -married, two kids. Third cruise - Pacific Princess 1977 Mexican Riviera. Fourth cruise - Pacific Princess 1978 Mexican Riviera. Three kids. Both cruises paid for by DH company. Both in summer. I am the only idiot I know who wore a dress/skirt and heels to "tour" Acapulco, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Back then, I didn't know S*** from Shinola about cruising. Have learned a lot since then, and am so glad I was able to go on so many cruises!! Can even spell places like Barbuda, Mustique, Anguilla, Petit St. Vincent, and Palm Island because I've been there! Sure do miss the days of the tall ship sailings! Not Windjammer, though did sail on Flying Cloud once.

 

 

 

ss United States (1952-present) Built in 1952 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Newport News, Va for United States Lines. Inspired by the exemplary service of the British liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth which transported hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops to Europe during World War II, the United States government decided to sponsor construction of a large and very fast merchant vessel capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers. Designed by renowned American naval architect and marine engineer William Francis Gibbs, the liner's construction was a joint effort between the United States Navy and United States Lines. The U.S. government underwrote $50 million of the $78 million construction cost, with the ship's operators, United States Lines, contributing the remaining $28 million. In exchange, she was designed to be easily converted into a troopship with a capacity of 15,000 troops, or a hospital ship in the case of war.

 

Her keel was laid and her hull was constructed in a graving dock. The United States was built to exacting Navy specifications, which required that she be heavily compartmentalized and have separate engine rooms to enable her to survive should she be damaged in war.

 

 

To minimize the risk of fire, the designers of the United States did not use a single piece of wood in her framing, accessories or decorations. There were no wood interior surfaces. Fittings, including all furniture and fabrics, were custom made in glass, metal and spun glass fiber to ensure they were in full compliance with strict fireproof guidelines set by the U.S. Navy. Even the clothes hangers in the luxury cabins were made of aluminum. The only wooden equipment used in the construction of the vessel was in the bilge keels and butcher blocks in the galleys. The grand piano in the ballroom was even made of a rare, fire-resistant species of wood, and was originally specified to be made of aluminum. The grand piano was accepted after a demonstration in which gasoline was poured upon the wood and lit without causing the wood itself to catch fire.

 

The construction of the ship's superstructure involved the largest use of aluminum in any construction project to that time, and presented a special challenge to the builders in joining the aluminum structure to the steel decks below. The significant use of aluminum provided extreme weight savings. At 105 feet beam, the United States was built to Panamax capacity, ensuring that she could clear the Panama Canal locks with just 2 feet to spare on either side.

 

The United States had the most powerful engine installation in a merchant marine vessel. She was capable of steaming astern at over 20 knots, and could carry enough fuel and stores to steam non-stop for over 10,000 nautical miles.

 

 

 

Also known as "the Big U", she was used on the New York City to Northern Europe service. At 53,329 gross tons, she still is the largest ocean liner to date built entirely in the United States. Embarking on her maiden voyage on July 4, 1952, she smashed the transatlantic speed record held by the Queen Mary for the previous 14 years by over 10 hours, making her maiden crossing from the Ambrose Lightship at New York harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots (40.96 mph). The liner also broke the westbound crossing record by returning to America in 3 days 12 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 34.51 knots (39.71 mph), thereby capturing both the eastbound and westbound prestigious Blue Ribands. This marked the first time a U.S.-flagged ship held the Blue Riband, surpassing European speed records which had stood for decades. The United States lost the eastbound record in 1990 to HSC Hoverspeed Great Britain, an ocean-going catamaran, who made the run in 3 days 7 hours 54 minutes, travelling at an average speed of 36.6 knots (67.8 km/h). United States still holds the westbound record, and remains the fastest ocean liner to cross in either direction. She would maintain a 30-knot (35 mph) crossing speed on the North Atlantic in a service career that lasted 17 years.

 

The United States plied the transatlantic with passenger service until 1969, and she outlasted the demise of her original owners. While at Newport News for her annual overhaul in 1969, her owners decided to take her out of service and she was laid up at Newport News. A few years later, she was moved to Norfolk, Va. Since then, ownership has been passed between several companies.

 

In 1978 she was sold to private interests who hoped to revitalize the liner in a time-share cruise ship format. Financing fell through and the ship was placed up for auction by MARAD (the United States Marine Administration). During the 1980s she was considered by the United States Navy as a troop ship or a hospital ship to be called the USS United States, but this plan never materialized. In 1984, the ship's remaining fittings and furniture were sold at auction in Norfolk.

 

 

In 1992, a new consortium of owners bought the vessel and had her towed to Turkey and then Ukraine, where she underwent asbestos removal. No viable agreements were reached in the U.S. for a reworking of the vessel and eventually she was towed to her current dock in South Philadelphia, where she has been moored since 1996.

 

 

In 2003, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) purchased the ship from the estate of Edward Cantor when she was put up for auction after his death with the stated intent of fully restoring her to a service role in their newly-announced American-flagged Hawaiian passenger service called NCL America. However, she is currently still berthed in Philadelphia, PA until a decision is made about her fate.

 

[Copper10-8]

First "cruise" was a T/A in 1950 (still don't know if it was the SS United States or the SS Washington). I was four years old, and Army Dad was transferred to Stuttgart, Germany. Second "cruise was in 1954 (on one of those ships) back to the US.) Just remember being very seasick each way, sleeping in a bunk bed, being offered half-melted chocolate ice cream, throwing up constantly, hating my little brother for not being sick, and arriving back in New York. Scared and overwhelmed! Culture shock being back in the US with - gasp - TV! Fast forward - -married, two kids. Third cruise - Pacific Princess 1977 Mexican Riviera. Fourth cruise - Pacific Princess 1978 Mexican Riviera. Three kids. Both cruises paid for by DH company. Both in summer. I am the only idiot I know who wore a dress/skirt and heels to "tour" Acapulco, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Back then, I didn't know S*** from Shinola about cruising. Have learned a lot since then, and am so glad I was able to go on so many cruises!! Can even spell places like Barbuda, Mustique, Anguilla, Petit St. Vincent, and Palm Island because I've been there! Sure do miss the days of the tall ship sailings! Not Windjammer, though did sail on Flying Cloud once.

 

ss Washington (1932-1965) Built in 1931 as ss Washington for the Transatlantic Steamship Company by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, NJ. By the time she was launched on 20 August 1932 in slipway O, Transatlantic Steamship's assets had been acquired by International Mercantile Marine, and SS Washington went into service for the United States Lines following delivery on 2 May 1933.

 

At the time of their construction, Washington and her sister ship ss Manhattan (1931), also built by New York Shipbuilding, were the largest passenger liners ever built in the United States, a status they held until the 1939 launch of ss America. Washington and Manhattan were two of the few pure liners built by New York Shipbuilding, which had previously built a large number of cargo liners. Accommodations were 580 in Cabin class, 400 in Tourist, and 150 in Third classes. Both ships were to garner a reputation for a very high standard of service and luxury.

 

 

 

 

On 10 May 1933 Washington departed New York on her maiden voyage to Hamburg, Germany via Plymouth, England. She would join her sister ship Manhattan on this run, a route she would continue to serve with only one short break until December 1939, when U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt invoked the 1939 Neutrality Act against Germany. Right before that, the ship made two round-trip voyages to Bordeaux, France in order to repatriate stranded U.S. citizens. On 13 January 1940, both ships then moved to a New York-Naples-Genoa, Italy passenger and freight run until Italy declared war on Great Britain and France in June 1940.

 

 

On 30 May 1940, Washington made one special voyage departing New York for Le Verdon, France and Lisbon, Portugal where she picked up 939 and 836 U.S. refugees respectively. On the morning of June 11, 1940 while off the Portuguese coast on her way to Galway, Ireland, she was stopped by a German submarine which signaled her captain, Harry Manning, that she intended to “torpedo the ship” and that he had "10 minutes to abandon ship." In response, Capt. Manning sounded the general alarm, ordered that Washington’s watertight doors be closed and that her passengers report to their assigned lifeboats. According to the captain, the operation of stowing the passengers in the boats consummated with commendable calm and lack of confusion. While the boat loading was in progress, Washington’s crew continued to flash the words “American” and “Washington” to the German submarine. When this was apparently not immediately understood, the message was changed to “American ship”. After some more anxious time went by, the German submarine flashed “Thought you were another ship; please go on!” Capt. Manning did not hesitate and sped away from the sub at full speed for half an hour, arriving safely at Galway the next day. The ss Washington's normal passenger capacity was 1,083, but when she finally arrived from that voyage in New York on 21 June 1940, she had 1,787 refugees aboard, including 700 children. Passengers slept with lifebelts under their pillows. They slept on cots in the Grand Salon, Palm Court, library, post office, swimming pool, and other public places. Infants slept in baskets and bath water was rationed. After two more transatlantic voyages, it was felt that the increasing danger from German submarines was too severe. As a result, effective 26 July 1940, both Washington and Manhattan were shifted to a New York-San Francisco service, via the Panama Canal.

 

 

(Rose Kennedy with daughters and sons Teddy and Bobby on ss Washington enroute to Europe)

 

On 6 June, 1941, Washington was requisitioned and leased by the U.S. Navy. She was subsequently commissioned as the troop transport ship USS Mount Vernon AP-22 on 16 June, 1941 with Captain Donald B. Beary, USN, in command. Her conversion from luxury passenger liner to military troopship was performed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Once commissioned, USS Mount Vernon trained along the east coast while mounting tension in the Far East drew the United States toward participation in World War II. In the fall, the new transport joined a convoy at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and sailed for Cape Town, South Africa. As Mount Vernon steamed toward Cape Horn, word arrived that Japan had attacked the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hi. In U.S. Navy service, Mount Vernon frequently sailed in company with the other United States Lines fast liners, her sister Manhattan (USS Wakefield) and the America (USS West Point).

 

[/i]

 

The transport reached Singapore on 13 January 1942 and disembarked British and Canadian troops there. Her crew watched aerial dogfights between Japanese and British aircraft over the city and the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft before sailing on 16 January for the British Crown Colony of Aden (now Yemen). There, she embarked Australian veterans of the Mediterranean theater for transportation to Ceylon and Fremantle, Australia. In Australia she embarked civilian and military escapees from the Philippines, including Mrs. F. E. Sayre, wife of the U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippines and daughter of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, as well as naval survivors from ships sunk in the Macassar Straits battle. After additional port calls in Adelaide, South Australia and Wellington, New Zealand, Mount Vernon sailed for San Francisco, CA, arriving there on 31 March 1942.

 

For the next 2 years, Mount Vernon sailed from San Francisco to ports in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Hawaii, carrying the soldiers, marines, and sailors who would build the bases, and then fight from them, until bringing the ultimate victory over Japan in 1945. Her last such voyage began from San Francisco on 21 February 1944. Steaming via Melbourne, Australia, she proceeded to Bombay, India where she disembarked her troops. She returned to Melbourne, and sailed for Boston, Mass by way of the Panama Canal, arriving there on 22 May 1944.

 

On 4 June 1944 Mount Vernon began a series of voyages to British and Mediterranean ports, carrying men needed for the massive buildup on the European continent which would ultimately bring Germany to her knees. Her crossings continued after the war, as she carried occupation troops over and brought veterans home. Returning from her last such voyage on 3 January 1946, Mount Vernon was decommissioned on 18 January 1946.

 

 

The ship was returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission, regaining her original name of Washington at that time. Her luxurious pre-War appointments which had been carefully removed and stored were brought back onboard. Only one of her decks had been restored to its pre-war standards, however, providing accommodations for 1,106 passengers in a single class. On 18 January 1946, Washington was chartered to her original owner, United States Lines, for service on her original route, New York to Hamburg via Southampton, England. In her first commercial post-War voyage, she departed New York for Southampton on 2 April 1946 to pick up war brides and children.

 

Five years later, after making her last commercial voyage from Southampton to New York on 12 October 1951, United States Lines returned her to the U.S. government and the Maritime Commission which placed her on Military Sea Transportation Service duty through 1953. The final phase of her career found her transporting soldiers and their families between New York and Bremerhaven, West Germany.

 

 

In February 1954, Washington was mothballed as part of the National Defense Reserve fleet on the Hudson River, becoming the largest ship ever to travel up that river north of New York City. She remained there until she was sold for scrap on 28 June 1965 to the New York-based Union Metals & Alloys Corporation and subsequently broken up by Lipsett Inc. at Kearny, NJ later that year.

[Copper10-8]

Thanks Copper for the pictures!! They were awesome!! Our first cruise was Carnival Inspiration in January 2005. It was a group cruise consisting of Boyds Bears Collectors.. Can you imagine a bunch of bear loving people??!!! I have been addicted ever since..

 

Inspiration (1996-present) Built in 1996 as ms Inspiration by Kvaerner Masa Oy, Helsingfors/Helsinki, Finland for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line intended for Caribbean cruising. She was handed over to her new owners on 22 February 1996 and departed the yard the next day. After a North Atlantic crossing, she was officially named in Miami, FL on 16 March 1996 by her godmother Mary Anne Shula, wife of former Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula, and departed on her inaugural voyage into the Caribbean on 22 March 1996.

 

 

Inspiration belongs to the 'Fantasy-class' of ships and was the sixth vessel built in the class of eight (the others are Fantasy - 1990, Ecstasy - 1991, Elation - 1993, Fascination - 1994, Imagination - 1995, Elation -1998 and Paradise -1998). The Fantasy class has a so-called 'modern ocean/cruise liner design', with all of its cabins situated within the hull and only a handful of suites on the superstructure, similar to Carnival's Holiday-class ships which were built in the late eighties. Inspiration and six of her sisters have two fixed propellors as opposed to the last two ships of the class, Elation and Paradise who have an Azipod azimuth thruster propulsion system. The class of eight were also the last cruise ships built with their lifeboats situated on their upper deck.

 

In terms of layout and function, Inspiration is virtually identical to her sister Fantasy-class ships. The ship consists of ten decks with most of the public rooms concentrated on Atlantic, Promenade and Lido decks (8 - 10), while her passenger cabins are located on Riviera, Main, Upper and Empress decks (4 - 7). Like other Carnival ships, her public areas are designed and decorated in a flamboyant style by Carnival's award winning (interior) naval architect Joe Farcus, who has a penchant for augmenting the interiors with more than a dash of neon and glitz. While passenger opinions of the decor ranged from glamorous and elegant to gaudy and gauche, there is no denying that Farcus' whimsical design style enhances the Inspiration's "Fun Ship" aura. The ship received a routine dry-dock refurbishment in December 2004/January 2005.

 

 

The ship's centerpiece is its six-story Grand Atrium complete with glass-enclosed elevators. A favorite gathering place before dinner is at the semicircular Grand Atrium Plaza & Bar on the floor of the Atrium where guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks to the accompaniment of classical music performed by a trio. Inspiration's public spaces encompass a diversity of styles and design elements celebrating the arts and literature. Among the venues that display those themes are the Paris Main Lounge, Rhapsody in Blue Piano Bar, the Rock and Roll Dance Club/Disco and the Shakespeare Library.

 

One of the most expansive public areas is the area known as Inspiration Boulevard on Promenade Deck, which is decorated with striking columns featuring crafted classical reliefs of the Muses. Promenade Deck gets especially busy at night as it connects the main "evening" lounges, such as the Candlelight Aft Lounge, Avant-Garde Lounge, Cafe des Artists, and the Violins Bar, which is next to the Monte Carlo Casino. Other public areas include the Fun Shops shopping mall, the Video Arcade & Club O2 and the ship's photo gallery. There is also an Internet cafe while Wi-Fi is available in most public rooms.

 

 

In late 2006, Carnival Cruise Line announced a massive multi-million dollar product enhancement initiative to its Fantasy class fleet known as "Evolutions Of Fun" which was completed in 2009. The refit consisted of new ship names, with all eight ships receiving a repainted name with the "Carnival" prefix (i.e. Carnival Fantasy, etc.) after their final refurbishment to their pools and outside decks. Inspiration became 'Carnival Inspiration' in November 2007.

 

A nine-hole miniature golf course was added to the forward sun deck while her aft pool deck was replaced by a 'Carnival WaterWorks aqua park' with multiple slides. The main pool was completely refurbished and redesigned in a tropical theme with new materials and new spiral staircases to the top deck and their original waterslides were removed.

 

The adults-only area (around the funnel) was moved to Promenade deck aft where it is now known as the 'Serenity adults-only area', replacing the children's wading pool with the wading pool becoming part of the new waterpark. The restaurants and the majority of the public areas received new decors as well as new electronic equipment. Finally, all staterooms received new decors, new beds and new flat screen televisions.

 

Carnival Inspiration also received balconies to ninety-eight existing cabins, transforming them from ocean view staterooms. In addition, eight of her suites on the Upper Deck received larger balconies. Twenty four balconies now 'extend' from the vessel mid-ships and another twelve near her stern. The remaining sixty are located at her aft section.

 

In addition, all her staterooms were completely refurbished, as well as virtually all dining, dancing and entertainment venues. Guest corridors were renovated and a new “Circle C” facility catering to 12- to 14-year olds added, as well. Carnival inspiration received all these enhancement and upgrades while in dry-dock in November 2007.

 

 

Carnival Inspiration currently sails on four and five-day itineraries to the Western Caribbean from Tampa, Fl. Her four-day itinerary calls at Cozumel, Mexico while her five day cruises add George Town, Grand Cayman to that.

[oklaviking]

Our first cruise was on the NCL Sky. Yes we were hooked after that. We have sailed only a few times after that. Saving money so we can sail as a family. So we could share the wonderful experience with our loved ones.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on Costa's Frederico C. in the 1970s. My late wife got "hooked" on the all Italian crew. :-)

 

ts Federico C (1958-2000) Built in 1958 as ts Federico C. by Cantieri Navale di Ansaldo Sestri Ponente, Genoa, Italy for Costa Armatori (later Crocieri/Costa Cruises). She was the first new built for Costa (named after one of the founder’s sons) and, after being delivered on 2 March 1958, was initially used serving passengers in three classes on Costa’s liner service between Genoa and Buenos Aires, Argentina with a stop at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 

 

In June 1966, she was replaced on this route by the then new Eugenio C. so Costa began operating Federico C. on a monthly trans-Atlantic service between Naples and Genoa, Italy, Cannes, France, Barcelona, Spain, Lisbon, Portugal and Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale), Florida with additional stops in the Caribbean (San Juan, PR) and at La Guairá, Venezuela. The ship was remodeled in 1968 which changed her passenger accommodations to 186 in first class and 1,450 in tourist class, interchangeable to 1,259 for one-class cruising. That service would last until 1972 when a decision was made to use her for cruising exclusively.

 

As passenger liner service continued to decline, Federico C underwent another refit that gave her a one class cruising capacity of 700 passengers. When this was completed, the ship started alternating Caribbean cruises with her trans-Atlantic runs. However, with passenger loads dropping rapidly in the late seventies, she undertook more and more cruises only resulting in full-time cruising taking place between 1972 and 1983.

 

 

In 1983, she was purchased by the new Premier Cruise Line becoming their first ship. Premier Cruise Lines pioneered three and four-night Bahamas cruises out of Port Canaveral on the central coast of Florida. At the time they began operating, Premier was affiliated with Greyhound and would soon be known as the “Official cruise line of Walt Disney World.” When they took possession of the former Federico C, they renamed her Royale and had her hull painted in a bright cherry red color. In 1986, Royale was changed to StarShip Royale but unofficially both the ship and the line became known as “The Big Red Boat.” StarShip’s (and Premier’s) specialty was a three of four-night cruise packaged with central Florida hotel stay plus a visit to Walt Disney World or the Kennedy Space Center.

 

 

In 1988 after additional “Big Red Boats” had joined Premier, StarShip Royale was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line who put her in dry-dock for an extensive refit. When she emerged, she was called SeaBreeze I and used on seven-night cruises from Miami, Fl to various Caribbean itineraries.

 

In 1997, she returned once again to Premier Cruises (as opposed to Premier Cruise Line) as part of the consolidation between Dolphin, Seawind and Premier Cruise Lines. This time though, her hull and funnel were painted a deep blue which led to the affectionate name of “The Small Blue Boat”. The second time around, SeaBreeze I began operating seven-night Caribbean cruises out of Miami, Fl. 1999 found the ship operating out of New York City in the summer (2-night gambling and party cruises to nowhere leaving on Fridays and 5-night cruises to Newport, R.I., Portland, Me. and Halifax, NS, departing on Sundays) and out of Montego Bay, Jamaica in the winter. Later that year, Premier Cruises announced plans to change SeaBreeze I’s name to Big Red Boat II and her winter itinerary to seven-night cruises out of Tampa, Fl. (she would still cruise out of New York in the summer). These plans would never materialize! As a result of stiff competition from larger and newer fleets by other cruise lines however, Premier was unable to sell tickets at profit, selling below cost every ticket from July, 2000 onward. The line’s assets were seized by creditors in September 2000, causing the line to go into bankruptcy and eventually, to fold.

 

 

Like the other Premier-owned ships in various locations, SeaBreeze I was detained by port authorities in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 14 September 2000. Ownership eventually passed to the New York Merchant Bankers Donald, Lufkin and Jenrette and their subsidiary Sea Ventures III. SeaBreeze I departed Halifax for Charleston, NC, however on Sunday 17 December 2001 encountered 25-foot seas and high winds approximately 200 nautical miles off Cape Charles, Va. Her captain, Solon Popedopalis, radioed in a distress call at 11:30 AM, picked up by the Coast Guard, and indicated that the ship was operating on one engine and was taking on water in her engine room.

 

 

 

The United States Coast Guard subsequently responded with two HC-130 Hercules aircraft and two HH-60J Jayhawk helicopters. Upon their arrival, they successfully evacuated SeaBreeze’s skeleton crew of 34 in the two helicopters and transported them to Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. where they were treated for mild hypothermia. SeaBreeze I developed a severe list and sank in international waters 225 nautical miles east of the Virginia coast on Monday 19 December 2000.

[Copper10-8]

Some additional pics of Federico C.

 

 

At Valetta, Malta

 

 

In dry-dock at Genoa in the seventies

 

 

At Genoa in the seventies

 

 

 

 

As SeaBreeze in Miami in 1990

 

 

As SeaBreeze in Miami in December 1990

 

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was when I was 24 back in 2002. My friends and I took a week long cruise on the Carnival Elation. We went to Puerto Vallarta, Matzatlan, and Cabo. We had a great time.

 

ms Elation (1998-present) Built in 1998 as ms Elation by Kvaerner Masa Oy Shipyard, Helsingfors/Helsinki, Finland for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line for Caribbean cruising. She was handed over to her new owners on 29 February 1998. After a North Atlantic crossing, she was officially named in Miami, FL by her godmother, Shari Arison, daughter of Carnival founder Ted Arison and sister of Carnival Corporation president and CEO Micky Arison. On 1 April 1998, she departed on her inaugural sixteen-day Panama Canal cruise to Los Angeles, CA. Besides Mexican Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles (San Pedro). Elation has sailed four and five-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, Fl as well as Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, TX.

 

Elation belongs to the 'Fantasy-class' of ships and was the seventh vessel built in the class of eight (the others are Fantasy - 1990, Ecstasy - 1991, Elation - 1993, Fascination - 1994, Imagination - 1995, Inspiration - 1996 and Paradise -1998). The Fantasy class has a so-called 'modern ocean/cruise liner design', with all of its cabins situated within the hull and only a handful of suites on the superstructure, similar to Carnival's Holiday-class ships which were built in the late eighties.

 

 

Elation was the first Carnival ship to feature a dedicated conference center, geared toward accommodating small meetings and incentive groups. She and Paradise differ from their sisters in that they have state-of-the art Azipod azimuth thruster propulsion as opposed to two fixed propellors on the first six ships of the class. As a matter of fact, Elation has the distinction of being the first cruise ship equipped with azipods greatly enhancing the ship's maneuverability, and since installed on many of the newest mega-liners. They were also the last cruise ships built with their lifeboats situated on their upper deck.

 

In terms of layout and function, Elation is virtually identical to her sister Fantasy-class ships. The ship consists of ten decks with most of the public rooms concentrated on Atlantic, Promenade and Lido decks (8-10), while her passenger cabins are located on Riviera, Main, Upper and Empress decks (4-7). Like other Carnival ships, her public areas are designed and decorated in a flamboyant style by Carnival's award winning architect Joe Farcus, who has a penchant for augmenting the interiors with more than a dash of neon and glitz. While passenger opinions of the decor ranged from glamorous and elegant to gaudy and gauche, there is no denying that Farcus' whimsical design style enhances the Elation's "Fun Ship" aura.

 

 

The ship's centerpiece is its six-story Grand Atrium complete with glass-enclosed elevators. A favorite gathering place before dinner is at the semicircular Grand Atrium Plaza Bar on the floor of the Atrium where guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks to the accompaniment of classical music performed by a trio. Elation's public spaces encompass a diversity of styles and design elements celebrating the arts of music, literature and big screen with references to the Muses and other Greek mythological figures added to the mix. Among the venues with an arts theme are the Romeo and Juliet Lounge, Gatsby's Great Bar, the Cole Porter Club and the Jekyll & Hyde Disco.

 

 

Other public areas onboard are the Mikado, a Japanese-themed theater featuring a decor of oversized fans, rice paper walls and gold-leaf chrysanthemums and the Mark Twain Library, which evokes the spirit of the fabled writer with authentic replicas of famous riverboats such as the Natchez, as well as a distinctive steamboat motif.

One of the most expansive public areas is the area known as Elation Way on Promenade Deck, which is decorated with striking columns featuring crafted classical reliefs of the Muses. Promenade Deck gets especially busy at night as it connects the main "evening" lounges, such as the Romeo and Juliet Lounge whose design is inspired by the star-crossed lovers in the famous Shakespeare play and the Drama Bar, which is next to the Casablanca Casino (it sports a Moroccan design after the classic film of the same name), Dukes, which plays tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington. Other public areas include the Galleria shopping mall, the Virtual World arcade and the ship's photo gallery. There is also an Internet cafe while Wi-Fi is available in most public rooms.

In late 2006, Carnival Cruise Line announced a massive multi-million dollar product enhancement initiative to its Fantasy class fleet known as "Evolutions Of Fun" which is expected to be completed in 2009. The refit will consist of new ship names, with all eight ships receiving a repainted name with the "Carnival" prefix (i.e. Carnival Fantasy, etc.) after their final refurbishment to their pools and outside decks. Elation became 'Carnival Elation' in December 2007.

As part of the upgade, a miniature golf course will be added to the forward sun deck. The aft pool deck will be replaced by a 'Carnival WaterWorks aqua park' with multiple slides. The main pool will be completely refurbished and redesigned in a tropical theme with new materials and new spiral staircases to the top deck and their original waterslides will be removed.

 

 

The adults-only area (around the funnel) will be moved to Promenade deck aft and will be known as the 'Serenity adults-only area', replacing the children's wading pool on the back of Promenade deck with the wading pool becoming part of the new waterpark. The restaurant and the majority of the public areas will receive new decors as well as new electronic equipment. Finally, all staterooms will receive new decors, new beds and new flat screen televisions.

 

Carnival Elation will add balconies to ninety-eight existing cabins transforming them from the current ocean view staterooms. In addition, eight of her suites on the Upper Deck will get larger balconies. Twenty four balconies will 'extend' from the vessel mid-ships and another twelve near her stern. The remaining sixty two will be located at her aft section.

 

Lastly. all her staterooms will be completely refurbished, as well as virtually all dining, dancing and entertainment venues. Guest corridors will be renovated and a new “Circle C” facility catering to 12- to 14-year olds will be added, as well. Carnival Elation is scheduled to receive the "Evalution of Fun" upgrades prior to the end of 2010.

 

 

Carnival Elation currently sails on three (Thursday departure) and four-day (Sunday departure) itineraries to Baja, Mexico (Ensenada) from San Diego, CA. Beginning in February 2009, Elation began making port calls at Avalon on Catalina Island on her four-day schedule with her first visit on 16 February 2009. On 17 September 2009, Carnival Cruise Lines announced that Elation will be deployed to Mobile, Alabama to replace the Carnival Fantasy and operate four and five-day Western Caribbean cruises beginning in May 2010.