For several days, there was a great “open house” onboard the liner – including more reporters, travel agents, City officials and prospective passengers. The maiden voyage, which was heavily booked, began at noon on Wednesday, July 3rd. The Fourth of July, American Independence Day, had been considered, but the idea dropped. As the sparkling ship sailed out of the port, it was expected to be a record run – but only if the weather and the sea cooperated. Now, just days ago, it had been exactly 70 years since the brilliant United States cast off from New York’s Pier 86.
With Margaret Truman, daughter of the president, and designer William Francis Gibbs himself onboard, Commodore Harry Manning was in command. Fares for the inaugural trip started at $360 in first class, $230 in cabin class and $170 in tourist class. At this time, some facts and statistics, previously classified, were released. She cost $72 million, total passengers and crew were placed at 3,101 and all while her emergency troop capacity was fixed at 12-14,000 (but this could be expanded to 15,000 and even as many as 18,000 if needed). The basic details were 53,329 gross tons, 990 feet long, 101 feet wide (or just enough to pass through the Panama Canal), a service speed of 25-30 knots and a maximum of 2,008 passengers.
Going eastbound, the French liner Liberte passed the American flagship and reported she was exceeding 35 knots. Yes, she had succeeded and grabbed the prized Blue Riband with an average speed of 35.59 knots, meaning 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes between New York’s Ambrose Light and Bishop’s Rock in Cornwall, England. The United States shaved 10 hours off the previous record held by the Queen Mary.
The United States made worldwide headlines, appeared in newsreels and television news casts and all while a record-breaking 20,000 people welcomed the ship to Southampton’s Ocean Terminal. Even Winston Churchill sent a congratulatory telegram as did the master of the Queen Mary.
The westbound maiden crossing was an equal success: 3 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes, meaning an average of 34.51 knots. President Truman himself traveled to New York to welcome the triumphant ship. Immediately, the United States became the most popular single ocean liner in the world and began averaging 90-95% capacity on every sailing. Quickly, she settled down to a 5-day schedule between New York, Le Havre and Southampton; sometimes she continued to Bremerhaven, which meant an added day. At New York, she tended to arrive before 8 in the morning, spend three or four days at berth and then depart at Noon on her next crossing.
But yes, it has been 70 years ago since the United States became a great triumph – and as the New York Times called her, “the maritime wonder of the world”.
Thu May 18th Fort Lauderdale: Cruising growth! The luxury segment of the worldwide cruise industry has grown 119 percent since 2012 to an annual passenger capacity of approximately 721,078 passengers in 2022, from 324,512 in 2012. With more new ships under construction or on order, the market segment is projected to continue to grow to reach nearly 1.2 million passengers by 2027.
Above: The luxurious Sea Dream II at St Thomas in a photo by Andy Hernandez
The expedition market, albeit smaller than the luxury segment, has seen even more dramatic growth over the past 10 years, from approximately 67,000 passengers in 2012 to 367,557 in 2022, for a 450 percent expansion. The market is projected to grow to more than 430,000 passengers annually by 2027. And more new ships are in the planning stages.
While the percentage growth for luxury and expedition cruise market segments is dramatic, the contemporary and premium market segments are far larger at a total of approximately 27.5 million passengers in 2022 from 17.6 million in 2012.
Busy day! Cunard has reported that the first day (last Tuesday) of bookings for new ship Queen Anne proved their busiest booking day in a decade.
Temporary cuts! Carnival Cruise Line is limiting dining options across its 23-ship fleet. According to the cruise line, the measure is part of an effort to reduce the impact of crew shortages, which are impacting its culinary team. The company is one of many facing crew challenges. PS: A message from friends aboard another cruise line and reporting similar cuts to onboard services, especially specialty dining venues, and that some hotel staff had just been hired the day of departure.
Above: the Nieuw Amsterdam at New York’s Pier 92 in Aug 1969
Sun Apr 24th At Home in Secaucus: Busy times! Within two days, Norwegian Cruise Lines will have no less than 5 sailings from New York – and on 5 different ships. Today, the Norwegian Getaway & Norwegian Gem set off for Europe and their summer cruise schedules; the Norwegian Escape follows tomorrow, again to European shores; on Tue, the Norwegian Joy sets course for a cruise to Bermuda; and finally, on Thursday, the Norwegian Dawn also sails off to European ports .
The Norwegian Escape berthed at Tortola in a photo by Andy Hernandez
But back to New York, on Sunday afternoon, Apr 24th, and three cruise ships in port – Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Getaway & Ocean Explorer
Contrast: The giant Norwegian Getaway compared to the expedition cruise ship Ocean Explorer
The 93,500-ton Norwegian Gem was completed in 2007 and can accommodate 2,394 passengers
Commissioned in 2011, the Norwegian Getaway was completed in 2011 and can carry up to 3,963 passengers. She is seen on the north side of Pier 88 and where the likes of the Normandie once berthed (and later burned & then capsized) and later welcomed the likes of the France.
The two NCL both had delayed sailings – welcoming over 5,000 combined passengers
On Tuesday, the gigantic Norwegian Joy was in port. It’s capacity: 3,883.
Huge dimensions … afloat & in the skies above …
Looking east across the Hudson: A moody, misty April morning …
Mon Apr 25th: At Home in Secaucus: More & more ships are returning to the high seas.As an example, the Noordam re-entered service for Holland America Line yesterday in Florida. After a 25-month hiatus, the 2006-built cruise ship is resuming commercial service with two repositioning cruises ahead of a summer program in Alaska. First, the vessel is offering first a Panama Canal cruise. The 17-night voyage sails from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego and features visits to eight ports in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. Once on the West Coast, the Noordam embarks on a four-night Pacific Coastal itinerary that links San Diego and Vancouver, with a stop in Victoria.
Earlier days: Holland-America’s Veendam, the former Argentina, departing from New York in 1982.
On Tuesday, I turn 74! Not an especially amazing age (especially since a friend here in town is 107 and she is still going strong), but a number for me to perhaps stop, pause, take time for appreciation. From that little boy, of a most loving & nurturing & supportive family, and who played with toy boats on his grandmother’s kitchen table (and even who placed white cotton in the little smokestacks to suggest steam & therefore activity) all those decades ago, it all just sort of began.
And watching the Hudson River & all those ships back in the golden 1950s … with Grandmother Miller & my brother George
And my very first visit to a ship — my other grandparents were sailing on the Queen of Bermuda & it was actually my birthday, May 3rd 1953, and I turned five
Now, having traveled on hundreds of ships to hundreds, maybe thousands of places (over 125 countries to date and itineraries from the Arctic to the Amazon), then writing books (over 115 of them), belonging to maritime groups & societies, researching & collecting, and altogether meeting so many people, often very interesting people & some becoming lifelong friends. So yes, a pause this week especially: Seated in a favorite chair at home, a cup of coffee & maybe a book at hand and a big smile. Yes, I made it this far — and maybe, well, still more, maybe even lots more, to come. And a heartfelt thank you to you and for all of you — friends, shipmates, helpers, those friendly faces along the promenade decks. PS: Miss Marnell was my Hoboken High School English teacher. She was strict, feared, a bit of a terror in a simple black dress, but she loved travel and especially travel by ship. She knew of my interest and, back in July 1964, during summer vacation from school, she sent me a postcard from the SS Orsova and from faraway Fiji. A post card especially to “me” from the formidable Miss Marnell — well, that ignited something. I wanted to be a teacher & that traveler just like her! And just about the same time, I wrote a letter to the great maritime historian & author Frank Braynard and told him I too liked ships and could I come to work with him one day. His reply was wonderfully encouraging — plus I had a “real” reply (in my hands) from the very busy, legendary Mr Braynard. Yes, I had all his books in my then small library. A few years later (1968), I actually met him — and we even had lunch together — and then, hark, I began working with him (in 1977) and soon thereafter we even wrote books together, as co-authors. So yes, I have been so, so lucky! Again, thank you to all …
Above: Greek Line’s Queen Anna Maria at Boston in 1968
Mon Apr 3rd At Home in Secaucus: Lee & Rosemary are longtime cruising friends (we crossed the Pacific together, from Tokyo to Los Angeles, some twenty years ago, for example, and did a Viking Ocean trip more recently). Today, Rosemary wrote: “Lee and I returned from a spring cruise adventure on March 24th. The cruise had been planned a long time ago, not knowing if we’d be able to go or not. Well—we DID!!! We sailed on Regent Seven Seas Splendor (below)from Miami to Miami for 18 days through the Caribbean. We are just short of sailing with Regent cruises for 200 days over many years; one of our favorite cruise lines. It was one of our very best cruises everywhere – maybe our happiest. A highlight: Lee turned 100 while onboard!”
And from across the seas in England, our good friend Stephen Macey wrote following our posting about P&O and the liners Canberra & Oriana: “Amazing! Regarding the original Oriana, my first encounter with her was on 26 July 1968! And I spotted the Canberra (below, at Southampton in 1979) in the background of one of your pictures, mylast encounter with her was 45 years ago this evening, prior to docking in Southampton. As I type this, now 45 years ago, I was in the Peacock Room dancing the night away before arriving in Southampton on Sunday 3 March 1977! I must confess to starting to feel a little ‘mature’!”
Another one gone! TV characters sometimes become like friends, part of our life, our world. For many years, I was a fan of the British soap EastEnders. Today, news of the passing of June Brown, who was the iconic Dot Cotton on the long-running series. Brown first appeared in the series in 1985, the year EastEnders was created. She stayed until 1993, returning to play the same character from 1997 until 2020. An EastEnders spokesperson said: “There are not enough words to describe how much June was loved and adored by everyone at EastEnders, her loving warmth, wit and great humour will never be forgotten. June created one of the most iconic characters in Dot Cotton, not just in soap but in British television, and having appeared in 2,884 episodes, June’s remarkable performances created some of EastEnders finest moments.”
Some of her biggest storylines included Nasty Nick’s murder plot, when her son, played by John Altman, planned to poison her so he could steal her big bingo winnings to use on drugs. He changed his mind at the last minute. One of her most moving and controversial moments came when her close friend Ethel, who was terminally ill, asked Dot to help her take an overdose of morphine to end her life. Dot wrestled with her Christian beliefs but ultimately decided to leave out morphine pills for Ethel to take. Her relationship with husband Jim Branning, played by the late John Bardon, was much cherished by fans of the soap. Brown remained a favourite with viewers for years, but during a podcast interview in February 2020, she confirmed that she had left the series “for good”. In the last episode she featured in, Dot Cotton – or Dot Branning – left a voicemail message for another character, Sonia Fowler, saying she had moved to Ireland.
Tue Apr 4th At Home in Secaucus: This ‘n That: Cruise lines are finding that positioning voyages with added sea days have become especially strong sellers following the covid shutdown. … Some cruise lines are increasing their mandatory charges – such as gratuities. … It’s a cruise line staple that went away due to the pandemic, but the self-serve buffet is returning. With some modification of course, cruise giant Royal Caribbean International has brought it back.
Wed Apr 6th At Home in Secaucus: Carnival Cruise Line said on Monday that the one-week period of March 28-April 3 was its busiest booking week in the company’s 50-year history, showing a double-digit increase from the previous record seven-day booking total.
Another long-ago voyage! I had a call today from a lady who sailed from New York to Le Havre on the French liner Flandre back in Sep 1959. She returned home months later, in Apr 1960, on the very same ship and wanted to know the fate of the ship. Conservative in size by North Atlantic liner standards (only 20,000 tons and with quarters for just under 800 passengers), the Flandre (seen below at New York in Jul 1962) was commissioned in 1952, but then sold to Italy’s Costa Line in 1968 and renamed Carla C (a name later advertised as Princess Carla for a charter in the late ‘60s to then newly formed Princess Cruises and then later formally renamed by Costa itself as Carla Costa). She was again sold, in 1992, to the Greek-flag Epirotiki Lines and became the Pallas Athena. Unfortunately, she was destroyed by fire at Piraeus but two years later, on Mar 24th 1994, and then her scorched remains were sold off to Turkish scrappers later that same year.
Below: Another new face! Virgin Cruises has now added its third big cruise ship, the Resilient Lady.
Post card: Permanently moored in Rotterdam harbor, friends reported an excellent stay on the preserved, 1959-built Rotterdam. They noted, “It was as if the ship was brand new!”
Thu Apr 7th At Home in Secaucus: The restart of the global cruise industry continues to pick up pace as 300 cruise ships are expected to sail in April. That’s up from 264 ships in March, and just 22 last April. There will be 71 brands operating in April, compared to just 20 a year ago in 2021.
The Carnival Sunshine leaving Nassau in a photo by Andy Hernandez
Meanwhile below, our good friend & keen photographer Justin Zizes has been at the helm of harbor vessels – and with his trusty camera in hand. While sailing along the East River and on a moody afternoon, he captured the Brooklyn Bridge (1883) and the World Trade Center (2016).
Sat Apr 9th New York City: 90th birthday for our dear friend Des Kirkpatrick – late morning drinks in a luxurious townhouse, then to lunch (just around the corner) and then back to the townhouse for cake & Champagne. A fine tribute in every way! Des was, in his long and colorful and well-traveled life, a purser on Royal Mail Lines’ Andes and then Furness-Bermuda Line’s Ocean Monarch (seen below), and did countless cruises on the likes of the Rotterdam, Kungsholm & many others. He also worked for Lindblad Travel & so sailed off some exotic, often quite remote ports of call.
The Ocean Monarch laid-up and for sale in Cornwall’s River in a view from fall 1966.
