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HISTORY - KUNGSHOLM IV (1966/79-2015) of SVENSKA AMERIKA LINIEN - III

KUNGSHOLM IV of SVENSKA AMERIKA LINIEN and her life after SAL and FLAGSHIP CRUISES
When FLAGSHIP, after turning into financial trubles, sold its diamond, KUNGSHOLM, P&O grabbed the former luxurious and wonderfull designed VIKING QUEEN of the SEVEN SEAS, KUNGSHOLM and reconstructed the vessel for the mass market the company was tending to serve with its subsidiary PRINCESS CRUISES and P&O themselves.
by Earl of Cruise
KUNGSHOLM sailing in FLAGSHIP colours
KUNGSHOLM sailing in FLAGSHIP colours - postcard, own collection
But first KUNGSHOLM’s FLAGSHIP schedule included another Trans-Pacific voyage, once organised by SVENSKA AMERIKA LINIEN, to Auckland New Zealand and Sydney Australia in January 1976. She arrived in Sydney on February 25, and although the ship would visit Sydney many more times in the future, sadly she would never visit looking as beautiful as she did on this occasion, with her two proud yellow funnels and her long sleek and elegant lines and stature, nor would she have that wonderful name KUNGSHOLM, for all too soon she would be renamed and totally rebuilt into what many, myself included, would call a monstrosity, for it was the destruction of beautifully designed ship and not just of her time, but still to this day, for she was and is perfection! But sadly, she became what can only be called a completely unbalanced looking ship, for she looked nothing like the streamlined ship that was built, to be honest, she was hideous! Her only saving grace was that parts of her interior beauty were retained. At least whilst she was with Flagship she retained all her original glory as well as her proud Name, but P&O robbed her of her great history!
After departing Australia KUNGSHOLM headed back to New York and continued on a series of cruises to the West Indies. But sadly, Flagship Cruises also fell into financial difficulties and they decided to place the Kungsholm on the market, but continued to operate her until sale in 1978. 
The superb design of KUNGSHOLM seen in Auckland New Zealand in 1967
The superb design of KUNGSHOLM seen in Auckland New Zealand in 1967 - courtsey Reuben Goossens/Jack Bishop
On January 20th, 1979 the new SEA PRINCESS departed the BREMER VULKAN shipyard and headed for her new homeport of Southampton. A great number of ship lovers were greatly disappointed when they first saw the SEA PRINCES when she was completed. SEA PRINCESS was a very different ship than they had known as KUNGSHOLM and with the forward funnel removed, it looked like a large out of place stump style of superstructure. Her the main AC unit was located and could not be removed. But why not something different was styled, withdraws itself from my understanding. Her new and stylised aft yellow funnel just did not look right either. The original angels of the "helmet styled" KUNGSHOLM funnel have been simply prolongued to nearly meet at the top. Her aft mainmast had also been removed whilst the aft decks had all been extended far aft. Her once beautifully fully glazed in promenade on Veranda deck, from just below her funnel to aft now had 80 additional cabins and a new outdoor pool aft. It meant the loss of a wonderful lounge and deck spaces! Further the new cabins are in the size of ferry quarters, and outsided "enlighted" by tiny porthole like windows. For these aditional cabins the passenger capacity of SEA PRINCESS was enlarged to 980, a far cry from luxury. The feeling on board the new ship became high density. But, thankfully some of KUNGSHOLM´s original interior features did survive, such as in the restaurant, with the famed porcelain cabinet’s, the Main Hall, etc, and other items around the ship, including her fine and warm timbers thankfully remained. But the carpet in the restaurant was now a colour shock - as if these colours had to hide the fish feedings during rough seas ...

Name and exterior appearance did not match. Do looks matter?
SEA PRINCESS´ awfull rest of the forward funnel is not that visable in this angle
SEA PRINCESS´ awfull rest of the forward funnel is not that visable in this angle ... but the new chimney, ehm, funnel - postcard, own collection
Yes! But despite her new destroyed look SEA PRINCESS was because of her charming interior a loved ship.
In due course the new SEA PRINCESS became a popular cruise ships in spite of the shock of her new look by those in the maritime community. The truth was that P&O ensured that she would provide excellent service and with good food and entertainment and with her delightful interior and overall charm she quickly won the hearts of many cruise lovers around the world over the years! And with the more and more appearing mega cruise ships, the SEA PRINCESS became an intimate ship at least.
A charming photo angle for SEA PRINCESS - postcard, own collection
The new Sea Princess accommodated 750 passengers in comfort and in style. But with all beds she could accommodate 980 guests in total. SEA PRINCESS was registered with 27,670 GRT. When she arrived for the very first time in Southampton and she was made ready to sail for Australia. Her first passengers boarded, with most of bound either for Singapore or going all the way to Sydney, Australia to replace one of P&O retiring ships.
P&O´s former rms steamer ARCADIA
P&O´s former rms steamer ARCADIA, served as cruise vessel in the Australian market - courtsey P&O
SEA PRINCESS was a troubled ship! It did not take long for the crew to figure out that SEA PRINCESS was going to be a troublesome ship. There were fuel problems, and when SEA PRINCESS arrived in Sydney fuel samples had to be sent to Europe, to ensure they had the right mixture for these Swedish two-stroke diesel engines, even though she was built by John Browns. Her new funnel was like an oven which continually over heated even burning a light to a crisp, and despite the new design, fumes constantly falling along, making the aft decks very uncomfortable for passengers. A problem known to old Transatlantic liners, e.g. BREMEN and EUROPA, but especially the old coal burning steamers. Cabins flooded during her maiden voyage, toilets backed up, the ship was a mess, but the crew worked very hard to keep passengers as happy as can be, and it was fortunate SEA PRINCESS was not fully booked!
SEA PRINCESS was bought and rebuild to replace the 1953/54 built ARCADIA. A traditional P&O passenger liner, operating regular line voyages between the Southampton and Sydney, then in more recent times she served as a popular cruise ship based mostly in Australia. Like the KUNGSHOLM IV, she was also built by the John Brown Shipyard at Clydebank in Scotland. However, ARCADIA´s days had come to an end and her cruising days was about to conclude and ARCADIA had already been sold to Taiwanese breakers.
The Arcadia departed Sydney for the very last time on January 29, 1979, for a cruise to Singapore where she would meet up with the Sea Princess in Singapore. However, considering the Arcadia had become such a popular ship and this was to be her very last voyage ever, for her final destination was the breakers yard in Taiwan. That is why she was packed with those who loved this ship greatly and wanted to enjoy last voyage on her, and they departed Sydney and again in Brisbane, massive flotillas of small ships escorted her out of the harbour to say goodbye. Then in Singapore Arcadia’s passengers would be transferred to the Sea Princess for the voyage home, whilst many of the British passengers that had arrived on the Sea Princess would be flying home. The superb old P&O ship Arcadia continued to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where she arrived at the Lee Chong Steel & Iron Works Yards on February 28, 1979 then on April 30, torches took to the ship in order that the ship would be soon broken up.
Having taken on the ARCADIA passengers on February 16, 1979, the Sea Princess headed south for Fremantle (Perth) Western Australia and she arrived on February 28. The then headed south and turned east sailing along the Great Australian Bight (the Southern Ocean) to Melbourne and after departing the same day she headed north bound for her new home Sydney, arriving on March 6, 1979. From Sydney she would commence her new role as a Pacific Cruise Ship also operating the occasional annual cruise or two to Asia.
SEA PRINCESS and the Opera House of Sydney
SEA PRINCESS and the Opera House of Sydney - courtsey Reuben Goossens/Stan Evans

SEA PRINCESS had become a popular cruise ship in Australia, but another ship was required in the United Kingdom and with the ever-increasing number of passengers desiring to cruise in the Northern Hemisphere. P&O decided to send the intimate SEA PRINCESS to Southampton. SEA PRINCESS departed Sydney on March 11, 1982 bound for Southampton where she was now based.

However, the Australian’s did well, for in place of SEA PRINCESS the magnificent 1,500 passenger, 41,915 GRT ORIANA arrived in Sydney on December 22, 1981 and she was now officially based in Sydney as the new local cruise ship. ORIANA offered greater comforts than any ship had ever offered before, including the famed “Court Cabins,” these where inside cabins that had small windows that looked out into the Court, which had large windows out to the sea! So these inside cabins got natural light. CANBERRA had a similar arrangement of "Court Cabins".
P&O´s, former ORIENT, liner ORIANA
P&O´s, former ORIENT, liner ORIANA - postcard, own collection

ORIANA had huge deck spaces, as well as a vast number of lounges, bars and several pools and a host of special facilities! She became one of the most popular cruise ships of her time!

Although SEA PRINCESS did visit Australia again in 1983 as P&O operated her on a circumnavigation voyage. She arrived in Sydney on February 21, and she remained in port for a two-day stopover. After the world voyage and returning to the UK SEA PRINCESS headed for VOSPER Ltd at Southampton where even more cabins were added, increasing her accommodations to 840 berths. P&O Cruises repeated the circumnavigation voyage using SEA PRINCESS in 1984, the year she was transferred to the ownership of “INVESTORS in INDUSTRY Inc” and strangely enough they reduced her passenger numbers to 720 berths just one year after having increased it, a waste of money! Still if all available beds were sold, the passenger capacity, as registered, was 980.

SEA PRINCESS operated one more circumnavigation voyage in 1985, and visiting Australia, but this would be the last time for the ship under the P&O banner.

November 1986 SEA PRINCESS was transferred to PRINCESS CRUISES and externally the only visible change was that the funnel was painted all white with the typical PRINCESS CRUISES logo, the blue Sea Witch. PRINCESS CRUISES gave SEA PRINCESS an extensive refit - upgrading her lounges but especially the cabins.

When completed SEA PRINCESS spent the early part of 1987 in Port Everglades operating cruises to the Caribbean, then the vessel was operated for a cruise through the Panama Canal to San Francisco from where SEA PRINCESS operated a number of cruises to Alaska, and later a Trans-Pacific Cruise to Asia and Australia in December.

On Australia’s Bi-Centennial Day’s celebrations in 1988 SEA PRINCESS was anchored in the middle of Sydney harbour, opposite the designe and architectural icon, the Sydney Opera House and close to the other Sydney icon, the Harbour Bridge, for the guests on board to enjoy the massive fireworks display.

SEA PRINCESS would return to Australia for the 1989/90 summer season in December that year. SEA PRINCESS was a regular visitor to Australia and thus when the news came that she was about to be given yet another new name it came as a shock. However, PRINCESS CRUISES at the time was rapidly building up a new fleet of ships and they required the name for their new ship in building the 77,000-ton mega cruise vessel SEA PRINCESS.

Therefore in 1995 SEA PRINCESS was transferred back to the P&O UK fleet, and was renamed VICTORIA. Externally, the only change was the return of her buff/yellow funnel.

VICTORIA, ex SEA PRINCESS, ex KUNGSHOLM, became what we may call a genuine British P&O cruise ship and VICTORIA operated with the P&O UK fleet out of Southampton, or offered fly/cruise sailings from Italian ports year after year. VICTORIA became due to her more intimate size a very popular ship.

VICTORIA was indeed a fine ship, with eight passenger decks and 4 passenger elevators, 2 outdoor and 1 indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a massage parlour. She offered 3 restaurants, 4 lounges, 4 indoor bars, 1 outdoor bar and a 300-passenger capacity theatre, as well as a fitness centre, hair salon and a fully equipped hospital.
VICTORIA, ex SEA PRINCES, ex KUNGSHOLM with the UNION CATLE LINE funnel colours
VICTORIA, ex SEA PRINCES, ex KUNGSHOLM with the UNION CATLE LINE funnel colours - postcard, own collection

Then in 1999, VICTORIA was chartered to the UNION-CASTLE LINE for a special Centenary Voyage and for this special occasion she had her funnel repainted in the UNION-CASTLE’s red and black livery. They even had asked to paint her hull in the traditional UNION-CASTLE’s lavender - however the costs for would have been far too great for the intended single voyage, thus they decided against this.

Due to the arrival of new ships that were being built for P&O UK, it was decided to dispose of VICTORIA, although many P&O regulars were greatly saddened to hear it, for VICTORIA had been a comfortable ship, and she was regarded as an intimate and a happy ship to sail on, a ship that had a rich maritime history. And important to many, VICTORIA was a ship that that still felt like a ship! Although her crew may not have agreed, for she was a greatly troubled ship that needed a great deal of maintenance.

A New Life for the Old Girl ... After seven years with P&O and with new ships being built for P&O and PRINCESS, VICTORIA was puton the market in 2002, and finally P&O sold its monstrosity to LEONARDO SHIPPING, a KYMA SHIPMANAGEMENT subsidiary, KYMA is owned by the Greek family Katsoufis. KYMA SHIPMANAGEMENT registered its new vessel in BAHAMAS, and found a charterer for the vessel, the German cruise operator HOLIDAY KREUZFAHRTEN. They renamed the vessel as MONA LISA - reflecting the famous painting of the mysterious smiling lady by Leonardo da Vinci.
MONA LISA with her white funnel and the Mona Lisa logo on her funnel
MONA LISA with her white funnel and the Mona Lisa logo on her funnel - own collection
MONA LISA with her maroon coloured, eye sight friendly funnel colouring
MONA LISA with her maroon coloured, eye sight friendly funnel colouring - own colletion

So the livery changed with the new name on her bow and stern sections. Now it was featuring a white funnel with a large oval painting of the famous Mona Lisa. Although, later her funnel was painted a deep maroon-red, with the Mona Lisa blending in. This according to the HOLIDAY CEO, was done not to disturb the eyes by the reflection of the sun for the most over 60 year old passengers.

MONA LISA operated for four years for HOLIDAY KREUZFAHRTEN, until they were declared bankrupt in September 2006. MONA LISA was laid up at Piraeus, Greece for just a few weeks.

In November she was again chartered and still named MONA LISA, headed for Doha, Qatar, for the Asian Games, where the vessel was used as a Hotel ship until January 1, 2007. Thereafter the ship was chartered by ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES, who renamed her OCEANIC II for their University cruises, however at first they retained the Mona Lisa funnel painting.

This venture failed and soon OCEANIC II was transferred to PULLMANTUR CRUISES, being a newly aquired subsidiary of Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and for the 2007 European summer season and they repainted her funnel in the PULLMANTUR traditional blue funnel as well as the picture and word logo of PULLMANTUR along the ships hull.
OCEANIC II as the THE SCHOLAR SHIP
OCEANIC II as the THE SCHOLAR SHIP - own collection
OCEANIC II in PULLMANTUR colours
OCEANIC II in PULLMANTUR colours - courtsey PULLMANTUR CRUISES

However, briefly for just a month, from April 30 to May 28 2007, LOUIS HELLENIC CRUISES sub-chartered OCEANIC II as a temporary replacement for the SEA DIAMOND (ex BIRKA PRINCESS, 1986) that had tragically ran aground on a well-marked volcanic reef in the caldera of Santorini, east of Nea Kameni on April 6, 2007.

Having returned to PULLMANTUR CRUISES OCEANIC II continued operating cruises for the Spanish market. However it became known that the SCHOLAR SHIP organisation, UNIVERSITY AT SEA, was in need of a ship and they decided to charter her.

OCEANIC II was refitted to become an educational ship for the UNIVERSITY AT SEA international education program, being a cooperative venture between seven major world universities. Her blue funnel was given a new UNIVERSITY AT SEA logo. The Scholar Ship offered undergraduate and graduate semester programs during four-month voyages. The inaugural voyage embarked in September 2007, the  second voyage was in early 2008.

In June 2008 the announcement came that the charter would not be prolonged, and OCEANIC II was returned to LEONARDO SHIPPING Company. Her previous name MONA LISA was restored, as well as receiving a comprehensive refit.

The previous owner and CEO of HOLIDAY KREUZFAHRTEN could restart, after paying all depts, and reopened a new cruise venture named after the British hero of Trafalgar - LORD NELSON SEEREISEN. The Katsoufis family agreed to a new charter and MONA LISA came back into the German cruise market. Unfortunately this venture only ran from April 28th till August 31st 2008.

On May 4th, 2008, MONA LISAs grounded in the Irbe Strait just after she departed Riga. Thankfully the vessel suffered no major damage and it was decided to evacuate all passengers from the ship the next day, for efforts to free the ship from the sand bank were not possible. It took three days to pull MONA LISA free and she was taken to a shipyard in Ventspils in Latvia, where she was inspected for damage, but there was none. MONA LISA could return to her cruise duties on May 8th. Her charter concluded late 2008. And with the charter ending MONA LISA was chartered by the Japanese PEACE BOAT Organisation. PEACE BOAT undertake a three-month “Around the World Voyage” starting in Yokohama on January 15th, and returning on April 18th 2009.

Upon her return from the PEACE BOAT world voyage in April 2009, she was again chartered to LORD NELSON SEEREISEN to operate the ship during the 2009 European summer season. For the tour operator it was a good solution, as they wouldn´t have to operate the vessel during the winter season with less passenger demand.

KYMA chartered the MONA LISA out as a floating hotel during the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver and Whistler from January 26, to March 23, 2010, where MONA LISA was used as a floating hotel facility. For this duty she was docked in British Columbia, Canada. Nearly 1,400 crew, volunteers and paid staff were housed on the ship, thus it was very crowded and the vessel was made ready for it in advance.

MONA LISA was to continue her cruises with LORD NELSON SEEREISEN in 2010 from May until August. The tragedy, just with so many great classic built ships her future was uncertain for she no longer complied with the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations that came in effect in October 2010. Thus it was decided to sell this forty four year old ex classic liner and cruise ship.


Some Thoughts by Senior Crew Members:

“You may well know, but it was well known by all officers and crew of the Sea Princess that from when she was given her transformation and refit to become the Sea Princess in 1978/79 she was suddenly became besotted with mechanical “gremlins” from day one when she joined the P&O fleet. I know from what I have been told, this continued to the day she was sold in 2010 to become a hotel. This once perfect ship, for some strange reason became a mechanical monster for her mechanical reports clearly prove that she suffered from ongoing problems and breakdowns! Sometimes, I asked myself, was it the KUNGSHOLM fighting back and angry with what was done to her, one of the finest ships ever built?”

The aforementioned came from a certain P&O Officer and he stated that this once perfect ship, he knew so well in her previous life, became nothing but trouble, after she was rebuilt, and all he could say is, “I’ll say no more than that” after I asked him, “Do you believe in certain powers?” Another senior member of the staff on Sea Princess’ maiden voyage stated that “… passengers had a wonderful cruise, but behind the scene, there were toilets backing up and overflowing, a fire as well as cabins flooding and other problems!” Thus it was rather strange that the KUNGSHOLM which had a clean record and certainly no problems, that suddenly after her rebuild she became a difficult ship! Believe it or not, there were even some crew who began to blame Swedish crew who may have sabotaged the ship. Strange, considering that other Swedish ships had been sold and none of them had any problems, but then again not one of them were dramatically destroyed externally!

by Reuben Goossens

Project VICTORIA LUISE for DEILMANN
My design draft of the rebuild KUNGSHOLM for the project VICTORIA LUISE for late DEILMANN KREUZFAHRTN
My design draft of the rebuild KUNGSHOLM for the project VICTORIA LUISE for late DEILMANN KREUZFAHRTN - © Gerd Wüsthoff / Earl of Cruise


In 2009 I was in contact with Leandros Katsoufis of KYMA SHIPMANAGEMENT and learned that KYMA is seeking for a future for MONA LISA. At the same time DEILMANN REDDEREI had plans, since the days of late Peter Deilmann, for a German flagged two funneled cruise vessel. The situation was, that KYMA had a stronger interest in the growing German cruise market, which had been farther ahead than only chartering a vessel to a German tour operator for cruises. On the other hand I was in contact with DEILMANN and promted a joint venture of KYMA and DEILMANN. For a 51% stake of DEILMANN the Katsoufis family would be interested in such a deal, which included the MONA LISA and a financing for the rebuilding of MONA LISA into a 5star classic looking modern cruise vessel, that would pass all new SOLAS and IMO regulations - including the Safe Port Home machine configuration, and all other requirements which became a rule after 2010, including the coming TIER III implementation.
DEILMANN just had to sell its river cruise business because of financial problems and was not in any state to get the financing of a newbuilding on its own.
I have made a draft for the intended new vessel for DEILMANN as depicted - prior to construction plans. I orientated myself to the design on the original Kungsholm.
Except the front of the superstructure and hull, evething would have to be removed and new constructed. On the base of the still in good sahpe hull, including the neccessary overhauling and plate changes, the ship would be new constructed. New decks would be constructed, a new propulsion technology and configuration implemented, and the superstructure would be mainly built out of KOCKUMS COMPOSITE MATERIAL - the very material, of which the Swedish navy does construct their new war ships. That would have been a tremendous saving of weight and with that a further saving of fuel in the end.
The project was called then PROJECT VICTORIA at DEILMANN, as I did suggest too a name for the new out of the old vessel VICTORIA LUISE. It would have been ideal for their "Deutsche Kreuzfahrttradition" philosophie. During the negotiations it became clear, that the Deilmann twins did insist on 750 passengers with a minimum cabin seize of 30 m² ... in the existing hull and planed superstructure not really possible. as the vessel was planed for a max of 500 passengers all outside, 50% with balconies and further 30 to 35% with French Balconies, and an equal crew number in max. two bed cabins of a 3star cruise standard.
Calculations did show the economic feasability of a 500 passenger vessel.
A problem became the Deilmann twins insisting on this 750 pax mark, which made the idea into a me-too product, which no longer would have been outstanding in the cruise industry. Further both ladies could not understand the feasability of the German taxation speciality TONNAGESTEUER - this tax is more or less a tax free paper for the shipping industry. And despite their financial problems the twins did not love to get a partner in the DEILMANN company and too with a majority. With the first Private Equity Fund (AURELIUS) stepping into DEILMANN their share was shrinking to 5% ...
This not wishing to get a stronger partner, and the insisting on 750 passengers pushed the project over the cliff, and it was never realised.

Instead MONA LISA has been rebuilt into a luxury hotel ship, berthed in the port of Duqm, Oman. Some of her original cabins have been similar to those on the great former Holland America liner, ROTTERDAM, berthed in her first homeport as the HOTEL SS ROTTERDAM. She has new hotel rooms as well as some serviced apartments. There is a total of 208 superbly furnished rooms available. The public rooms are being renovated to be as close as possible to her original self.

The new VERONICA renamed hotel featured a sports bar, several restaurants, karaoke rooms, outdoor swimming pool, cafes, lounges, business centre, library, theatre and shopping arcade. This new hotel was opened in July 2011. The price range was from US$ 78.00 to

US$ 312.00 per night.

Shiplovers hoped with the new role of former KUNGSHOLM as a luxury hotel, that the vessel would stay with us in the far future. Operating as a hotel KUNGSHOLM did not require SOLAS certification.
Hotel VERONICA in Duqm, Oman
Hotel VERONICA in Duqm, Oman
The last days of Hotel VERONICA
The last days of Hotel VERONICA

The hotel VERONICA closed operations in 2013 in which Lars Hallgreen was trying again to save former KUNGSHOLM as a floating hotel, museum and attraction for and in Göteborg. The vessel was laid up for the next two years and was sold to breakers in Alang in October 2015 for US $ 20 to 23 million.

If a vessel is sold to the breakers, it is nearly impossible to save it. but if a vessel is in front of Alang, or any other breakers ground ... there is no hope to save any more.
Intended location of Hotel KUNGSHOLM in Göteborg
Intended location of Hotel KUNGSHOLM in Göteborg - courtsey Lars Hallgren
Reconstruction idea for the Hotel KUNGSHOLM
Reconstruction idea for the Hotel KUNGSHOLM - courtsey Lars Halgren


I hereby wish to mention that there was an excellent and a long-standing attempt to save this fine ship by Mr. Lars Hallgren.

Below are some of the final details of his great attempt!

A letter of intent had been signed between the ship’s owners and Swedish entrepreneur Lars Hallgren for the acquisition of the ship in 2010. Mr. Hallgren had been planning to use the ship as a floating hotel in Gothenburg. However, the local authorities have decided against supporting the project, thus this program has now fallen through and is no longer possible. But had his excellent and well laid out plans been realised, most features of KUNGSHOLM original appearance, including her two funnels were going to be restored. But alas, authorities, what do they know?

Tragically as we have discovered in the past with other port and city authorities, and again in the case of the Swedish authorities, they are just great at destroying things and they have no desire in restoring and retaining great things that really matter, especially the greatest liner ever built in their country and using it to promote their city and country to the world! The restored KUNGSHOLM would have provided an opportunity to display Sweden’s great Maritime History, as well as providing a luxury hotel and tourist facility. KUNGSHOLM was the very last Swedish Trans-Atlantic Liner left in the world, the last of her kind and Sweden had the opportunity to save her. Take a look at the small nation of Netherland, what did they do with their greatly beloved Holland America Line ROTTERDAM? They totally restored this great ship to her original condition and she is now open as a luxury hotel in the heart of the great Port City of Rotterdam, and better still, she has proved to be a success with tourists flocking to visit and stay on board her from all over the world!

Thus, Lars Hallgren this is a special thank you from me and the millions of supporters of ssmaritime.com, for you have done a remarkable job!

by Reuben Goossens




After talks with Mr Hallgren we learned, having made similar experiences with city and port authorities. He with KUNGSHOLM and me, with HAMBURG the later MAXIM GORKIJ.
As Hamburg was massively bombed in WWII, the organizers for the HAMBURG saving had to search for WWII bombs lying in the port at any possible berth on our own costs ... but since 1945 ships berthed over potential bombs in the mud of the Elbe and the port ... This was a last barrier they gave us back then to avoid the HAMBURG in the port. A research amoung shop owners of the city did show us back then, that they believed in the marketing possibilities of a Hotel HAMBURG in the port, as a major tourist attraction and therefore good for their business. Some even wanted opening a dependence on board the coming hotel.
The last stroke was the denying of a berth during our planed sailing in port during the Hafengeburtstag, which was attracting that year over 3,5 million spectators into Hamburg ... what a sight it may have been, if a repainted HAMBURG woulf have sailed into the port ...
by Earl of Cruise


Kungsholm Hotel Project in Göteborg
This is how she would have looked had the Kungsholm project gone ahead

Kungsholm Hotel Project in Göteborg

Kungsholm Hotel Project in Göteborg

What, dear reader, is your opinion on a potential new KUNGSHOLM? What should she look like, contemporary or more tradiditional? And which market segment she should serve? - remember, please, she was once the TOP OF THE NOTCH in the cruise industry ... please don´t hesitate to post your answer below.



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Over years, in my early youth, the QUEEN ELIZABETH was shaping my mind for the perfect ocean liner, despite having made my first experiences with a liner onboard the HANSEATIC (1), ex EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND, ex EMPRESS OF JAPAN. When leaning at the rail of HANSEATIC entering the port, my eyes where every where and I wished to by a camera, I took all in. And when seeing the QUEEN ELIZABETH with my own eyes, the nice behaving young boy turned into a tomboy, that my grandmére was no longer able to tame ... I did draw quite a lot of looks, back then. I found, while on research, this article and thought it interesting publishing in my blog: written and published by John Sheperd at liverpoolships.org editing and comments by Earl of Cruise I ( John Shepard ) joined the CUNARD LINE in March 1962 as an Assistant Purser and sailed the QUEEN ELIZABETH throughout that year, before transferring to the Liverpool-based CARINTHIA in November, where I remained as Crew Purser for the next five...

HISTORY - ts / ss BREMEN and ts / ss EUROPA

Germany’s two luxury liners, BREMEN and EUROPA , have not only played an important part in their country’s mercantile revival, but have added also an immortal chapter to the history of transatlantic travel. Copy from Shipping Wonders of the World   From part 6 , published 17 March 1936 editing by Earl of Cruise ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: Shipping Wonders of the World/Bundespresse Archiv The PRIDE OF A NATION - the NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD quadruple-screw turbine express liner BREMEN . The keel of this ship was laid in June 1927. Her launch took place in August, 1928. In less than a year later, the Bremen made her first voyage to America, when she crossed the Atlantic from Cherbourg to New York in four days seventeen hours forty-two minutes, thus setting up a new record and gaining the coveted “Blue Riband”. During the passage the Bremen attained an average speed of 27.83 knots. ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: W ikipedia For the pop...

Germany and HAPAG - A Journey through History

HAMBURG-AMERIKANISCHEPACKETFAHRT ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT - HAPAG or HAMBURG AMERICA LINE is reflecting, as Germany, the LLOYD of Bremen, two times of rsing and two times of devasting downfall and a third rise. BORUSSIA , 1856, First Day Cover 1956 of Deutsche Bundespost - own collection Once Germany´s biggest shipping line HAPAG / HAMBURG-AMERIKANISCHE PACKETFAHRT ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT-LLOYD, merged with it former old Hanseatic rival NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD in 1970, to now HAPAG-LLOYD, had its peaks and downs, but rose each time on its own to new hights, without any state subsidies. As German mail subsidiaries did never cover the costs for purchasing or mainting the vessels ordered for the specific German mail lines.   by Earl of Cruise In this article I used most German Wikipedia links, as they proved to be mostly of better research quality, and surprisinf to me, some English lines and liners have only German written articles, for the others, English Wiki links are to ...

HISTORY - Traveling with airliner LZ 129 HINDENBURG was the most luxurious airtravel

The real airliner LZ 129 HINDENBURG enabled the most luxurious airtravel for decades. Imagine, gliding through the air while the landscape or the sea below can be seen ... LZ 129 HINDENBURG marks the climax of airship construction. On May 6, 1937, the story of civilian airship ended in a tragedy. In Lakehurst, New Jersey, the largest flying object and has been with the similar sized LZ 130 GRAF ZEPPELIN II the most luxurious of all time. How this came about can be reconstructed logically, a series of fatal physics concatenations . The airship LZ 129 HINDENBURG marks the climax of airship construction. It was in its time the fastest and most exclusive traveling object between Europe and America. The challenges of the construction of the giant of the heaven were immense. by Earl of Cruise LZ 129 HINDENBURG, 1936, in Lakehurst - digital copy of a coloured cover photo, originally by Bill Schneider, published in Dan Grossman´s book ` ZEPPELIN HINDENBURG: AN ILLUSTRATED HI...

HISTORY - EUGENIO C. a masterpiece of Italian design and engineering

EUGENIO C., later EUGENIO COSTA, was a masterpiece of Italian design and is an example of beautifully integrated ship design. Her naval architect, Nicolò Costanzi, and her interior designer, Nino Zoncada, worked side by side, or hand in hand, to create a perfect balance and continuity between the vessel's interiors and the exterior profile. EUGENIO C. became a masterpiece of the 60s design and elegance. by Earl of Cruise Some readers had been asking for interior photographies ... here they are.   Eugenio C. Tourist Class A pool, looking aft into the wake line - own collection, copy from my LINEA  „ C ‟ broshure EUGENIO C. entered service a little more than 50 years ago in 1966. EUGENIO C. was a child of the swinging 60s, when we had the first jet setters, and still style and elegance. And travelling by jet in those days was still an expensive way to travel for few. I am not the only one wishing the same intent and sensibility would be a guide line for present sh...

Ocean Liners in Movies or Films at Sea (updated Nov 2017)

For liners and the shipping companies movies and films had been a top marketing tool Movies or Films and liners at sea, had been intriguing me since I have read about in my youth in LUXUSLINER - BILDER EINER GROSSEN ZEIT by Lee Server ( THE GOLDEN AGE OF OCEAN LINERS ). But earlier, mot only since my first crossing, I was keen watching movies with liners in it, and disapointed, which was an understatement, when I realized the films have been made in a set ashore in some movie "factory". That was after my first crossing.   by Earl of Cruise an essay in progress `Sabrina´, Humphrey Bogart in the office, while LIBERTÉ is sailing out of New York harbor - screenshot Ocean liners, especially those of the luxury category, had been the location of dramas, love stories, thrillers, suspense and catastrophies sinde film was born, or nearly. In this list, the most descriptions are taken from Wikipedia, as I guess no one can expect having seen all these films ... otherwise I w...

HISTORY - rms MAJESTIC - Hand in Hand with rms TITANIC

TITANIC and MAJESTIC (1890), both Royal Mail Ships, hand in hand? How so? The review of João Martins will show. by João Martins , editing by Earl of Cruise And WHITE STAR LINE was more than only a shipping line which employed rms TITANIC. WHITE STAR was company with a great heritage and introduced many innovations which became standards. Founded by Thomas Henry Ismay , originally from Maryport, and shareholders amoung whom had been HARLAND&WOLFF . Later the Irish shipbuilder, located in Belfast, built all ships for WHITE STAR. rms MAJESTIC as built by HARLAND&WOLFF - Sour ce: Wikipedia ( original seize ) T he rms MAJESTIC was a 9,965 GRT British ocean liner built by HARLAND & WOLFF for WHITE STAR LINE and completed in 1890. Her career was profoundly intertwined with rms TITANIC. In the late 1880s competition for the Blue Riband, the award for the fastest Atlantic crossing, was fierce amongst the major shipping lines. At the time the prize belonged to CUNA RD...

HISTORY - PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY

The PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMANY was existing for "just" one hundred years and was in her heydays a backbone for the development of the US West. The PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY was founded April 18, 1848, as a joint stock company under the laws of the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants, William H. Aspinwall , Edwin Bartlett, Henry Chauncey, Mr. Alsop, G.G. Howland and S.S. Howland. These merchants had acquired the right to transport mail under contract from the United States Government from the Isthmusof Panama to California awarded in 1847 to one Arnold Harris. The company was sold 1938 last to AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES , existing only on the paper, was closed down in 1949.   by Earl of Cruise CALIFORNIA , PACIFIC MAIL's first ship - Source: Wikipedia   CALIFORNIAwas the first steamer built by the PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY and she was launched May 19, 1848. She sailed from New York for Panama, via Cape Horn, on October 6, 1848...

Books - Liner scale drawings the story of a long journey to LINERS

Dr. Tamás Balogh told me his long journey with his new book `LINERS ´ of scaled liner drawings. Dr. Tamás Balogh, president of the Hungarian Association of Maritime History ( sorry only in Hungarian ) , Modeling and Tradition, member of the R.M.S. TITANIC Hungarian Research Group start to prepare a graphical presentation of the history of transoceanic passenger liners by scale drawings in 2002. The author leads us through the story from 1838 to the present day using more than 500 profile drawings of 280 liners from 40 shipping companies, with descriptions of the individual liners and the operating companies ( FaceBook LINERS ), which made the collection exceptionally abundant. The collection represents such rarely discussed topics as the history of the late Austro-Hungarian ocean liners or the planned, but ultimately cancelled giant passenger steamers. Earl of Cruise talked with the author, Dr. Tamás Balogh From info to digital art work, here shown for the KOAN MARU - digital ...