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Classic ocean liners, crossing the oceans, had been for long time the only way to cross the seas. A comeback of ocean liners for real? When in 2010 the Islandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull did errupt, and all flights that would come near his ash-clouds had to be cancelled, people had been trapped on each side of the pond ... And immidiately all available cabins on containerships had been booked, cruise vessels sailing either to the Americas or Europe had been flodded by desperate travellers to get to their destination ... Going by ship was in those days the only way to cross. It did show a certain, but temporary neccessity of liner traffic. But unfortunately we did not have any longer a frequent crossing possibility by ship - Transatlantic liners, liners per se had gone, gone with the wind of history and technical progress in air flight. Is an ocean liner comeback possible? by Earl of Cruise rms QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 © Beken - own collection, copy from a postcard CUNARD held the ...

HAMBURG , HANSEATIC, stared as Britannic in ` Juggernaught ´, MAXIM GORKIY nicknamed Space Ship ts HAMBURG in DEUTSCHE ATLANTIK LINE colours - own collection, copy from a promotion broschure When HAMBURG was introduced a TV show aired with adventures in the space, their ship was the Enterprise which had a saucer shaped main section and three main arm like pillars holding the saucer as well the two engin sections. by Earl of Cruise The funnel of HAMBURG had quite a resemblance to that particular TV airship, created for STAR TREK by Gene Roddenberry . Axel Bitsch Christensen in front of the ts HAMBURG funnel - own collection, photo originaly owned by Anders Bitsch Christensen This funnel, as controversial it is and was, was only one reason why HAMBURG was nicknamed the Space Ship, but there was another reason, a real one, HAMBURG was the most spacious passenger shipp of her days. Constructing ts HAMBURG from 1966 till 1969 - own collection, copy from my bo...

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...

Stewardesses and Stewards are the modern " BlackGang " by Earl of Cruise  Stokers on board USS MASSACHUSETS - source Wikipedia The men working in the bowels of the steamers had been named Black Gang. these where those men with the hardest labour - bringing the coal form the bunkers to the furnasses and filling them. This ardous labour became obsolete, when the steamer and turbine furnasses became oil fired - cleaner, fewer men and no longer heat and coal dust drenched air. The living conditions, when free from their shifts, had been similar ardous - cramped sleeping rooms, no light and less air, and few washing rooms and toilets. The loan was less than acceptable. Despite some some first class travellers made their way in these aereas, as into third class, to "slum a bit", for whatever their reasons may have been, or tipping the men of the Black Gang for harder work making a fast voyage. DAS TOTENSCHIFF , B. Traven, bying , In 1959 it was adapted int...

What had happend on sinking LA BOURGOGNE? Why had been so few women and children been rescued ? by João Martins , editing by Earl of Cruise ss LA BOURGOGNE - editors collection From our viewpoint of today we see this disaster of ss LA BOURGOGNE as one of egoism and the right of the stronger, with no "heroism", or stepping back for the weak to be saved. And we blame the crew for not doing their duty ... Are we allowed to judge? Are we allowed to chide? Are we alowed to claime it as typical ... for the seamanship of France - I have heard and read so! - ?  No, we have not been on board.  This tragedy is not the place to be chauvinistic! And looking in todays world we see a lot of chauvinism again and egoism! The ss LA BOURGOGNE was a 7,395 GRT French ocean liner built by the FCM in Toulon for the Transatlatic mail and passenger service of Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE and completed in 1886. She was an iron and steel construction, 150 metres long, had two funnels an...

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...

While researching for some Tahiti and French Polynesia related articles, I came across this Wikipedia article about a small, lesser known steamship, which served as a "mail boat" in the South Pacific - rms TAHITI . editing by Earl of Cruise Beside the big liners on the main routes, especially the North Atlantic, on "side routes", which had been and are important for the international trade, we find countless numbers of ships. These smaller, unimpressive ones are the back-bones of each shipping entity. Most of these vessels had been combined passenger and freight liners - so PORT KINGSTON, later TAHITI. For its last owner the vessel sailed across the Pacific from Sydney to California and back. rms TAHITI sailing the Pacific - Source: Wikipedia TAHITI was a 7,585 ton ocean liner operated by the UNION STEAMSHIP COMPANY OF NEW ZEALAND . Built in 1904 on Clydebank by the shipbuilders ALEXANDER STEPHEN & Sons , she was named rms Port Kingston until 1911....

NORMANDIE at sea - courtsey coloured by Daryl LeBlanc Le NORMANDIE , the greates ship of France, was a great triumph for the French industry, economy the most gracious ambassador of France - a symbol of cultur and Savoir de Vivre. NORMANDIE never surppassed by any liner. But whom the gods love, they beat him to a tragic ending. In case of NORMANDIE the gods let do their dirty job by careless, ignorant and arrogant US Navy officials and their sub contractors.   by Earl of Cruise   NORMANDIE had 4 years of living and the chance to bring Glitz, Glamour and Luster into a world that was just in front of an abyss since October 1929. Sailing with NORMANDIE , created to cater primarily the First Clas clientele, and enjoying life on board seems to me today, as a Dance on the Volcano, that errupted in 1939. Longitudinal cutaway of PARIS - own collection copy from a CGT broshure ÎLE DE FRANCE , Cie Gle TRANSATLANTIQUE provoking ART DÉCO liner - own collection  ...

No less than 386,144 star rated hotels worldwide are waiting for their guests. This is the result of the latest study by DELTA CHECK, operator of the world's largest hotel database. The unexpectedly high number amazes even seasoned hotel experts. Among these star rated hotels are 19,390 in the 5star range! Seeing todays cruise companies trying to get a share in the highest revenue creating market segment is normal. The mass market companies can not create the revenue they need that easy in the lower end of the "food chain". The real money in the hospitality industry is created in the luxury end. But refering to hospitality ratings - there is no such thing as a 6star or 7star rating! It is a "dairy tale" or "alternative fact" labeling a luxury/luxurious product more than 5stars. The rating for the top high end luxury is 5star, eventually with an added "+". by Earl of Cruise CAPE ROYALE Luxury hotel in Capetown - courtesy Hotels.co...

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...