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NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE has dubbed its new class of ships - LEONARDO PROJECT

The LEONARDO PROJECT of NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE and its builders FINCANTIERI have revealed the first renderings of a new class of ships for the mass market oriented cruise vacation company.   by Earl of Cruise   Once one of the entrepreneurs of the modern cruise industry - Knut Kloster sen. , has grown after quite a number of turbulences into ones of the major players in the industry. From the beginning the cruises have been oriented to the mass market, with the ferries transformed into cruise vessels, sailing out of Miami. After "conquering" the Caribbean NORWEGIAN stepped out into the Seven Oceans. Rendering of the Project LEONARDO of NCL - courtesy FINCANTIERI and NCL After inaugurating the most unattractive cruise vessel ever to be built, the NORWEGIAN EPIC, this design in cooperation with Italian FINCANTIERI, is like a shining star ... for NCL and FINCANTIERI. It looks quite elegant and makes me believing Italian designers havn´t lost their abilities. Looking...

Cruise destination Africa - EU partnership, time for new cruise ideas in Afrika - A Suggestion

In the new EU Africa partnership, which is a new way of Development Aid, it is intended to, engaging civil society in Pan-African issues of civil rights, as  Democratic Governance, Human Rights, Free Press/Media, Peace and Security, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment and a change in economic policies.   by Earl of Cruise   The EU member states have been in most part colonial powers, which plundered the riches of the continent (United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany - till 1914/18, Spain, Portugal). And some countries still behave like colonial empires. And the old Development Aid which was given, was in some sort a new colonial power. And besides it was benefitting the African corrupt elites, for decades. This turned into a number of problems and most, inner African wars, to piracy on several coasts and insecurity for investments, and the withdrawing of international investors. Most react quite arrogant when an African investment is proposed. But some countri...

PEACE BOAT is planing its first purpose built ship, a revolutionairy design

PEACE BOAT’s ECOSHIP Project is the first purpose built ship and a transformational programme to construct the planet’s most environmentally sustainable cruise ship. PEACE BOAT is a non-government organisation that is working altruistic for peace, understanding, human rights, enviroment protection and sustainability. So it is only consequent to build an enviroment friendly ship, with less carbon footprint than existing vessels.  by Earl of Cruise Will this vessel and its concept become reality, it will be a breakthrough in enviromental technology on the seas. It will be a lighthouse, hopefully awakening the yesterdays dreaming brickheads, who proclaim global warming is a communist conspiracy. The ECOSHIP - rendering by Oliver Design, courtesy PEACE BOAT This is all the more interesting as the US just having withdrawn its responsibility for the climate and the environment on the G20 summit in Baden Baden , just as this Trump had cried out, loud enough to hear in the ele...

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HISTORY - The CUNARD - WHITE STAR Liner rms QUEEN ELIZABETH (1938-1972)

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...

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...

The modern Black Gang

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...

Liners - Can classic ocean liners make a comeback

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 ...

HISTORY - the ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY sailing the South Atlantic

While on research for an article published in print in Jan/Feb 2017 eventually, about the CAP Express steamers of HAMBURG-SÜD (Wikipedia) HAMBURG SÜDAMERIKANISCHEDAMPFSCHIFFFAHRTSGESELLSCHAFT I had to look into the competitors and took advantage of creating seperate articles about. by Earl of Cruises ROYAL MAIL LINE cruise broshure of 1959 - own collection The first of these South America or Rio de la Plata route related articles is about the ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY which was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by the Scottisch business entrepreneur James MacQueen. The line's motto was ` Per Mare Ubique´ (everywhere by sea) - nobody ever should argue about the motto of Albert Ballin `Mein Feld ist die Welt´, both mottos are not ostentatious they express the same: I don´t want to be hindered by frontiers and my limit is the other shore or the sky. After good and bad times ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY became the largest shipping group in...

ss NORMANDIE 1935-1942 XIII - Le NORMANDIE the great triumph and tragic end of the greatest ship of France

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  ...

Heritage - Austrian and Hungarian immigrants in USA

Austrian and Hungarian immigrants contributed immense to the US culture and economy. America, after its re-discovering by Christopher Columbus in 1492, was the first place of Austrian and Hungarian to immigrate to. It was the land of hope and possibilities, and the young USA, as the former colony, needed immigrants ... and these immigrants found vast opportunities in a country that was more or less "empitied" of humans, after the first contact with Europeans, and their, unknown to the indigen population and themselves, biological weapons - diseases for that the American natives had nothing to fight against, as they had been unknown to them, after eons of "isolation". by Earl of Cruise Emmigrants in the BALLIN STADT, a center for emmigrants initiated by Albert Ballin, after Cholera epidemiic in Hamburg 1892 - Source: BALLIN STADT Although some estimates suggest that the numbers of Austrians in the United States have represented less than one tenth of 1 p...

Historic Review - ss COLUMBIA 1890 von Gustav Kopal in Die Gartenlaube

Gustav Kopal segelte mit ss COLUMBIA der HAPAG, einem German Greyhound, verfasste einen Reisebericht, welcher in Die Gartenlaube 1890 publiziert wurde - Ueber den Ocean, Bilder von einem deutschen Schnelldampfer .  reprint from Die Gartenlaube, writer Gutav Ko pal Ich habe den Reisebericht bei meinen Recherchen für meine neue Artikelserie über die Deutschen Windhunde ( German Greyhounds ) zur See gefunden. Viel Spaß beim Lesen. Der Text ist in der alten deutschen Orthographie gehalten, um die Authentizität aufrecht zu erhalten.     ss COLUMBIA auf einem HAPAG Reiseplakat von 1893 Ueber den Ocean. Bilder von einem deutschen Schnelldampfer von Gustav Kopal, Zeichnungen von Alexander Kircher. ss COLUMBIA - Die Gartenlaube (1890) Bild von Alexander Kircher Haben Sie gehört? Die ,Columbia‘ hat den besten Record! In 6 Tagen 7 Stunden 48 Minuten über den Oecan, noch dazu auf der ersten Reise; beste Fahrt und beste maiden-trip, die je gemacht wo...

Luxury Lifestyle - An amazingly large number of 386,144 star hotels exist worldwide

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...

HISTORY - HAMBURG the Space Ship

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...