The " Dutch TITANIC ", laid down 1912 as STATENDAM, seized by the British Royal Navy to become the trooper JUSTICIA . A new book by historian Tamás Balogh is the first compendium about that liner, that never saw civil service, and was lost during WWI. While TITANIC is ostentatiously called the most luxurious liner, STATENDAM offered luxury features that recalled the grandness of lounges and luxuries of the German Ballin trio - e.g. a Main Lounge two decks high, between the first and second funnel, a two deck high Dining Room, as well a Wintergarden of one and a half deck hight. OLYMPIC Class only offered one deck high salons ... by Earl of Cruise b/w copy from a painting of the intended STATENDAM, the second in the fleet of HOLLAND AMERICA LINE - courtesy Peter Meersman, collector of the original painting The first STATENDAM (10,322 GT) was constructed and inaugurated in 1898 and had been sold to ALLAN LINE in 1911. When STATENDAM II was laid down in Belfast...
OCEANIC of once HOME LINES was a matter of design and became an icon similar to EUGENIO C. her near sister for LINEA C. OCEANIC is reflecting a time when good design was a neccessaty for the reputation of a passenger shipping company. by Earl of Cruise ss OCEANIC, promotional postcard of HOME LINES - own collection "Give an Italian a piece of steel and he is forming art of it!" I wrote in my article about EUGENIO C. , it is with OCEANIC the same ... OCEANIC is often called the near sister to the LINEA C. liner for the La Plata trade. OCEANIC, another Italian beauty, instead was constructed for the Transatlantic run in summer seasons from Cuxhaven via Southampton and Le Havre to Canada, and in winter OCEANIC was intended to do cruises. Unfortunately OCEANIC never entered the Transatlantic trade and was used from the beginning of her long career as a cruise vessel. ss EUGENIO C., promotional postcard of LINEA C - own collection OCEANIC was the first new...