From Bandar Abbas to New York
Mid East Remembrances
Bill Fox is a longtime friend and top-notch maritime historian and author. Prompted by our recent article on the Italian super liners Michelangelo and Raffaello, he replied: “Thanks so much for this fantastic article and the accompanying photos. They brought back a flood of memories for me. I lived aboard the Michelangelo at Bandar Abbas from June 1977 to May 1978, working as the Naval Architect for the Stanwick Corp. at the Iranian naval base adjacent to it. Due to the military nature of the base, I was only able to take a few photos. Otherwise, your details about the ship’s demise were particularly fascinating.”
He added, “During my time there, I enjoyed a comfortable life in a nice first-class cabin on the forward port corner of Boat Deck. The hotel services were managed by the Brits, and every evening, we would gather for drinks in the Black Bar, followed by dinner in the first-class restaurant. Life was indeed good. I loved my job and had great interactions with the Iranians. Thanks again for sharing this piece. It truly resonated with me.”
And speaking of these Italian “super ships,” authors Simone Bandini and Maurizio Eliseo produced a sumptuous book (see below for the cover) – but in Italian of course, but jam packed with fantastic photos – and published fifteen years ago, back in 2010.
Bygone Ships
In a recent article in Ships Monthly, Andy Hernandez selected eight now-bygone, Florida-based cruise ships. Two of them, the Britanis and Melody (shown below in its earlier life as the Atlantic), are included in the view below at New York back in June 1985. At the top: Bermuda Star and Britanis; then Song of Norway, QE2, Atlantic, Oceanic and Royal Viking Star.
Changing Silhouette
On August 8, Justin Zizes kindly forwarded the photo below – the radar mast and aft funnel of the liner United States had just been removed. The famed liner was being prepared, and rather quickly, to be sunk as a reef off Florida’s northwest coast.
Checking-Up!
Had an email from a traveler, who began cruising on P&O’s Canberra (seen below but outbound in 1979) back in 1973. The ship was doing an experimental season of trips out of New York down to the Caribbean. Altogether unsuccessful, however, the schedule was marketed by Cunard, but therefore it had a preference in booking their own ships, both the P&O and Canberra names were largely unknown to American vacationers and then the ship itself offered some cabins without private bathroom facilities.
Going through some old files and came across a 1936 edition of Shipping Wonders of the World. The issue centered on the Furness-Bermuda Line’s Queen of Bermuda, then 3 years old and described as a “miniature Atlantic liner” but used on the New York-Bermuda service.
