Description
By William H. Miller
In the 1950s no photograph of Luxury Liner Row would be complete without SS America or United States at Pier 84 having just arrived or preparing to sail to Europe. Sailing days with bon voyage parties and colorful streamers were glamorous times for ships that carried movie stars and captains of industry. During a weekend the docks may have hosted American Export Lines’ Constitution and Independence, Grace Line’s Santa Rosa and Santa Paula, Moore-McCormack’s Argentina or Brasil and American Export’s Excalibur and Exeter, the latest in luxury and safety sailing to the Caribbean or South America. On the West Coast, Matson Lines and American President Lines’ beautiful ships went to Hawaii, the Orient and even Around the World voyages. Good times for American shipping that were not to last. There were over thirty US-flag passenger ships in active service in 1965. At the time, passenger ships were still well-known, many were household names. Seamen’s strikes, soaring operational costs, declining passengers loads from airline competition all contributed to the eventual downfall and disintegration of American passenger and merchant shipping in general. Today the only major American luxury liner is the Independence sailing around the islands of Hawaii. This book will take you back to the glory days of the US-flag passenger ships. Includes the vessels of twenty shipping companies in dozens of gorgeous, sharp black and white photos. 160 pages. Cover painting by Stephen Card. Softbound.
