CRUISING THE PAST Travel and Social History

The Detroit Fox was the first movie theater in the world to be constructed with built-in equipment for sound films. The Fox Film Corporation’s patented sound-on-film system “Movietone” enabled the theater to present sound films from the time of its opening. The lobby and entrance of the Fox Theatre Detroit ... Read More »

On board a ghost ship: Inside the eerie wreckage of the Costa Concordia four years after the luxury cruise liner sank killing 32 people Four years ago, the luxury cruise liner Costa Concordia hit a rock and sank while passing the island of Giglio Now a photographer who swam out ... Read More »

The Messageries Maritimes ships, the Calédonien and the Tahitian (later reborn as the cruise ship Atalante), sailed for two decades (1952 to 1972) on regular round trips lasting almost four months between Marseilles and Sydney. The two ships were beautifully designed passenger-cargo liners. These handsome ships carried cargo, passengers, and ... Read More »

Sinking of the RMS Lancastria is the worst maritime disaster in British history – 75 year cover-up She was sunk on 17 June 1940 during World War II with at least 4,000 fatalities, and possibly a great many more. It is the worst maritime disaster in British history, with the ... Read More »

In the 1950s, you could cruise from Miami to Havana, Cuba for $42.00 per person aboard the S.S. Florida. This fare included all transportation, two nights aboard ship, a day in Havana and all meals. Sailing to Cuba aboard the S.S. Florida. Up until now, due to the US embargo, ... Read More »

One thousand one hundred nineteen of the 1,924 aboard died. The dead included 114 Americans. Most passengers never had a chance. Within 18 minutes the giant ship slipped beneath the sea. The Lusitania made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York in September 1907. Construction had begun in 1903 with ... Read More »

Cunard Line was the only company to continue regular transatlantic ocean crossings by liners after the 1970s. The French Line, Italian Line, the United States Line had gone out of business. Swedish America Line, Holland America Line along with Home Lines continued but only operating cruise ships. Liner service between ... Read More »

Immigrants to America… ELLIS ISLAND HISTORY – IMMIGRANTS TO AMERICA The great steamship companies like White Star, Red Star, Cunard and Hamburg-America played a significant role in the history of Ellis Island and immigration in general. The German liner Imperator carried many immigrants in steerage. While most immigrants entered the ... Read More »

A NEW generation of Princess Cruises’ ships is being built to debut in China in summer 2017. Majestic Princess is the newest addition to the fleet and is a sister to Royal and Regal Princesses. The new ship will be based in China year-round and become the first vessel tailored ... Read More »