Cruising The Past Cruise News 1950s RETRO: THE BIG WHITE CRUISE SHIP SAILS AGAIN TO CATALINA ISLAND! from CRUISINGTHEPAST.COM on Vimeo. Push arrow above to play video. A retro look at the SS CATALINA and SS AVALON. They were called the BIG WHITE STEAMERS. These day tourist steamships operated together from 1920 into the early ... Read More »