About Me - Nick

I have been interested in ships and the cruise industry since the age of 8.

I have been on over 20 cruises and have visited many islands in the Caribbean, as  well as the Bahamas and Bermuda.

My friends and colleagues are impressed with my knowledge and value my recommendations.

I am hoping, through this blog to be able to share my knowledge, cruise experiences, and the latest cruise news with my fellow cruise enthusiasts.

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History - Italian Line's Sleek Michelangelo and Raffaello

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Italian Line's Sleek and Modern Ocean Liner Michelangelo and Raffaello. The final two new liners built for the Italian Line, the Michelangelo (April, 1965) and Raffaello (1965) were the luxurious, sleek, modern liners using many new construction materials. The superstructure of the liners was primarily made of lightweight aluminum.  Despite being planned as identical ships, Raffaello was 2.3 feet shorter, 1.3 feet wider, and approximately 22 tons larger than the Michelangelo. The Michelangelo weighed in at 45,933 tons; 903 feet long; carries; 1,775 Passengers and 720 crew. Built as 3 class liners, they were not well suited for the cruising trade when airlines grew in popularity and cruising  was the life blood of the transatlantic operators. An odd design of these ships was that all of the cabin in the hull were inside cabins. It was said that the designer of the ship thought that portholes took away from the external appearance of the ships. This also proved to be a ...
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A Look Back - Holland America's Rotterdam 1957 - Brief History and Video Flashback

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I found this great video of Holland America Line’s Rotterdam of 1959. Constructed at the Rotterdam Drydock Company at Rotterdam in the Netherland,   the ship was delivered 1 year after her sister ship   Statendam was delivered for Holland America. The profiles of the two ships are dramatically different – with the Statendam having a more traditional form and the Rotterdam having a more modern appearance. On September 13, 1958, the 38,645 ton Rotterdam was launched and christened by   Queen Juliana of the Netherlands with the shoreline flanked with thousands of onlookers.  With 1,456 passengers double occupancy and a crew of 776, the 748 feet long; 94.1 feet wide; 29.6 ft draft and a cruising speed of 21.5 knots, the twin funnel liner looked majestic. The Rotterdam was built as a 3 class liner and sailed transatlantic service until 1969. Most of her East bound transatlantic voyages embarked in Hoboken, NJ at the Holland America Pier.   In late 1...
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Remembering United States Lines S/S United States' Maiden Voyage.

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RXR Reality's Artists Rendering of the S/S United States after it is jubilantly restored. Today marks the 68th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the SS United States of United States lines. The ship left New York on July 3, 1952 with a full complement of passengers. The ship broke the prior speed record for the transatlantic crossing taking the blue ribbon away from the queen Mary. Yes if United States was the fastest    ship to ever cross the Atlantic at 35.92 knots. The SS United States remained in service until 1969 at which time she was laid up. Numerous plans to reactivate the ship never materialized and the ship has remained idle and stripped of her interiors.  To date, the 55,330 GRT, SS United States is the largest passenger ship to be built entirely in the US. She was built in 1950 into 51 at a cost of over $79 million at the Newport News shipbuilding and drydock company. Measuring 990 feet long, 101 1/2 feet wide and a draft of 31 feet ...
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