RMS ''Caronia'' was a
passenger ship
A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...
of the
Cunard Line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
(then Cunard White Star Line). Launched on 30 October 1947, she served with Cunard until 1967. She was nicknamed the "Green Goddess"
after her light green hull livery. She was one of the first "dual-purpose" ships, built both for 2-class transatlantic crossings and all 1st-class cruising. After leaving Cunard she briefly served as SS ''Caribia'' in 1969, after which she was laid up in New York until 1974, when she was sold for scrap. While being towed to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
for scrapping, she was caught in a storm on 12 August. After her tow lines were cut, she repeatedly crashed on the rocky breakwater outside
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwa ...
,
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
and broke into three sections.
History
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Cunard White Star Line operated three ships on the
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
—
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
run. The famous
RMS ''Queen Mary'' and
RMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' operated a weekly express service, with the smaller and slower
RMS ''Mauretania'' sailing as the third ship on the route. The company placed an order for a running mate to the ''Mauretania'', a ship of similar speed and proportions for the
transatlantic
Transatlantic, Trans-Atlantic or TransAtlantic may refer to:
Film
* Transatlantic Pictures, a film production company from 1948 to 1950
* Transatlantic Enterprises, an American production company in the late 1970s
* ''Transatlantic'' (1931 film), ...
run. Ultimately this was not to be the role of the new ship, as Cunard White Star's executives decided that the new ship would be built primarily for cruising.
With that in mind, the new ship – soon to be
named ''Caronia'' by Princess Elizabeth – received many different features from her Cunard White Star fleetmates. An outdoor swimming pool was a new thing, as was having bathroom / shower facilities in every cabin. However, unlike modern cruise ships, her accommodation was divided into two classes on transatlantic voyages; First and Cabin.
On cruises all accommodation was sold as one class although many staterooms, both on A deck and R deck, were usually allocated to Cabin Class. Even some cabins on B deck were sold on cruises. Both restaurants served the same menu in just one sitting and passengers were allocated to a restaurant dependent upon the locations of their staterooms. On short cruises to the Caribbean and South America, every cabin was offered for occupation and often, as on transatlantic crossings, there would be two sittings for luncheon and dinner.
To distinguish her from Cunard White Star's liners, the company decided to give her a different colour scheme. Instead of going for the then typical black hull with a white superstructure, ''Caronia'' received a unique livery of four different shades of "Cruising Green", making her a highly attractive and instantly recognizable vessel.
Another striking feature of the ship was her large single funnel, one of the largest ever installed aboard a ship. Similar to those of the later , this funnel easily caught the wind, making the ship somewhat difficult to handle.
''Caronia'' was the largest passenger ship to be built in Scotland after World War 2 until ''
Queen Elizabeth 2
''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, named as the second ship named ''Queen Elizabeth'', was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic ...
'' twenty years later.
Clara MacBeth
Clara Louise MacBeth (1870 or 1871 – February 10, 1970) was an American heiress and long-term passenger on cruise ships. In 1971, the ''Guinness World Records'' listed her as the "Most Indefatigable Cruise Passenger". For 14 years, she lived o ...
lived full-time on the ''Caronia'' between 1949 and 1963, a span of 14 years.
1949–1959: a ship ahead of her time
![RMS CARONIA in Sydney Harbour (7869914254) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/RMS_CARONIA_in_Sydney_Harbour_%287869914254%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The brand-new RMS ''Caronia'' made her maiden voyage on 4 January 1949 between Southampton and New York. Two more transatlantic crossings followed before the ship embarked on her first cruises from New York to the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. During her first years she spent most of the year on transatlantic crossings; only during the winter was she engaged in cruising. In 1951 she made her first world cruise. From 1952 onwards she made transatlantic crossings only in August and September, with the rest of the year dedicated to cruising; during one such cruise, she ran aground in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
on 12 March 1952 while transiting the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
.
In May 1953 the ''Caronia'' made what was perhaps her most famous cruise, associated with the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II (who had christened the ''Caronia'' six years earlier). The ship was used as a hotel, as most of the accommodation in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
was fully booked.
''Caronia'' ran aground at
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
,
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, on 31 May 1956,
but was refloated the next day.
Her annual refit in November 1956 saw ''Caronia'' modernised for southern cruising with air-conditioning outfitted through the entire ship.
Her world cruise of 1958 saw her suffer the most serious accident of her career. Sailing slowly out of
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
harbour to avoid collision with a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
vessel, she was driven by high winds against the harbor′s breakwater, causing serious damage to her bow and demolishing a harbor lighthouse in the process. The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
allowed Cunard to use their drydock at the
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
yard for repairs to the ''Caronia''. That same year ''Caronia''s autumn cruise in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
had to be cancelled due to
political tensions in the Middle East.
1959-1967: Competition catches up
1959 saw ''Caronia'' making regular transatlantic crossings for the last time. Competition from the jet airliner meant there weren't enough passengers for her in the North Atlantic trade. From here her transatlantic crossings were
repositioning voyages. The first each year being a ''Sterling Cruise'',
so called because all other ''Caronia'' cruises were paid for only in US dollars, and taking a southerly route via the
Bahama
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the arch ...
s instead of the usual direct route. Decreased passenger numbers in the North Atlantic also meant that more of Cunard's liners were rebuilt into cruise use and received a similar green colour scheme to that of the ''Caronia'', which in 1962 were established as the line's official cruise colours when RMS ''Mauretania'' was repainted for cruising (though not otherwise significantly adapted for the role). In 1963 the heavily rebuilt and renamed
RMS ''Franconia'' and
RMS ''Carmania'' followed suit. By this time the ''Caronia's'' itineraries had settled into a yearly pattern, each cruise having found its ideal individual place in the calendar.
By the early 1960s other shipping companies were catching up with Cunard and building their own purpose-built cruiseships, which in addition to being better equipped than the ''Caronia'' were better suited for cruising than she had ever been. To keep up with her newer competitors, Cunard decided that in November 1965 ''Caronia'' would be drydocked for ten weeks,
new suites and a
lido deck
In British English, a lido ( , ) is a public outdoor swimming pool and surrounding facilities, or part of a beach where people can swim, lie in the sun, or participate in water sports. On a cruise ship or ocean liner, the lido deck feature ...
built, and her interior brought up to date. 1966 brought with it a seamen's strike in Britain, which upset the ''Caronia's'' itineraries badly. As a result of climbing operating costs, 1967 was the first year when the ''Caronia'' didn't profit her owners. Due to increased competition, Cunard decided to withdraw her from service at the end of the year. Fittingly, ''Caronia's'' last voyage for Cunard was a transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton.
1968–1974: final years
![Wreck of the Caribia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Wreck_of_the_Caribia.jpg)
In early 1968 the ''Caronia'' was sold to Star Shipping,
a company owned by US and
Panamian interests. Renamed SS ''Columbia'', she sailed to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
for refitting. Cunard had allowed ''Caronia'' to fall behind her maintenance schedule, and her engines needed a major overhaul. Replacement parts were ordered from a Greek company rather than from the original manufacturer. Whilst she was being rebuilt Andrew Konstaninidis took control of ''Columbia'', buying out the other owners of Star Line and renaming her the SS ''Caribia''. Her refitting was completed and she was given a new all-white colour scheme. She was registered in Panama, with her tonnage reduced to 25,794 GRT under Panamanian rules (which saved dock dues). February 1969 saw the ''Caribia'' embark on her first cruise from New York to the Caribbean. The voyage was hindered by a malfunction in her waste system. Things turned for the worse on her second cruise, when an explosion in the engine room resulted in the death of one crew member and the severe scalding of another. In addition the ship lost all electrical power for twenty hours before repairs allowed her to return to port. The incident undermined public confidence in the vessel. The ''Caribia'' limped back to New York, never to make a commercial voyage again.
Plans to revive the ''Caribia'' were considered for the next five years,
but she remained docked in New York and her berthing debts continued to accumulate. Finally in July 1974 her owners gave in and sold the once great ship for scrap.
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
ocean tug ''Hamburg'' was entrusted with the task of towing the ''Caribia'' to a breaker's yard in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Whilst near
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
the ship was in danger of capsizing; but repairs were made and they continued on. The two ships sailed into
Typhoon Mary near
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
.
On August 12, 1974, the ''Hamburg's'' generators failed and her crew were forced to cut the ''Caribia'' loose to save their own vessel. The storm's winds drove the lifeless ship against
Apra Harbour
Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwa ...
's breakwater, where she was wrecked.
Being a danger to local shipping, the wrecked ''Caribia'' was swiftly cut up. Before that could take place, it was discovered that she had come to rest beside a Korean War-era landing craft sunk in that same location. The landing craft was loaded with tons of munitions, including 22 mm, 40 mm, 5-inch, and 8-inch shells. This required the careful removal of all of these materials over 5 months before removal of the Caribia could even continue. Her removal was all the more urgent because the ''Caribia'' hulk blocked Apra harbor's entrance. As Apra is the only deep-water harbor on Guam, this made resupply of many vital commodities (e.g., petroleum products) impossible or difficult. No commercial or military vessels could leave or enter the harbor until significant portions of her stern had first been removed. By January 1975, most of Cariba's stern had been removed, thus restoring access to and from the harbor. Afterwards, scrapping continued normally on her bow. What was left of her wreck was removed by late 1975. Her life ended just 25 years after she was commissioned. Despite being probably the most forward-looking ship of her time, she was in active service for only 19 years.
References
Further reading
*
External links
RMS Caronia Timeline (dedicated Caronia Website)Caronia (II) on Chris' Cunard Page
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caronia (1947)
Ships of the Cunard Line
Cruise ships
Passenger ships of the United Kingdom
Ships built on the River Clyde
1947 ships
Maritime incidents in 1952
Maritime incidents in 1956
Maritime incidents in 1974
Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
ru:RMS Caronia