Category: Ocean Liners
A Night on the Queen Mary
A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of staying aboard the grand old Queen Mary in Long Beach. It only made sense with our cruise on the Carnival Firenze leaving right next door at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal. I was particularly excited as it’d be my first time back aboard the Queen Mary…
SS United States: The World’s Largest Artificial Reef?
I honestly didn’t think I’d have to write a follow-up post quite so soon. Last week, I wrote about the SS United States and her current, desperate situation. The SS United States Conservancy was ordered by a federal judge in June to move the ship from her longtime pier in Philadelphia. This followed after a…
The Fate of the SS United States
We got back from Southern California the other day, and I’ll be writing some posts in the coming weeks related to the trip (in the meantime, check out the Instagram page for photos and videos). Today, though, I wanted to write about something that’s been on my mind for the last few months but have…
SS Leviathan: The Life and Death of an American Monster
Wednesday, July 4, 1923 was a dull, rainy day in New York. An American monster was about to set sail and there was excitement in the air. That fact that it was Independence Day only added to the occasion. An excited public had gathered to see the gigantic ship at Pier 86. A total of…
The Four Chaplains and the Sinking of USAT Dorchester
During World War II, scores of ocean liners were converted into troop transports for the Allied war effort. Mighty ships like Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Aquitania were pressed into service along with more humble liners like Evangeline, Yarmouth, and Borinquen. These ships collectively transported millions of Allied servicemen and women to all theaters of…
Going Beyond with Celebrity Cruises
My wife and I just got back from a five-day cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Beyond. Wow! What an incredible experience! This was our first time sailing on Celebrity and they really set the bar high. We’re looking at doing another one in 2026 and can’t wait! The entire time we were aboard the Beyond,…
Vanished Without a Trace: The Disappearance of the Antonia Graza
Perhaps for as long as people have sailed the seas, ships have disappeared without a trace. No distress calls. No wreckage. No survivors. The USS Cyclops is arguably one of the most famous of these, having vanished in the Bermuda Triangle in March 1918. The MS Antonia Graza is probably a close second. She –…
Strange Things Happen at Sea: Five Coincidences You Might Not Believe
Hello everyone! Apologies for the lack of posts lately. There’s been a lot going on lately, including me transitioning into a new job at work. Then there’s that dreaded writer’s block too. So unfortunately, I’ve not been able to keep up with this blog as much as I would like. But recent events have inspired…
Book Review: The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria by Greg King and Penny Wilson
About the Book A glamorously splendid ship sails to New York with thousands of people aboard. She is one of the most modern ocean liners ever built, and her safety features are touted as being state-of-the-art. The ship is the pride of its home country. On the bridge is a master mariner with decades of…
Ocean Liners and Cruise Ships: What’s the Difference?
What’s the difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship? It’s a question I frequently hear, and one I recall getting a lot when I worked aboard the Queen Mary. They’re pretty much the same, right? Not quite. There are definitely a lot of similarities, with both often being large passenger vessels. There are…