Category: Ocean Liners

  • A Royal Pain: The HMT Georgic & HMS Dido Incident

    A Royal Pain: The HMT Georgic & HMS Dido Incident

    I don’t know about you, but I need something a little lighter after writing about some heavy topics lately (the last few weeks have been unusually challenging at work). So, I wracked my brain and remembered an amusing story from the Cunard Line’s Commodore Harry Grattidge. I chuckled as I re-read the passage in his…

  • Postcards & Penny Presses: How One New Jersey City Profited from the Morro Castle Disaster

    Postcards & Penny Presses: How One New Jersey City Profited from the Morro Castle Disaster

    The SS Morro Castle, flagship of the Ward Line, caught fire on September 8, 1934. The Coast Guard attempted to tow the stricken liner but was unsuccessful. The Morro Castle broke free. Onlookers ashore reportedly cheered when the tow line snapped, and the smoldering ship started drifting. She ultimately came to rest on the Jersey…

  • Tragedy, Mystery, and Exploitation: The Morro Castle Disaster

    Tragedy, Mystery, and Exploitation: The Morro Castle Disaster

    A disaster was unfolding along the New Jersey coast in the early morning hours of September 8, 1934. The SS Morro Castle, flagship of the Ward Line, was burning out of control in the middle of a fierce storm. Spectators on land could see the orange glow clear as day. Only one SOS call had…

  • A Night on the Queen Mary

    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?

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    Vanished Without a Trace: The Disappearance of the Antonia Graza

    For as long as people have sailed the high seas, ships have sunk and gone to the bottom. But some have disappeared without a trace. This happens despite continual improvements in shipbuilding and marine engineering. There are no distress calls, wreckage, or survivors ever found. The USS Cyclops is arguably one of the most famous…