by Ian Sebire

Pinpointing the transition from traditional liner services to the modern cruise industry is an elusive task. Nevertheless waypoints exist, significant ships and events that in hindsight are indicative of a sea change. Oceanic was one such vessel.

She was the first new build for Home Lines, a cosmopolitan alliance of Swedish American Line, the Trieste Cosulich family and Greek tycoon Eugen Eugenides established after WWII to provide berths for the burgeoning emigrant trade from Southern Europe to South America. The Swedes were particularly influential, providing the name (Home was an anglicised version of the Swedish holm), livery (the distinction being the blue disc on the yellow funnel contained just a single crown rather than Swedish Americas three) and two of the original three liners. These were Brasil, the former SAL Drottingholm and Italia, the former Kungsholm. The two erstwhile Swedes joined the company’s first ship Argentina (previously Norwegian American Line’s Bergensfjord), which cast off from Genoa on her maiden voyage to Buenos Aires on 13th January 1947. Initial success ended abruptly in 1949 as the collapse of the Argentine currency and economy dried up the flow of migrants. Starved of their lifeblood the trio were diverted to the more lucrative New York service. Nevertheless, despite substantial refits they looked dated alongside the new American Export Constitution and Independence and Italia’s sleek new builds. The ever adaptable Home Lines reviewed the market. This time they felt there was opportunity in the service from Northern Europe to the USA, filling a void left by the now impotent German passenger lines.

Unencumbered by the political sensibilities that inhibited most foreign companies, Home Lines worked with Hamburg America and indeed chartered the former Brasil, now renamed Homeland for Hamburg to New York crossings from June 1951. Italia joined her fleet mate in March 1952. Ultimately they were superseded by a new venture, Hamburg- Atlantic Line utilising Hanseatic the rebuilt Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Scotland and therefore shifted to a new service between Germany (Cuxhaven), the Channel ports and the Canadian east coast.

By the late 1950s fresh tonnage in the shape of Atlantic and Homeric (former Matson Liners Matsonia and Mariposa) had joined Italia and tentative plans were mooted for a first new build. The new vessel would revolutionise the St. Lawrence service then dominated by Cunard and Canadian Pacific, introducing exceptional speed (her 27 knots contract speed matched most express flagships on the New York route) coupled with space and facilities unheard of since the pre-war Empress of Britain. At 39,241 tons she was over 10,000 tons larger than her rivals. Like Empress of Britain Oceanic would double as a luxury, off season cruise ship.

In 1960 the company placed an order with the Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico shipyard at Monfalcone on Italy’s Adriatic coast. These were exceptional times for the Italian yard. Finmare, the state-owned shipping conglomerate was initiating the final phase of its post-war rebuilding plan. Simultaneously on the stocks were Lloyd Triestino’s twin 28,000 ton flagships Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi destined for the Australia route whilst planning was also well advanced on Raffaello, the second 45,000 ton express liner for the Italian Line’s New York service.

The keel of yard number 1876, Home Lines new flagship, was laid on 29th October 1961 and initially progress followed the anticipated schedule. The 782 foot long hull that emerged on that Monfalcone slipway has been lauded as one of the most hydro-dynamically efficient ever. It was also tangible evidence of the Italian genius for combining function with exquisite beauty. Oceanic, as the new liner was designated, was created by the naval architect Nicolo Costanzi and featured his renowned ’swan neck’ stem, a heavily raked, curved spoon stern above the waterline and a cut off transom form below. Unlike contemporaries including subsequent near sister Eugenio C there was no sheer. Working with a carefully crafted bulbous bow and tumblehome (notable sagging near the waterline) on the 97 foot wide beam this created a remarkably stable, fast and fuel-efficient hull form. Costanzi used the design on Costa Line’s Eugenio C delivered in 1966 and forty years later it influenced Stephen Payne’s stern arrangement for the giant Queen Mary 2.

By the turn of the year 1962/63 Oceanic was ready for launching. Initially set for 8th January 1963, the launch was postponed by one week, a delay caused by the exceptionally cold wintry weather. Mrs Jeanna Simu, wife of a company director performed the naming ceremony before the white hull slid down into the Adriatic and was towed to the fitting out basin. There she joined the nearly complete Giuglilmo Marconi and the ominously delayed sister Galileo Galilei. It was a portent of problems to come.

In the summer of 1963 the company board met to discuss a radical proposal. On 28th August a press statement announced their intentions. Rather than plying between Europe and Canada, Oceanic would be placed on a year-round cruise service from New York to a single destination, Nassau in the Bahamas. The news was met with a mixture of incredulity, derision and inquisitiveness echoed a decade and a half later when Knut Kloster bought France and transformed her into the first ‘mega’ cruise ship Norway.

In fact, whilst certainly bold, Home Lines were making a well reasoned decision. The company had always offered seasonal wintertime cruises to the Caribbean. With jet aircraft securing an escalating proportion of North Atlantic passenger traffic in the final two years of the ‘50s they correctly predicted the rapid decline in liner market share. In 1960 the same year the Oceanic was ordered, ‘Italia’ was refitted and experimentally switched to the year round New York- Nassau cruise role, the only variation being longer Caribbean schedules in mid winter. Italia’s success prompted the company to re-appraise their transatlantic involvement. Homeric remained on the service to Quebec and Montreal until 1963 when she was refitted and took over from Italia the following spring.

Fortunately for Home Lines the new flagship’s general arrangement had already been formulated for quick conversion to single class cruising, so no radical changes were required. The general concept of locating the engine room and by association the large teardrop shaped funnel three quarters aft was not new. Shaw Saville’s Southern Cross and more recently P&O’s Canberra had shown the benefits of this design in creating extensive central lido areas amidships and large public rooms below.

Indeed there has been a good deal of conjecture about the origins of Oceanic’s design which even now remain unresolved. An article on the Maritime Matters website claims the concept evolved from preliminary plans by the Dutch De Schelde shipyard which built the Kungsholm of 1953 for Swedish American. The yard was preparing a tender for two combination liner/cruise ships for Aristotle Onassis. These designs included a large, central lido, covered by a retractable roof, an enclosed promenade deck with recessed lifeboats above and other elements that were intrinsically part of the Oceanic design. It is alleged that when Onassis’ new venture failed to materialise he shared the proposals with his good friend Eugenides.

Ultimately all the theories are academic, it was Nicolo Costanzi who created a maritime masterpiece. Although considered revolutionary in concept, most design features already existed on predecessors (several of them Italian), some even dating from the pre-war era. As mentioned Southern Cross and Canberra’s general arrangement informed the aft machinery with a centrally positioned swimming pool, though the pre-war Conte di Savoia had also featured a central pool with raised surrounding walkways akin to the new vessel. On Oceanic the idea was taken further by extending the lido the full width of the ship enclosed by glass screening. Of course the real innovation was the 50 ton ‘Magrodome‘, a retractable glass roof allowing the 10,350 square foot lido area to be used in all weathers. The roof’s encircling structure coupled with the raised surrounding walkway served diverse functions, providing some shade and conversely creating a sun trap protected from buffeting winds. The lido featured two oval pools enclosed by irregular shaped ledges encompassing shallow paddling areas.

The superstructure was long and low and whilst lifeboats were placed in recesses the originally intended North Atlantic service necessitated a fully-enclosed glazed promenade below. The glazed area was angled to narrow at the top, presumably to assist in the smooth lowering and raising of the boats. It also ensured the promenade was showered with light, a welcome haven on blustery days in northern latitudes. The tiered after decks featured descending curves, reminiscent of the pre-war Normandie. Echoing Canberra the superstructure featured a raised area aft of the lido supporting the large tapered funnel with its protruding soot shield and an island forward section which included the bridge and mast.

Passenger accommodation was spread over eight decks. The top most was Sun Deck which featured eight luxury suites with substantial terraces named to reflect the ship’s pan-European heritage from Alhambra to Windsor and Visby, precursors of today’s proliferation of balconies. Even this apparent innovation had a prototype with large ‘balconies’ on the venerable Cosulich twins Saturnia and Vulcania, still plying the Italian line route from Trieste to New York at the time, 35 years after their introduction. A gymnasium and massage rooms/saunas filled the central void between the suites.

Lido Deck featured the previously mentioned Lido with it’s two pools sandwiched by the originally conceived first class Escoffier Grill and Eden Roc lounge forward and the late night Montmatre Club aft. Adjacent to the nightclub was the innovative ‘Fun-o-rama’ teenagers room and accompanying soda fountain. Moving down Belvedere Deck was almost exclusively given over to outside luxury cabins (first class in original concept) although aft was the Caribbean Garden lounge overlooking the stern and the children’s playroom and nursery. Descending to Riviera Deck passengers found a series of lounges, bars, writing and card rooms enclosed by the wrap around promenade, covered on each flank. The four lower decks, within the hull, comprised a variety of 2,3 and 4 berth cabin accommodation allowing for the conversion of beds into daytime sofas and all had private bathroom facilities. The one exception was the eponymous Restaurant Deck which included the largest dining room at sea, devoid of pillars (like the cavernous Aegean Room show lounge on Riviera Deck) and with an ornate rectangular recess above, it provided for 450 passengers at a single sitting. A small chapel was incorporated alongside the restaurant ’dome’ on Continental Deck together with a nearby barber and beauty salon (replicated for the more well-healed one presumes on Belvedere Deck). Finally for the latest movies and productions a two tier Cinema/theatre was provided.

The new ship’s interiors were primarily designed by Nino Zoncada with cameo roles for other famed Italian designers including Gio Ponti and Gustavo Pulitzer. The quintessential Italian 60’s décor featured laminate panelling, aluminium friezes, ceramic displays (most notably in the aforementioned Oceanic restaurant) and a plethora of rather utilitarian polished linoleum flooring.

Whilst noble and certainly ambitious the CRDA order book stretched manpower and materials to the limit. Coupled with a notoriously militant, unionised workforce the end result was perhaps inevitable. Delay followed delay as a shortage of steel and surfeit of strikes prolonged the building process. Ultimately Oceanic embarked on her sea trials in the crystal waters of the Adriatic in the spring of 1965. Driven on by the 60,500 shp of her four DeLaval geared steam turbines, the twin screws achieved a highly credible 27.3 knots. This allowed for reserves over the projected service speed, as the more leisurely seven day Nassau itinerary replaced the original transatlantic schedules.

Accepted by Home Lines on 31st March 1965 Oceanic was stored and commenced her maiden voyage (ironically a transatlantic crossing) from Genoa on 3rd April, 1965. Carrying barely 200 passengers was perhaps vindication for the decision to abandon the transatlantic service, although it must also be seen in the context of a one off sailing on a route which was very much the domain of the Italian Line and American Export.

The first crossing certainly proved Oceanic’s credentials as a fast and stable sea boat. Under a clear blue sky and radiant sun she steamed under the Verrazano Narrows bridge and glided up the Hudson before swinging into the berth adjacent to pier 84. Homes Lines were justifiably proud of their new flagship whilst the wider shipping fraternity expressed the full spectrum of emotions from antipathy and scepticism to admiration and envy. The company devised the sobriquet ‘The ship of tomorrow’, a marketing ‘sound bite’ that for once had a ring of truth.

Oceanic was opened to the inquisitive public and a steady stream of travel agents following her arrival at Manhattan. Both were beguiled. She set sail on her first seven day run to Nassau on 24th April 1965 and never looked back. Her facilities, accommodation and cuisine were rightly lauded but it was the human qualities, a warm, friendly yet determinedly professional Italian crew that cemented her reputation. Like contemporaries Sagafjord and Kungsholm, Oceanic had a loyal band of repeaters, creating an exclusive club-like atmosphere on many voyages. What was remarkable was the ability to create this loyalty on an itinerary with just a solitary port of call bracketed by 6 days at sea. Entertainment on those long, leisurely days was generally low-key. Four orchestras provided dance music in each of the main lounges and shipboard staples such as horse racing, bingo, fancy dress and cocktail parties were supplemented by complimentary dance and Italian language lessons. Of course many embarked to get away from agendas and enjoy the timeless attributes of a good book, conversation and a sea view.

In her first season Oceanic returned a remarkable 98% load factor (passengers carried as a proportion of capacity). What was perhaps even more astonishing was that in the next 18 years she averaged 92%. Profits were similarly impressive and the new flagship had repaid her construction costs by the end of the 1960s.

At 1630 each Saturday, Oceanic edged away from Pier 84 and with a tug nudging her bows, pirouetted before steaming downstream toward the Atlantic. The precision of her weekly afternoon departures rapidly became a New York institution as did the precursory partying. Fraught crew members trying to prepare for 1,300 new passengers would frequently be inundated with three or four times a smany well-wishers as Oceanic became a social focal point of the Big Apple’s Italian- American community. Her pendulum itinerary continued through Spring, Summer and Autumn. Only in the depths of Winter was the cycle broken with longer voyages of up to three weeks heading deeper into the Caribbean. With a reduced capacity of 850 and a social columnist in tow these cruises attracted an even more sophisticated, wealthy and demanding clientele.

Although generally a smooth running ship, Oceanic inevitably encountered her share of mishaps. On 3rd February 1966, just 10 months after entering service and shortly after arriving at Pier 84 from a Jamaican itinerary that most feared of maritime risks, fire, was detected. Thanks to the prompt actions of 60 New York City fire-fighters, the blaze was quickly contained but the acrid smoke took some time to dispel from adjacent passageways. Two years later another fire almost destroyed Oceanic. This time she was at sea steaming south off the Florida coast when a ruptured oil pipe ignited and the engine room was turned into a terrifying inferno. The fire crew were quickly on the scene but intense heat badly damaged the machinery housing and the ship had to head back to New York.

Throughout the 1970s Oceanic was a New York stalwart, her perennial sailing a welcome contrast to the dwindling fleet of liners. In 1974 the company added Doric, originally Zim Lines transatlantic flagship Shalom. Nevertheless by the end of the decade there had been a fundamental shift in the cruise market. Operators decamped to Florida as the ocean liners nemesis, the jet aircraft, became the cruise ships greatest ally, ferrying passengers from across the continent to the embarkations ports of Miami and Port Everglades. Oceanic alone steamed from Manhattan but rising fuel prices and increased competition untimely forced her to migrate south in 1981. Home Lines were planning for the future and ordered the Atlantic delivered from La Seyne yard of Construction Navales & Industrielles de la Mediterranee in 1982. A family resemblance was maintained in the funnel and raked mast but the new ship lacked Oceanic’s balanced proportions, with foreshortened bow and bulky stern. Nevertheless, in spite of these shortcomings the new Atlantic was an efficient ship that highlighted the older vessels’ higher operational costs.

Although initially repositioned to sail from Port Everglades Oceanic proved less successful in the new cruise order and was laid up at Newport News over the winter of 1982-83. When Home Lines invited tenders for another new vessels (the Homeric) the eighteen year old ship that had redefined modern cruising was put up for sale. Chandris, Sun Line and Norwegian Caribbean Lines all looked at her but it was two years later in August 1985 that she was purchased by Premier Cruise Line. On 21st November, having returned from her final Home Line Cruise, Oceanic sailed from New York to Newport News and a 10 million dollar refurbishment.

On 25th April 1986 the briefly re-christened Royale Oceanic sailed from Port Canaveral on her first 4 day itinerary. Although (thankfully) structurally unchanged, the livery of vivid red hull was indicative of a very different clientele. Premier had entered into an arrangement with the Disney corporation, a mutually beneficial agreement in which four or seven day Caribbean itineraries could be incorporated into stays at the Florida theme parks. There was a brief charter as an exposition ship at Boston in 1987 but otherwise ‘Starship’ Oceanic settled into a new, successful career of year round short cruises. Her pseudonym of the ‘Mickey Mouse Ship’ was an affectionate rather than a derogatory sobriquet.

In 1990 she was re-registered at Nassau (previously it had been Panama). Three years later the Disney affiliation ceased. In fact Oceanic’s success had prompted the corporation to start planning its own cruise line which would come to fruition by the turn of the century. Switching studios Premier formed an alliance with Warner Brothers and in October 1994 Oceanic made her first transatlantic crossing in almost three decades to Genoa for a major two month refit. In addition to engine room and air conditioning upgrades, the new ‘Tiki’ bar was added at the stern and public rooms and accommodation were refurbished. In 1997 Premier was acquired by Cruise Holdings and merged with their existing Dolphin and Seawind brands to create Premier Cruises. Oceanic adopted a new deeper red hull and began being marketed as ‘Big Red Boat’. Despite taking liberties with their ship’s names the new operation was generally welcomed by ship enthusiasts for keeping a fleet of aging liners sailing in their dotage.

Alas what the gleaming new behemoths of the competition might have lacked in aesthetics they made up for in efficiency, facilities and accommodation. Premier Cruises became increasingly uncompetitive. In the spring of 2000 Oceanic was sent to Freeport Grand Bahama for another refit, an internet café and new child and teenager facilities were added and all public rooms refurbished. By this time Premier was already financially ailing and in September the company suspended operations. The thirty five year old Oceanic was seized at Nassau on behalf of creditors before sailing to layup at Freeport where she joined near sister Big Red Boat II (originally Costa’s Eugenio C) and the rest of the Premier ships. Silent and still this moribund fleet awaited the inevitable final voyage to the scrap yards of the East.

Oceanic’s reprieve came from a most unlikely source. Around the turn of the century several tour operators (notably Saga, Thompson and Airtours) which had previously acted in a purely agency capacity created their own cruise lines. The largest Spanish operator Pullmantur decided to follow and in early 2001 were looking for a suitable vessel. The redundant Premier fleet was considered and although the former Eugenio C was the youngest of the laid up ships she had been plagued by mechanical woes since leaving Costa. Once again it was Oceanic that was chosen to inaugurate the new company’s operations. Purchased in May 2001, she was refitted at Cadiz, repainted in all-white livery with a blue funnel and company name prominently emblazoned on her hull. There was an element of ‘back to the future’ as Oceanic embarked on a year round programme of seven night cruises from Barcelona incorporating calls at Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Palermo and Tunis. Later in 2001, the Sicilian call was replaced by Valetta in Malta which was in turn superseded by Naples.

Oceanic instantly became a favourite amongst Spanish speaking cruise goers, a fun-filled, vibrant success. Over ensuing years she developed an enviable reputation, attracting a broad range of passengers from across the age and social spectrum. Pullmantur expanded rapidly acquiring an eclectic mix of second-hand tonnage whilst constantly upgrading Oceanic to comply with the impending 2010 SOLAS regulations.

By the mid 2000s Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and Carnival were locked into a protracted battle for market share and like latter-day J. Pierpoint Morgan’s one of the most effective methods of expansion proved to be the acquisition of existing, predominantly European Lines. Pullmantur’s meteoric rise made it a very attractive catch and so in September 2006, the company was acquired by RCI. The 40 year old Oceanic initially remained an important element of the Pullmantur fleet enhanced by the new livery of red funnel and reduced company motif on the hull that was introduced in January 2008. However, like Carnival, RCI adopted a policy of shifting older tonnage from its own fleet into the emerging businesses. Oceanic may have been beautiful but her turbines were thirsty and accommodation dated. For 2009 Pullmantur advertised a revised programme of shorter cruises as the original flagship was earmarked for disposal at the end of the summer season. The company was inevitably affected by the crisis that crippled Eurozone countries in 2008/9, as Spain teetered on the edge of solvency, unemployment soared and disposable income diminished. Soon after the new programme was advertised it was cancelled. Press statements announced that Oceanic had been sold to a Panamian company departing Barcelona on 19th March 2009 for charter to the Japanese Peaceboat organisation. It seemed a fitting role for a vessel which had inspired so much affection over four decades.

With the Peaceboat logo proudly emblazoned on her flanks Oceanic sailed from Yokohama on her first circumnavigation that took a westerly course via Suez and Northern Europe. There was a maiden call at Le Havre, ironically one of the terminal ports for Home Lines aborted transatlantic service. The Norwegian fjords and Iceland provided stunning scenic backdrops to the organisations laudable work of fostering tolerance, harmony and practical understanding across the globe.

On 26th June 2009, there was a much publicised return to the finger piers of New York. Regrettably the prodigal’s homecoming was tainted by news that US coastguard inspectors had identified a total of 17 safety violations including a crack in the hull probably resulting from an incident during her Icelandic call. Divers initially patched the hull before Oceanic was taken to the Bayonne New Jersey shipyard for dry-docking and permanent repairs. Finally released Oceanic sailed on 2nd July 2009, south to Panama then up to Vancouver where an oil spill caused more bad publicity. With a sense of relief she arrived back in Yokohoma.

The Peaceboat programme continued unabated and Oceanic completed her global voyages for the next two years visiting new ports in a broad spectrum of countries (although notably avoiding North America). Given her role as a disciple of peace there was a certain irony in press reports of a pirate attack off the Yemini coastline in 2010. Brandishing AK-47s, the attackers approached the vulnerable cruise ship in speedboats. Captain Teodor Candrlic and his crew put into practise drills that had been rehearsed for just such an eventuality. In the blind cacophony of the engine room engineers responded to the Captain’s demand and Oceanic’s ageing turbines ratcheted up until she was apparently steaming at over 25 knots lurching on a zig-zag course. Meanwhile brave deckhands trained high pressure hoses to repel the assailants and prevent them boarding. Continuing at top speed Oceanic out-ran the modern day buccaneers and ultimately found protection from a patrolling NATO warship. After almost fifty years of relative containment her powerful engines had proved their worth.

On 24th January 2012 Oceanic cast off from Yokohoma on what would be her final Peaceboat circumnavigation. Her normally spotless paintwork was starting to look careworn and reports indicated her interiors were similarly ill-maintained. Peaceboat announced the acquisition of a replacement (former Pullmantor fleet mate Ocean Dream, originally Carnivals Tropicale) whilst rumours circulated that Oceanic may be retained for voyages in the Asian area.

In the end it came to naught. After returning to Japan in early May, Oceanic was de-stored and briefly laid-up. As the final incarnation of 1960’s Italian shipbuilding genius and particularly since her svelte exterior was unaltered by subsequent ‘enhancements’ she would have made a wonderful candidate for preservation. The global financial crises put paid to any such thoughts. Furthermore QE2’s aborted transition and the massive escalation of costs on the SS Rotterdam project provided timely reminders that superannuated, tethered liners are rarely a commercial success. Forsaking the beaches of Alang where denuding and dismembering is photographed in ghoulish detail, Oceanic was sold to scrappers at Zhoushan in China. Within months she had disappeared leaving fond memories of one of the most beautiful and popular ships of all time.