In Germany in the 1930’s., the  National Socialist regime came to power. Immediately, the Nazi’s established the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront). In order to force the existing worker unions out of business, they established a propaganda division called Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy) offering the working class all kinds of attractive leisure activities. […]

Many thanks to Senic Cruises US which provided the interior photographs of Scenic Eclipse. The mission building this first deluxe expedition yacht: “The vessel’s design incorporates state-of-the-art engineering and external design inspired by the sleek contours of a mega yacht.” Scenic Eclipse in Rotterdam, August 10, 2019, prepearing for her maiden voyage out of Iceland two

No one could have envisaged the huge success Carnival Cruise Lines would have in the following years, when they started operations in 1972 with their second hand Mardi Gras. Two more former liners Carnivale and Festivale were introduced shortly afterwards in 1975 and 1977. To their initial three converted liners were added Tropicale (1981), Carnivals first newbuilding and a series of (near-)

Built 1984 Yard Waertsila, Helsinki, Finland Some data as built: Length 231m Passengers 1260 Crew 520 Cabins total 600 all outside cabins BRT 44588 Speed 19 knots After more than three decades of service, Artania still is a gem of a ship, with her sleek lines, her long tapered bow, and her traditional profile that sets her apart from today’s mega ships with their boxy exterior designs.

In July 1984, I made my first short trip on a “mega cruise ship”, at the time even the world’s largest and longest cruise ship, the Norway. We sailed from Southampton to Amsterdam, and we had full day at sea to explore the ship. In those days, the only ship matching her in size was the

On Oct 27th 1955, the Holland America Line (HAL) placed an order  at the Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij, a shipyard in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which mainly repaired and overhauled ships as its core business. However, occasionally the yard also built vessels completely from scratch. HAL had had plans for a running mate and eventually a successor