Bill Miller talks about the Bermuda ships: "Bound for Bermuda: Fifty years ago, in September 1965, you could have booked a 6-day cruise from New York to Bermuda and back onboard the British-flag Furness Bermuda Line. The fare for an inside room down C Deck, with upper & lower bunks and a private shower & toilet was $145. Comparatively, the roomy Sandringham Suite on B Deck -- with bedroom, sitting room and full bathroom (including tub bath) -- was priced at $590 for the 6 days. In off season, in late fall and chilly winter, these fares dropped by as much as $20.
You'd sail from Pier 95, at West 55th Street along Manhattan's West Side, at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Sunday would be a sea day while Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent docked in Bermuda. Thursday was another sea day before one of the Furness liners returned to New York at 8:30am on Friday mornings. Unheard of today, the ship then remained quietly overnight at Pier 95.
Bermuda-based, Stephen Card is one of the world's finest marine artists. One of his latest works is of two of his favorite ships, the Furness liners -- the impressive Queen of Bermuda (with three funnels) and the smaller, yacht-like Ocean Monarch (at dock). It is a superb painting, scheduled to be shown at Stephen's one-man show in Bermuda next June. Best congratulations to him!
The Queen carried up to 735 passengers; the Monarch was more limited with 440 beds. A staffmember once described the smaller Ocean Monarch as being like "the Alfred to Queen Victoria -- the consort!"
Painting by S. Card.
Texto / Text by Bill Miller Page copyright L.M.Correia. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia