OCTOBER, 2016
VOLUME XXXIII, # 9
Differing Views About the Remastered QUEEN MARY 2:
PONY Members Have Their Say
Friday, October 28, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Community Church Assembly Room, 40 East 35th Street, Manhattan
Following a late spring refit at Blohm + Voss, Hamburg, the largest liner ever built re-entered service with enough changes to call the extensive
shipyard work “Remastering.” Given the interest our Branch has in the ship, we thought it would make a dandy program to have some of our
members who have recently sailed onboard QM2 share their views.
In a PowerPoint presentation moderated by Ted Scull, our team of critics is Pat and Denise Dacey, David Hume and Marjorieann Matuszek,
and Alan Zamchick. They have chosen areas of the ship to discuss that will allow a fairly complete coverage of the changes while sharing
varied views on the results.
The major changes are the transformation of the Winter Garden into the Carinthia Lounge; the complete redesign of the often maligned Kings
Court (buffet dining and evening specialty restaurants); and Todd English being replaced by The Verandah, recalling the Verandah Grill
restaurants aboard the original QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH.
We will see where additional passenger cabins were added, including the ship’s first dedicated singles, and how that changed the ship’s original
layout. With the pet accommodations usually sold out, her kennels capacity was doubled, including a private lounge for the cat and dog owners.
Cabins, suites and public spaces – lounges, corridors, stairs, atrium and foyers – received new curtains, upholstery and carpeting, and here we
may hear some grousing about color and design.
The library and bookshop, once a ship lover’s dream, sold a wide selection of maritime books, posters and souvenirs but sadly a scant few are
available now, so we look to hear what the members have to report about the long-term future of these outlets.
Come hear what this select group has to say, and during the discussion period, feel free to add your own thoughts.
QUEEN MARY 2 is about to pass under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, while entering New York Harbor in August 2006.
(Ted Scull)
NEXT EVENTS: Membership Programs: Friday, November 18 – "One Man's Holland America Line: A Personal Retrospective from NIEUW
AMSTERDAM to KONIGSDAM." by Karl Zimmerman. Member’s Holiday Party: Saturday, December 10.
ADDRESS: PO Box 384, New York, NY 10185-0384
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.worldshipny.com
THE PORTHOLE, published by the Port of New York Branch, World Ship Society, welcomes original material for publication. Address to the
editor, Bob Allen, at [email protected] or via the PONY mailing address.
MEMBER PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Oceania Cruises’ MARINA at Warnemunde, Germany on June 26, 2016.
(Bob Allen)
MUSEUMS, LECTURES AND HARBOR CRUISES
CONTACT THESE INSTITUTIONS BY EMAIL OR PHONE FOR CURRENT EVENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org or 212-748-8600.
MYSTIC SEAPORT www.mysticseaport.org or 860-572-0711.
VANCOUVER WSS & VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM www.worldshipsocietyvan.ca for information or if you visit, contact Glenn Smith:
604-684-1240, email [email protected] Per their website, monthly meetings have been eliminated for the foreseeable future.
NEW SOUTH WALES WSS: Meetings are held at the Uniting Church Complex in Lord Street, Roseville. Contact the branch at PO Box 215,
Strathfield, New South Wales 2135, Australia for additional information.
THE NATIONAL LIBERTY SHIP MEMORIAL, INC. www.ssjeremiahobrien.org or [email protected] or 415-544-0100. 1275
Columbus Avenue, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94133-1315.
PROJECT LIBERTY SHIP www.ssjohnwbrown.org or 410-558-0646. Visit or sail on the World War II vintage Liberty Ship, based in Baltimore,
MD. Contact for dates and more information.
NEW YORK WATER TAXI, www.nywatertaxi.com or 866-989-2542. Harbor cruises departing from both South Street Seaport Pier 17 and Pier
84 at West 44 Street. Hop on – hop off service throughout New York Harbor is offered as well. Contact via website or telephone for departure
times and prices.
CIRCLE LINE DOWNTOWN, www.circlelinedowntown.com or 866-989-2542. Harbor cruises on the ZEPHYR from April to December, and
aboard New York Water Taxi from January to March, departing from Pier 17, South Street Seaport.
CIRCLE LINE, www.circleline42.com or 877-731-0064. Circle Manhattan and other harbor cruises, departing from pier 84 at West 44 Street.
NEW YORK WATERWAY, www.nywaterway.com or 800-533-3779. Trans-Hudson ferry service and special-event cruises.
THE NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM www.lighthousemuseum.org or 855-656-7469. Lecture - The Evolution of Sound Signals presented
by Arnold Konheim, Friday, October 28 at 6:00 PM. Contact for schedule of cruises and other events.
THE WORKING HARBOR COMMITTEE www.workingharbor.com or 212-757-1600. Cruises to both remote and well-travelled parts of New
York Harbor - the Hudson River to view tugboat races, Gowanus Bay and Erie Basin in Brooklyn, and a circumnavigation of Staten Island.
THE NOBLE MARITIME COLLECTION, www.noblemaritime.org or 718-447-6490. Maritime lectures and art exhibits at the Sailor’s Snug
th
Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island, NY. The 28 Annual Art Auction will take place on Saturday, November 19, 2016.
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IT’S PARTY TIME!
This year’s WSS PONY Holiday Party will be on Saturday, December 10. Please see the flyer below for details, and make your
reservation soon to join the festivities!
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ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
Arrivals & Departures will return in the November issue of The Porthole.
A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR PONY BRANCH OFFICERS
Elections for officers of the Executive Board of the World Ship Society-Port of New York Branch will take place in November,
2016. Executive Board officers are the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Branch Secretary. All
offices will be up for election.
If there is a member of the PONY Branch that you would like to nominate for an Executive Board office, please submit his or her
name and office to the World Ship Society-Port of New York Branch mailbox (P.O. Box 384, New York, NY 10185-0384).
Nominations must be via U.S. Mail only: no nominations via email will be accepted. Nominations must be postmarked no later
than Wednesday, October 26, 2016. If you have moved in the past year and changed your email or physical address, please
let us know so that we can make sure that you receive your ballot.
SHIP’S LOG
Ship’s Log will follow in future editions of The Porthole.
A GREAT BAZAAR!
The WSS PONY annual Ocean Liner Bazaar on Saturday, October 1 was a tremendous success! Members and guests enjoyed perusing and buying a wide range
of fascinating artifacts from 14 vendors.
(Stuart Gewirtzman)
PONY MEMBERS SAIL ON THE S.S. JOHN W. BROWN
On September 18th, World Ship Society-PONY Branch members were among the roughly 500 guests sailing aboard the
restored World War II-era Liberty Ship S.S. JOHN W. BROWN on a six-hour "Living History Cruise" out of New York Harbor.
The BROWN is one of only two remaining, fully operational Liberty Ships of the more than 2,700 built during World War II, and
has connections to both the Port of New York and the PONY Branch.
Launched in 1942, the S.S. JOHN W. BROWN made a total of 13 voyages as part of the U.S. Merchant Marine fleet, nine of
which occurred during the war. On her maiden voyage she delivered war materiel to the Soviet Union via the Persian Gulf.
Subsequent voyages included shuttling troops and cargo between ports in North Africa, Sicily and Southern France, and
transporting two shiploads of German prisoners of war from North Africa to the United States.
In November 1946, with her wartime service ended, the BROWN was loaned by the United States Maritime Commission to the
New York City Board of Education for use as a floating vocational high school teaching the maritime trades. She became a
familiar sight berthed at Pier 4 East River, and later at Pier 41 North River. During her 35 years as the only floating nautical high
school in the United States, the BROWN graduated thousands of students prepared to begin careers in the merchant marine,
the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. During her stay at Pier 41 North River, the BROWN also hosted meetings of the
PONY Branch.
After the school was closed in 1982 due to rising expenses and declining employment opportunities in the merchant marine, the
S.S. JOHN W. BROWN was towed to the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia before being acquired by Project Liberty Ship,
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an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. The Brown was reactivated in 1991 following a three-year restoration effort, and today
serves as a living museum ship based in Baltimore, Maryland.
The S.S. JOHN W. BROWN returned to the Port of New York on September 10, 2016, 70 years after first taking up residence in
the Port as a vocational high school. The BROWN was open to visitors at Pier 36 East River until September 18th when she set
sail on a "Living History Cruise” which took her down the East River, past the Statue of Liberty in Upper New York Bay, and
through the Narrows to the Lower Bay before returning to Pier 36. On the outbound leg of her voyage, the BROWN was saluted
with water sprays from active FDNY fireboats and the historic fireboat John J. Harvey, and whistle salutes from passing Staten
Island ferries. The six-hour voyage featured actors in period uniforms, musical performances, a memorial service, a
demonstration of the ship's guns, and a fly-by by a WWII-era TBM Avenger torpedo bomber. A highlight of the cruise was a tour
of the engine room (featured in the 1997 movie TITANIC) to see the 135-ton triple expansion reciprocating steam engine in
operation. Guests were also able to visit three small museums on board dedicated to the U.S. Merchant Marine, the U.S. Navy
Armed Guard, and the shipbuilding industry. Both a continental breakfast and a lunch buffet of tasty sandwiches were served
during the voyage.
The S.S. JOHN W. BROWN made an on-time return to Pier 36 where some skilled maneuvering and the assistance of two
tugboats were required to bring the ship into her berth just aft of American Cruise Lines' 100-passenger river cruise ship
AMERICAN STAR. The BROWN set sail again the following afternoon to return to her Baltimore home port.
Stuart Gewirtzman
The s.s. JOHN W. BROWN seen at her East River berth, a deck view during the cruise, and her engine room and telegraph. (Stuart Gewirtzman)
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SHIP NEWS
LNG: WAVE OF THE FUTURE: Royal Caribbean International has signed a memorandum of understanding with Finnish
shipbuilder Meyer Turku for the construction of a new series of ships, code named ICON Class. The new vessels will be
powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), and will also incorporate fuel cells for supplemental power requirements. A huge
benefit of LNG propulsion is vastly reduced emissions, while hydrogen-powered fuel cells produce no harmful emissions at all.
Details of the design and facilities of the planned 200,000-ton vessels are very limited at this time, but they will be able to
accommodate approximately 5,000 passengers. RCI is promising to introduce innovative new diversions for passengers on the
ICON vessels, which are to be introduced in 2022 and 2024; deployment has not been announced.
DREAM LIGHTING: Dream Cruises new GENTING DREAM will make quite a spectacle of herself when she enters service
from Chinese ports this fall. A vast LED lighting system will be able to illuminate the entire hull with a wide variety of colors,
designs and messages. Photos released by builder Meyer Werft indicate that the 150,695-ton cruise ship can be made to look
like a floating billboard, with her company name in lights stretching hundreds of feet and seven decks high. Among other
innovations, GENTING DREAM will feature two submersibles, to allow passengers to view underwater sights. Passengers will
be able to choose from 35 bars and restaurants. Designed for the Chinese luxury market, GENTING DREAM was handed over
to her Hong Kong-based owner in October.
A sophisticated LED lighting package will bathe the hull of the GENTING DREAM in vivid colors and messages.
(Meyer Werft/Dream Cruises)
The Miami Beach-inspired Mixt Bar (above) and Blue Lagoon, a setting for Asian street food and noodle dishes (below), show how Dream
Cruises has incorporated both Asian and International décor on board the GENTING DREAM.
(Meyer Werft/Dream Cruises)
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SMALL EXPANSION: Lindblad Cruises, a small expedition cruise line, is expanding with new and renovated vessels. They
will introduce the 96-passenger NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER II for service in the Galapagos Islands. She was built
for Chilean operator Cruceros Australis as VIA AUSTRALIS, and is currently being renovated at the Sociber Shipyard in
th
Valparaiso, Chile. Her maiden voyage in 2017 will mark the 50 anniversary of Lindblad’s first cruises to the Galapagos
Islands. The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC QUEST and an unnamed sister ship are under construction at Nichols Brothers Boat
Builders in Freeland, Washington. The 100-passenger ships will have drafts of only 9 feet, enabling them to explore many
remote harbors and nature preserves. These new exploration vessels will be delivered in 2017, 2018.
Lindblad Cruises will introduce the rebuilt NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER II, above left, and the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC QUEST,
above right, in 2017.
(Lindblad Cruises)
VIKINGS DISCOVER NEW YORK: Viking Ocean Cruises, in a widely anticipated expansion move, sent their first ship, the
2015-built VIKING STAR, to US waters in mid-October. After completing her European season, she crossed the Atlantic to
Boston and then proceeded to New York where she spent three days docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. From New
York, VIKING STAR sailed to San Juan, Puerto Rico to begin a winter series of Caribbean cruises. In keeping with Viking’s
destination-focused itineraries, all of the Caribbean cruises will be port-intensive, with no sea days between island stops. Viking
has indicated that their goal is a ten-ship fleet, and they are already committed to six vessels. With VIKING STAR and VIKING
SEA in service, future fleet members will be the VIKING SKY (2017), VIKING SUN (2017), VIKING SPIRIT (2018) and a sixth
unnamed ship in 2020. Viking has also announced plans for Australian and Bangkok-to-Hong Kong cruises on the VIKING
SPIRIT when she enters service during the winter 2018-2019 season. Itineraries for these cruises have not yet been finalized.
A traditional fireboat spray greets Viking Ocean Cruises’ 47,800-ton VIKING STAR on her maiden arrival at the Port of New York.
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(Bob Allen)
An interesting variety of collectables offered for sale at the 2016 WSS Ocean Liner Bazaar, clockwise from top left: an interior brochure and
deck plan for the Hamburg Atlantik Linie’s HANSEATIC, ex-EMPRESS OF JAPAN, EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND (1930); a similar style brochure
for Costa’s COLUMBUS C, ex-KUNGSHOLM, EUROPA (1953); a stylized rendering of the bow and eagle figurehead on Hapag Lloyd’s
IMPERATOR, from a 1913 book commemorating her maiden voyage in June of that year; a post-World War II interior brochure for United
States Lines’ AMERICA (1940), printed in 1952, at the time of the maiden voyage of her newer, larger sister UNITED STATES; a pre-World
War I brochure describing cruises to the Middle East, via ships of the North German Lloyd Steamship Company. Below is a 1:1250 model of
Incres Line’s VICTORIA, ex-DUNNATOR CASTLE (1936), which was sold in the gift shop on board.
(Bob Allen collection)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OFFICERS
Chairman:
Vice Chairman:
Branch Secretary:
Membership Secretary:
Treasurer:
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Marjorieann Matuszek
David Hume*
Greg Fitzgerald
Mario De Stefano
Carol Miles*
Bob Allen
Mario De Stefano
Greg Fitzgerald
Stuart Gewirtzman
Doug Friedlander*
COMMITTEE HEADS
David Hume*
Marjorieann Matuszek
Carol Miles*
Doug Newman
Ted Scull*
Finance:
Membership:
Newsletter:
Program:
Special Events:
Website:
Carol Miles*
Mario De Stefano
Bob Allen
Greg Fitzgerald
David Hume*, Doug Friedlander*
Stuart Gewirtzman
* Past Chairman
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