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My time as a “Hostess”Santa Paula
By Marcia Kennedy
A
popular standard Grace Lines postcard of the SS Santa Paula /
My name is Marcia Kennedy and I was the hostess
on board the
Some on
board memories!
I was such a wreck on my first sailing for believe it or not I actually lost weight! I would see passengers disembark from the ship two weeks later sporting an additional few pounds, due to such wonderful food served on board, which was there in abundance! To this day, I cannot eat filet mignon since that is just about all I ate when on board as it was not flambéed, drenched in cream, wine or any kinds of sauces! Hmmm, is that another story!
I also remember that on the first morning of my very first sailing, my schedule had me leading a small group of passengers on a “Fire Drill.” However, it did not tell me where to take them, thus I just found the nearest staircase and started climbing. It all worked out in the end!
Thankfully I have
retained some photographs from my days on the
Photo provided by Marcia Kennedy
PS: If anyone recognizes these two African-American gentlemen could you please let the author of ssMaritime know at: info@ssmaritime.com?
Also shown
below is a group photo of
passengers and several of
Photo provided by Marcia Kennedy
The Staff Purser was a Vincent
Sabino and frequently a popular guest vocalist Lillian
Holland would be on board. She was a delight to be with. To this day I am still in
touch with one of the guest
priests, Rev James Mackey who sailed with us. He certainly was a hoot then, and believe me he still is today. Although now in retirement he still
sails as a guest
priest several times a year on various cruise ships.
Father James M Mackey
Photo provided by Marcia Kennedy
The
cover from one of
Image provided by Marcia Kennedy
Over the years I sold most of the passenger lists that I had, except
for
two that I kept for memories sake. Those that I retained are from voyages 71 (April
11 to 24 1969) and 76 (June 20 to July 2 1969), I have
included the cover of one of these as well as the inside front pages covering
the ports of call their crew lists.
Title page of voyage 71 – April 1969
Provided by Marcia Kennedy
Crew list of voyage 71
Provided by Marcia Kennedy
Title page of voyage 76 – June 20 – July 20,
1969
Provided by Marcia Kennedy
Senior crew list of voyage 76
Provided by Marcia Kennedy
Above and below: The
full passenger list of Voyage 76
I
have many other photographs of my
days while on the delightful
In
addition I still have a number of notes and letters of appreciation from
passengers including one delightful note from a little girl named Jill who was
the daughter of Grace Lines’ President. She was if I remember right
she was about eight years old and that little childish note is very
special to me and a wonderful memory for she treated me like
a “big sister.” However, I will include another note from my
collection. This one is from a wonderful passenger, Sara Matchett
who would have been according to the reverse side of the note on “
A note from Sara Matchett
Provided by Marcia Kennedy
A few on board memories:
I remember one evening with great fondness:
Normally the lounge would close around 1 am. However, on this particular
voyage, Larry Lopez the Chief Purser and all of us, including some
passengers who were still in the lounge at 1 am were having such a great
time, we did not want to leave, neither did Larry. Thus for this one night he
tossed all the rules overboard and the band continued and the party lasted
until somewhere around 4 am. Nearby sleeping (or trying to sleep)
passengers were not too happy, but everyone who stayed up had a ball! If I
recall, that might be the very night Father
Mackey tossed firecrackers off the side of the ship in the
Another fond memory
was of skeet shooting. I had never done this before and thus tried it for the
first time aboard the Paula. I actually managed to hit two in a row and much to
my surprise, the entire group of around thirty passengers just below by the
pool, all clapped and shouted! I was floored but did manage to curtsey
without falling overboard. Such wonderful days on the
A photograph of Marcia taken in May 2009
PS: As the author of ssMaritime, I asked
Provided by Marcia Kennedy
New
photographs received from Father Jim Mackey:
I recall the costume (fancy dress) ball very
well, and Father Jim arrived dressed as Moses holding the Ten Commandments, he
looked a hoot, and he won the first prize that night. The other passengers who
joined in the fun all had a a
superb time. I recall that on another voyage one man tied a faucet to his
head and came with the title - “a drip.” If I remember right he won
the first prize on that sailing!
Father
“Moses” Jim Mackey
Photo provided by Fr. Jim Mackey & Marcia Kennedy
A
group photograph of all the participants of the “Costume Ball”
Photo provided by Fr. Jim Mackey & Marcia Kennedy
The priests onboard Santa Paula were always
a great deal of fun and talking to Father Jim just the other day, he even
remembered tossing some firecrackers overboard at 3 am, and he said that on many
nights he never even got to bed! He simply was a character!
In the near future he will again be a guest
priest on another cruise line and I believe I may have mentioned that I may
join one of his cruises for old times sake. Such
wonderful memories! It’s amazing that we have kept in touch for the last
41 years, but I have not seen or actually talked to him since 1987, but we did
have such a fine conversation last week. All thanks to your pages on the
A
photograph of three Priests on board and a Mr Bill Conroy
Although
Fr. Jim Mackey was the officiating Priest on
Photo provided by Fr. Jim Mackey & Marcia Kennedy
In conclusion:
As I close, I dearly wish to
send my best regards to any of my wonderful passengers who may be reading this,
for I certainly loved sailing with you all!
Also, if anyone would like to contact me, please feel free to do so by emailing me. My email address is: casablanchie194@q.com. I sure hope to hear from some of my passengers as it will be wonderful to reconnect with some of you!
Kind regards
Marcia Kennedy
1969
The
beautifully proportioned luxury liner SS Santa Paula seen around 1969/70
Photograph by Vic Scrivens
Please Note:
Marcia Kennedy’s story has been slightly edited from its original and
this was done for readability purposes only. However, it retains the original story
and contents! Reuben Goossens.
Grace Line INDEX:
Page One … SS Santa
Paula & Santa Rosa –
History Page
Page Two … The
Marcia Kennedy Story – An
interesting story from a
Page Three … The Emerald
- ex
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Commenced
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