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With
Reuben Goossens
Maritime
Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author
Please Note: Except
where marked otherwise, images on this page are from the
author’s private collection. Some images are from an unknown
source and were sent in to us by ssMaritime supporters. Please
read our photo notes at the bottom of the page.
Also a NEW
feature has been added, which can be reached via a link at
the bottom of this page. It is the delightful story from Santa
Paula’s “Hostess” in 1969 – Marcia Kennedy.
Building
Two New Ships
In 1956 Grace Line
decided to build two new ships to replace the aging 9,000 GRT
(gross registered ton) sisters SS Santa Rosa and SS Santa Paula
(3). The new vessels were designed by Gibbs & Cox and were
named after their two forerunners. Their earlier two funnelled
namesakes the Santa Paula and Santa Rosa (2) built in 1932 would
be withdrawn after 26 years of dependable service as soon as the
new ships would be delivered. These new and vastly advanced
liners would be built by the famed Newport News Shipbuilding
Company USA.
A
Grace Line poster featuring their 1932 built ships
On June 28, 1957 Santa
Paula would be the first of the new pair of ships to be launched
on June 28, 1957. The honour to officiate was given to Mrs. Nixon,
but somehow the bottle of champagne smashed against her bow but
it failed to break, and thus it was left to a workman to take it
and smash it by hand.
Above
& below: Santa Rosa and the Santa Paula ¯ seen during
their sea trails
Santa Paula departed
from Newport News on October 10 and slowly sailed up the Hudson
River to Albany and pier 27, New York. She departed the next day
which was significant, because she would be the first large
passenger liner to make her maiden entry into the port of New
York from the north.
Santa
Paula departs on her maiden voyage
SS Santa Rosa was
next to be launched on August 28, 1957 and was delivered to Grace
Lines on June 12, 1958 and she departed on her maiden voyage from
New York’s pier 27 bound for South America and the West
Indies.
SS
Santa Rosa seen departing on her maiden voyage
From
an original news paper article
Both ships continued
the New York to Central America service for Grace Line until they
were transferred to operate the Caribbean service.
Santa Rosa
and Santa Paula were remarkable at the time having a variety of
and innovative features, including their interiors being panelled
with aluminium as a fireproofing measure. Public rooms and cabins
were particularly spacious with all cabins being outside having
private facilities. Another innovation on these fine ships was
their cargo handling gear for their 4 holds. Especially unique
were the side doors fitted to holds 3 and 4 having automatic
conveyers to move pallets on and off the ship ensuring rapid turn
around times.
Above
& below: Two Grace Line brochures
Club
Topicanas
A
classic scene on Promenade Deck
*******************************
SS
Santa Paula & MV Stolt Dagali
SS
Santa Paula
On November 25, 1964
the Israeli liner SS Shalom departed New York on a cruise to the Caribbean.
However, at 0200 during a dark and foggy night the Shalom
collided with the 12,723 GRT Norwegian tanker MV Stolt Dagali
having a crew of 43. The sharply raked bow of the Shalom rammed
portside aft resulting in Stolt Dagali’s stern section
sinking quickly. The rest of the ship remained afloat due to her
watertight tanks. With a S.O.S. having been sent out, the first
ship to arrive on the scene was the Santa Paula which was
returning from the Caribbean under the command of Captain Theodore
Thomson. Later he said “We had to circle around a wide area
until we saw the Shalom standing still with her lights lit. Her
bow was badly damaged. Then we saw the remains of the tanker, the
bow section with some sort of a light lit, and we could see ten
men aboard.” Captain Thomson positioned the Santa Paula so
as to provide a wind break for the Stolt Dagali’s bow
section. 25 crew members were rescued, however 18 Stolt Dagali
crew members perished.
MV
Stolt Dagali seen with her stern section gone
*******************************
The
concluding days of two fine Grace Line Ships
Yet as time went on
their days were sadly numbered as various strikes and this began
to affect the companies’ profitability. However, they
continued until 1969 when Grace Line finally decided to sell
their shipping interests to Prudential Lines, and thus the new
company became “Prudential-Grace lines.” However, by
the end of the year regardless the reasonably good passenger
numbers it was decide to withdraw both ships from service and Santa
Paula was laid up at Hampton Roads Virginia on January 16, 1971,
with the Santa Rosa being also being laid up at Hampton Roads
just six days later. Tragically these fine luxury liners would
never sail under the US flag again.
Specifications
– Santa Rosa – Santa Paula
Built
by:
Newport News Shipbuilding Company S.B. & D.D., USA - 1958
Yard:
Santa Rosa 728 / Santa Paula 522
Tonnage:
15,371 GRT / 15,366 GRT
Length:
177.9m – 584ft
Width:
25.6m – 84ft
Engines:
GE Geared Turbines – 22,000 SHP
Screws:
Twin
Service speed:
20 knots
Passengers:
300 First class
Crew:
246
Fully air-conditioned
Gyrofin Stabilisers
*******************************
From
“Santa Paula” to “Kuwait Marriot Hotel”
SS Santa
Paula
In 1972, Santa Paula
was sold to “Oceanic Sun Line Special Shipping Company
Inc” of Greece and she was renamed Stella Polaris. It was
intended for her to become a cruise ship. Although she arrived in
Piraeus on December 11, she remained laid up until 1976, when she
was obtained by the Marriott Group, and four Kuwaiti companies.
She was sent to Rijeka, Yugoslavia (today’s Croatia) where
she was converted for the use as a luxury floating hotel in Kuwait
City. She arrived in Kuwait in September 1978 having been renamed
the “Kuwait Marriott Hotel.” On October 17 workers
commenced to raise the harbour bed at her specially prepared
berth as hull was to remain to be permanently grounded. This was
completed and she officially opened as a hotel on February 1,
1980. In 1989 she was renamed the “Ramada al Salam
Hotel” but soon disaster would hit this fine vessel!
Kuwait
Marriott Hotel, ex SS Santa Paula
A
Marriot postcard from the author’s private collection
However, when Iraq
invaded Kuwait in 1991 the ship was attacked and she was bombed
and set ablaze totally destroying this once magnificent ship.
Upon inspection she was considered a total loss. Many of her
machinery spares, which somehow remained in perfect order were
sold and were used for her sister ship, the ex Santa Rosa by
Regency Cruises as she was being rebuilt as the SS Regent
Rainbow. Today this fine totally rebuilt ship continues to sail
on as the SS “The Emerald.” The “Ramada al Salaam
Hotel,” ex Santa Paula was scrapped in 2002, however it is
said that parts of the ship are still visible at her final
resting place.
“Ramada
al Salaam Hotel” after being bombed
Unknown
source – *See Photo notes at bottom of page
A
fine photograph and a fine memory of a superb ship - SS Santa
Paula is seen here late during her Grace Line days
Photograph
by Vic Scrivens
*******************************
Grace
Lines Memorabilia
Mr.
Harold Reitz sent me a photograph of his SS Santa Rosa cabin key
- cabin A 44
Harold
Reitz collection
An
ashtray and matchbook cover from the SS Santa Paula
From
the author’s private collection
*******************************
“Santa
Rosa” was rebuilt into a modern cruise ship, currently named
the Emerald
SS
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa remained
laid up in the USA for 20 long years, during which she passed
hands a number of times. In 1975 she was obtained by the US
Department of Commerce, then in 1976 she was sold to Vintoro Corp
of New York who renamed her Samos Sky and she was to operate the
South American service once again. However, this venture did not
eventuate and she remained idle. She was again sold in 1989, to
Coral Cruise Lines Inc, New York who had her towed from Baltimore
to Greece in December. She arrived at Chalkis Greece in March
1990 where she was to be modernised. Coral Cruises first renamed
her Pacific Sun, then Diamond Island. Later that year she was
finally sold to the Greek Lelakis Group who commenced to
extensively rebuild her at a cost of $70 million. When completed
in 1991, visually she was a very different ship to say the least,
yet with her unaltered hull and her new superstructure she had
become a fine looking cruise ship. She was renamed Regent Rainbow
and commenced cruising for Regency Cruises. At the time many
found it strange that with her extensive rebuilding the company
decided to retain her steam turbine engines, which had been
renovated with parts from the Santa Paula.
Seen
here in Greece during her reconstruction to become a cruise ship
Regent Rainbow
became a popular ship, however, Regency Cruises has an extensive
fleet and was suffering extensive losses and in 1995 Regency was
declared bankrupt. Regent Rainbow was placed under arrest on
November 27 in Tampa USA. In December 1996, Regent Rainbow was
sold to rapidly growing Maltese Shipping Company Louis Cruise
Line and she was renamed The Emerald. She was mostly chartered to
Thompson Cruises and catered for the British market.
The
Emerald is seen here as the stunning looking Louis Cruise Line
cruise ship featuring the Louis livery with their “L”
on the funnel
SS
Santa Paula – the Emerald’s Sad Farewell!
This delightfully
modern cruise ship that was a famous yet ex classic liner, the
Emerald remained but operating mostly for Louis Cruises
themselves in service until 2010 when she was finally laid up and
placed on the market. WE had hopes for her and a company did have
plans for her and she was to head for Asia first to be used as an
accommodation ship, then head to the Central America and continue
to operate as a full time cruise ship. The truth is that she was
a fully updated ship and was SOLAS 2010 compliant. However, that
venture fell through and we heard the news in 2012 that she had
been sold and we knew that it would be to a breaker, even though
details had not been provided. I was advised on August 14 that
she had been beached at Alang India to be broken up, this once
fine liners days has now come to an end!
The
SS Santa Paula is seen here departing New York in 1966
Photograph
by Vic Scrivens, from the Rich Turnwald collection
We
will remember this wonderful ship that has given us a remarkable
55 years of of joy and great service
Grace
Line INDEX:
Page
One … SS Santa Paula & Santa Rosa – History
Page
Page
Two … The Marcia Kennedy Story – An interesting
story from a Santa Paula 1969 hostess
Page
Three … The
Emerald - ex Santa Rosa rebuilt as a luxury cruise ship
– see her interiors!
**************************************************
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Who is the Author of ssMaritime?
Commenced
in the passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960
ssMaritime.com
& ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos
Story
Also
visit my …
“Save The
Classic Liners Campaign” & “Classic Ocean Voyages” pages
Photographs
on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from the
author’s private collection. In addition
there are some images that have been provided by Shipping
Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is
given to all contributors. However, there are some photographs
provided to me without details regarding the photographer/owner
concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so
kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be
found on www.ssmaritime.com
only), in order that due credit may be given. I know what it is
like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other
sites, yet these individuals either refuse to provide credit or
remove them when asked, knowing full well that there is no legal
comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show these
charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit
where credit is due!
This
notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to
ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this
notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is
updated!
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