1,355 Classic Passenger Liners, Passengers Cargo ships as well as humble Migrant Liners from countries worldwide!

ssMaritime.com for a world of Classic Passenger Liners, Passengers-Cargo Ships as well as humble Migrant Liners from countries around the world

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Please Note: All ssMaritime and other related maritime/cruise sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned. Be assured that I am NOT associated with any shipping or cruise companies or any travel/cruise agencies or any other organisations! Although the author has been in the passenger shipping industry for over 60 years, but due to age and poor health, I was forced to retire. Yet, I have completed well over 1,350 Classic Liner, Passenger-Cargo Liners as well as countless humble converted C3 converted humble Migrant Liners, which brought countless thousands of Europeans to the new world. I trust these features will continue to provide Classic Ship enthusiasts not just the information they are seeking, but more so provide a great deal of pleasure and memories!

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Ships of the Month

October, November & December 2020

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NEW

Coast Lines Ltd

Managed by; Burns & Laird Lines

M.S. Irish Coast

Later she became the luxury Epirotiki Lines cruise ship, M.T.S. Apollon II

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Go directly to “Ships of the Month” or Keep On Reading

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Introduction and my Thoughts:

Welcome to ssMaritime.com. There is no doubt that 2020 has proven to be a tragic year for the entire world, due to the sudden arrival of COVID-19, and cruising around the world has come to a complete halt, with some companies going into administration, and having closed down as well as many excellent ships having been sold to the breakers, which was tragic! It was a great and a s loss of so many ships long before their time, and sadly this may well include a few of the much loved classic cruise ships, that we hoped to assist in being sold and continue in service as there were buyers for them, but now with the current conditions, and COVID flaring up all over again it does not look good.

A Very Sad Comment:

I find it so sad that a certain leader who himself has had COVID-19, and we now all know that his military hospital had to lie about him having had oxygen, but later they had to confess that he did receive it more than once, he decided to return home and stated that people should not worry about COVID, but he should tell that to the over 211,800 dear souls that have died to this evil pandemic, as for sadly this nation has lost more people than any other country in the world. Shame on this leader who is a disgrace and is considered to be an utter joke throughout the world, and there are a number of others leaders who sadly are not much better across the Atlantic either! Sorry about this, but it just had to be said. Whatever you do, please stay safe!

New ships added in recent times:

Over a period of time, I have managed to add a few new Classic Liners, as well as some smaller ships to ssMaritime as I already had them on file and started them, and some were already close to completion. In addition, I also have slowly updated some of my earlier features, for believe me they really needed a good tidy up, and sadly there are many more that need work. But as most of my readers will know, for a very long time I have been suffering from extremely poor health, as well as having poor eye sight these days, and it is sad to say that I have now been forced to stop, From now, I will only update this FrontPage and add another “Company / Ship of the Month” but this will only be done on a quarterly basis (give or take), but these ships will be those that I already have online, and there are so many wonderful and interesting ships, which I am sure you would like to discover!

Please Note - re EMAILS, due to the flood of emails that arrive each and every day, I no longer personally reply to the vast majority of emails received daily, as 99.9% of the emails will be taken care of by my friend and carer Mr. Eng Tan, and therefore the majority will receive a pre-written reply. However, some very special emails with a very specific and a worthwhile question will be shown to me, and whenever it is possible I will send an answer as some of you will have already discovered, although it may take a little time pending my condition at that time. But you will never receive an answer if it is regarding a passenger or a crew list, or a sailing schedule, for if I had these, believe me they would be online already.

However, I do have schedules for the three Dutch liners M.S. Sibajak, M.S. Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, and the M.S. Oranje; these schedules cover every voyage these ships ever made whilst in Dutch ownership.

Looking Back:

It is hard to believe, that I have now written on well over 1,355 ships (but I have long stopped counting), there are many of the great well-known Passenger Liners, but also countless Passenger-Cargo Liners, and not to forget those wonderful Victory - C3 ships, many of which became humble migrant liners, but some of them where given amazing rebuilding programs and became fine modern Liners with excellent facilities, and there are some fine smaller ships, some of which have been rebuilt into luxury cruise ships. I have also covered a good number of Classic Cruise Ships, some have now gone and have been broken up, but there are some that are still sailing, in fact there is one superb ship aged an amazing 72 years (2020) and she is in such perfect condition and in Class! This is of course the amazing M/v Astoria, the ex ‘Stockholm’, ‘Italia Prima’, ‘Athena’ and she was recently operated by “Cruise & Maritime Voyages” (CMV) UK, and yes she is an amazing 72 year old cruise ship, which I just mentioned, but she is now laid up and is for sale as CMV have gone broke. I feel that sadly this fine ship will now be broken up.

The wonderful M/v Athena, the ship I have enjoyed two wonderful line voyages from Fremantle (Australia)

to Portsmouth (UK), one via Asia & the Suez & the next one via the Indian Ocean Islands, East, South and West Africa, to Portsmouth. But she is still an amazing ship - the magnificent M/v Astoria

I loved this fine ship when she was the “Classic International Cruises” the M/v Athena, and the truth is, that I had the two of the best long cruises on this wonderful ship in my entire life, and I do mean bar none! To be honest, not even the QE2 was better, for this ship had that something very special, as well a great service, the finest of cuisine and our suites on both voyages were simply outstanding and superbly kept. The Athena was the cleanest and best maintained ship I have ever sailed on, for you could not find a single tiny spec of rust or dirt anywhere, even in places where you would expect it most.

Some of the countless ships online:

Below are some of ships that I have online, but remember that the ssMaritime INDEX has a complete listing of the well over 1,355 classic liners and cruise ships that I have covered over the many years I have been doing this!

Friends, it is my sincere hope, that through the pages of ssMaritime you may rediscover some wonderful memories, be it for a ship you have sailed on as a past passenger, or searching for your relatives who may have sailed on one of these liners, from days of old until their demise in the late 1970s to the 1990s, for I am sure that I will have the ship for you online!

Please Note; the greatly loved ex Cunarder QE2 is now open as a Luxury Hotel in Dubai (UAE)

Visit my comprehensive Hotel Queen Elizabeth 2 feature

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In Conclusion:

I must say a very special thank you, to all ship lovers from around the world, for I have been astounded that there have been so many of you reading this site, in fact friends ssMaritime.com has now reached over 537 million readers, and that, dear friends is simply beyond belief! And please remember, that all my maritime/cruise sites have always been and will remain 100% non-commercial, for my purpose has been to provide wonderful and hopefully joyful memories to past passengers from around the world, and those who really love passenger liners and older cruise ships! Be assured, it has been a great joy for me to present these many classic ships to, and it has been a joy to have been able to write for so many years, thus all I can say is; go and enjoy the well over 1,355 wonderful maritime memories, and I pray that after a lifetime of sharing my love of these fine ships with you, that they will live long after me to give knowledge to a new generation and wonderful memories to those who remain!

Dear Mr. Goossens … here you will discover just some of the emails of thanks received over the years.

It is my greatest desire that the ships I have covered will provide many memories of their days now mostly long gone, but for those who were fortunate to have sailed on some or more of the ships I have covered I pray will have brought some joy to your heart!

Reuben Goossens - Retired due to extreme poor health, being disabled and poor eyesight!

Maritime Historian; Working and involved in the Passenger Shipping & Cruise Industry for over 60 years.

PLEASE do not send me emails requesting passenger or crew lists or sailing schedules. See the special note at my email address at bottom of this page for there are just three ships that are excluded. All other emails requesting passenger or crew lists and sailing schedules will be automatically deleted!

Or ENTER HERE

View some of the finest Classic Passenger Liner paintings by world renowned artists

on the ssmaritime Maritime Art page!

Or continue to read the Ships of the Month” below

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“Ships of the Month”

The Scottish Overnight Ferry that became a Luxury Cruise Ship

M.S. Irish Coast

(1952 to 1968)

She is seen her just after her completion in 1952

In 1968 she was sold to become the magnificent - completely rebuilt ultra modern …

“Epirotiki Lines”

M.T.S. Apollon II

(1968 to 1982)

After 1982, she remained mostly laid up under the name of ‘Regency’ until she was broken up in 1996

And this is the luxury cruise ship M.T.S. Apollon II

I seldom write about a 3,813 GRT (Gross registered Ton) passenger ferry, but she had luxurious public venues and excellent accommodations, very much like a cruise ship, and she did indeed operate some short cruises. However in due course she was sold to famous old Greek Shipping Company that goes back to the 1800s being; “Epirotiki Lines”, and they took her to Piraeus and rebuilt her into a magnificent luxurious Cruise Ship. Very rapidly she became much loved by ocean loving travellers from all over the globe! She, and her twin sister the M.T.S. Orpheus II (ex MS Munster of 1948) became much loved ships and they became known around the world as the luxury intimate cruise ships to sail on!

The 3,813 GRT, passenger, refrigerated cargo-ferry M.S. Irish Coast, was built by Harland & Wolff Belfast, and she was completed for “Coast Lines Ltd” in 1952. She was 97.7m long and had a beam of 15.7m and with her twin screws she had an excellent cruising speed of 17 knots. The Irish Coast’s keel was laid down in 1951, and she was officially launched on May 8, 1952.

The Irish Coast was built to fill a special roll, for when other ships were taken out of service overhauls, she would take their place and operate their services. Thus over the years, she would sail on the Glasgow to Dublin service, as well as being chartered out operating on a variety of other services and short cruises. And she operated her services extreamly well, and she was a much loved ship!

This small ship had a wonderful and a varied history both with “Coast Lines Ltd” but operated by “Burns & Laird Lines” and “Epirotiki Lines”, and I suggest that you read the complete feature with all its photographs, both interiors and exteriors.

Enter the MS Irish Coast Feature

There is a link to the two page M.T.S. Apollon II feature at the bottom of the page

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PLEASE SUPPORT … “Mercy Ships”

Mercy Ships is VERY Unique and does Amazing Medical Work.

This is a Work I Personally Support, and have done so for a very long time!

Please Join me and Support this Most Worthwhile Cause!

Mercy Ships - helps those who have severe medical needs in desperately poor lands around the globe, and they need our help!

Everyone on the ship, crew, nurses, doctors, surgeons, etc, is a volunteer, and Mercy Ships completely rely on our donations

Thus your contribution really counts, and be assured it will not be wasted on any on-board wages, as the vast majority of funds received will actually be spent on surgeries and healing children and all those who are in such urgent need of our help!

Enter the Mercy Ships Introduction Page featuring their current ship - M.V. Africa Mercy and their past ships, which include; The 1953 built Lloyd Triestino liner M.V. Victoria, which was renamed “Anastasis” by Mercy Ships in 1982, the Norwegian 1952 built M.S. Polarlys, which was sold to become “Caribbean Mercy” in 1994, whilst the 1961 built Canadian M.V. Petite Forte was donated in 1983, and she was renamed “Island Mercy.” Soon a new ship will join Mercy Ships, being a brand new ship the 11 deck, 36,600 GRT “Global Mercy”, which will have a crew of 641 (including medical staff), with 158 hospital beds, 6 operating theatres and countless other new and exciting facilities!

Enter my Mercy Ships

To Donate Click … https://mercyships.org.au/donate/

Thank you for your kind assistance and donating to Mercy Ships, Reuben Goossens.

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“Blue Water Liners sailing to the distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them die.”

Also visit the wonderful Maritime Art pages & the Maritime Links Page!

Over the years, I have received many Dear Mr. Goossens emails of thanks & here are just some of them

Or ENTER HERE

Featuring over 1,355 Classic Passenger Liners, Passenger-Cargo Liners & Classic Cruise Ships!

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ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

Where you will discover Classic Liners & the 1914 built MV Doulos Story

The Author has been in Passenger Shipping & the Cruise Industry for some 60 years

& founder of “Save the Classic Liners Campaign" in 1990.

Email the Author: rg@ssmaritime.com

Please Note: Requests for passenger or crew lists and sailing schedules will NOT be answered, and your email will be deleted for I simply do not have the information available!

I only have voyage details of 3 Dutch Liners: the M.S. Sibajak, the M.S. Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and the M.S. Oranje. All other requests, except for the three ships mentioned above, will simply be deleted. Remember, I am old, disabled and ill, and almost blind, thus be kind.

Please Note: ssmaritime and associated sites are 100% non-commercial and the author seeks no funding or favours of any shape or form, never have and never will!

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 per email address, which is located above in order that due credit may be given.

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!