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

ssMaritime.com

Enter a world of Classic Passenger Liners, Passengers-Cargo Ships as well as humble Migrant Liners from around the world

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Please Note: All ssMaritime and other related maritime sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned, thus ssmaritime is NOT associated with any shipping company or any other organisation! Although the author has worked and been involved in the passenger shipping industry for well over 60 years, but due to his old age and poor health, he was forced to retire. Yet, he has completed well over 1,355 Classic Liners, Passenger-Cargo Liners as well as humble converted C3 converted Migrant Liners, which has transported countless thousands folk to the new world, as well on vacations’. I trust the features online will continue to provide Classic Liner and Ship enthusiasts both the information they are seeking, but more so provide a great deal of pleasure and relive many happy memories!

Also Note: The email service to ssMaritime is sadly no longer available, due to the author’s old age and chronic illness as well as being disabled, etc. In the past ssMaritime received a huge number of emails each day, but the author can no longer handle this massive task. He sincerely regrets this.

Please Note: If there are any photographs, images or copy missing on this page, please refresh the page

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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 world, due to the sudden arrival of COVID-19 and in so many places it is still continuing, and cruising around the world came to a complete halt, with some companies either were forced to go into administration and closing down, or those who survived sadly where forced to sell many of their excellent ships to new owners, or to the breakers, which was tragic! It was sad and a great loss of so many fine ships that have now been lost, and many long before their time, and this also included some greatly loved classic cruise ships, ships we hoped to assist in being sold and continue in service for there were prospective buyers for them, but now with the current conditions with COVID-19 flaring up all over again in certain parts of the world it does not look too good for shipping.

Thankfully Australia and New Zealand has outshone the rest of the world, when it came to managing Covid-19, as we have been Cobvid-19 clear for a long time. The only current cases are from those who have arrived from overseas and have been in isolation in hotels, but somehow shared the virus, etc.

Reuben Goossens.

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Five Special New Featured Ships:

Whilst checking I discovered that there were a number of fine ships that Reuben had already covered, however I was unable to locate them on the Index, or online. Thus with Reuben’s assistance I have uploaded them, and these ships are now seen below. Here you will discover Dutch ships as well a magnificent Scandinavian super luxury cruise ship, as well as a great Italian Liner the M.S. Colombia of 1930, and the S.S. Gelria of 1913 and you will now discover these below. Ships range from 1874, 1913, 1927, 1930 and 1958.

N°1 is the S.S. Prinses Amelia

A fine illustration of the “Prinses Amalia

By artist Nico Keus

The S.S. Prinses Amelia was one of the early Dutch steamships, yet with her three tall masts she could also operate under sail. She was built by “John Elder & Company” at their Govan yard at Glasgow, Scotland for “Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland” or the “Netherland Steamship Company” also known simply as SMN.

The 3,480 GRT (Gross Registered Ton) Prinses Amalia departed for her maiden voyage from the Netherlands on June 16, 1874 and she headed vu Southampton, Naples, Port Said and Suez to the Dutch East Indies (today’s Indonesia) with her final destination being Batavia (or present day Jakarta).

S.S. Prinses Amalia is seen departing port

She carried First, Second and Third Class passengers, as well as there being space for transporting soldiers.

The S.S. Prinses Amalia continued her voyages to Batavia for a good 29 years, but due to the unrest in the Colony, it was decided to lay her up in 1904, and she was sold several years later in 1906 to be broken up.

Read her interesting story, combined with many photographs as well as the details of the infamous Mata Hari having sailed on her, with her husband to the Dutch East Indies.

Enter the S.S. Prinses Amalia feature

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N°2 is the M.Y. Stella Polaris

Bergen Line and Clipper Line - 1927 to 1969

Hotel Scandinavia (Japan) - 1969 to 2006

The graceful Motor Yacht Stella Polaris was one of the most famous super luxury cruise ship ever built, in fact she was known as being more of “A glamorous Royal Yacht”. In addition she was the very first purpose full time cruise ship ever built and she departed from Gothenburg for her maiden voyage on Saturday February 26, 1927, at Noon. She headed for Tilbury in the U.K., where she took on further supplies as well as passengers and she then continued her voyage to Lisbon and then headed for her Mediterranean cruise sector.

A fine artist impression of the M.Y. Stella Polaris

This three Page feature will cover her entire history and photographs, with the Norwegian “Bergen Steamship Company” and then the Swedish “Clipper Line” as well as her final days as a Japanese Hotel, renamed “Scandinavia”, but her original name always remained on her bow!

Enter Page One of the MY Stella Polaris feature

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N°3 is the S.S. Frederico C

Costa’s Linea “C” - S.S. Frederico C - 1958 to 1983

S.S. Royal, renamed StarShip Royal, followed by the name SeaBreeze - 1983 to 2000

The S.S. Frederico C was the very first new build passenger liner for Costa’s Linea “C” a d she was a remarkably luxurious ship designed by Italy’s most famous designer! What passengers loved about this ship was that the First and Cabin Class were of much the same high standard, both when it came to the accommodations and public venues. Even the Third class was also of a remarkably high standard compared to other ships.

The two lounges on the left are from Cabin Class, and the one on the right was First Class

She operated line voyages from Italy to South America, and later also cruises to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean in the off season. In 1968 she was a massive rebuild and refit, which saw her change both externally and internally, as she would become ecen more luxurious and now a Two Class ship. In 1972 she became a fulltime cruise ship.

She served Linea “C” very well, but due to a good number of new ships having been added to the fleet, it was decided to sell her and she was sold to Premier Cruises late in 1983. She received another refit and had her hull pained red and was renamed “Royal.” Later she was again renamed “StarShip Royal” and she sent short time with Dolphin Line, but as Premier obtained that company she was returned to Premier and was finally renamed SeaBreeze.

The Two page feature covers her exciting story, complete with countless photographs and Deck Plans.

Enter the SS Frederico C feature

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N°4 is the M.S. Colombia

The luxurious Passenger Liner & Cruise Ship, the KNSM M.S. Colombia from 1930 to 1943

This is the story of the M.S. Colombia being the famous and luxurious flagship of the Dutch company “KNSM”, or the “Royal Netherlands Steamship Company”. This remarkable and intimate 10,782 GRT ship was completed in 1930, and she had passenger facilities that were far more luxurious and glamorous than any of her competitors! In fact the reason of her interior grandeur was due to her super famous designer, being C.A. Lion Cachet who worked on many of the finest grand Dutch liners.

Her First Class Lounge

She served her company well, both with liner duties as well as a cruise ship. But sadly her duties during WW2 stood out as did her tragic end in 1943 together with a sailor’s individual heroic activity that saved many lives. All this makes the M.S. Colombia story amazing reading and it with countless photographs!

Enter the MS Colombia Feature

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N°5 is the S.S. Gelria

The of 1913 the S.S. Gelria

The luxurious S.S. Gelria was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Glasgow Scotland in 1913, and she was so greatly loved by the British that she was hailed by a UK publication “Shipping Illustrated’ as being “the ship of the year”.

She operated from Europe to South American ports, as well as luxury cruises, and later in 1928 she was converted to being oil fired as well as being painted all white, making her look better than ever!

A fine aerial view of the Gelria

She has an interesting history, and she was sold to the Italians in 1935, who renamed “Gradisca”, and she spent most of her time as a troop ship or as a hospital ship thereafter. However, she sadly ran aground in 1946, but she was eventually refloated and laid up, but sold in 1940 to broken up in Ital, which was done in 1950.

Enter the S.S. Gelria Feature

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In Conclusion:

Mr. Goossens asked me to say a very special thank you, to all ship lovers from around the world, for he has been astounded that there have been so many of you reading this ssmaritime, in fact friends this site has now reached over 538 million readers, and that, dear friends is simply beyond belief! And please remember, that all his maritime/cruise sites have always been and will remain 100% non-commercial, thus ssMaritime will continue to provide wonderful and hopefully joyful memories for past passengers from around the world, and those who really love passenger liners and older cruise ships! Mr. Goossens said; “it has been a great joy for me to present these classic liners for the readers of ssMaritime, and it has been a joy to have been able to write for so many years”. Thus please go and enjoy the well over 1,355 wonderful maritime memories, and we pray that after a lifetime of sharing his love of these fine ships with you, that they will live long after he is gone, and that this site will give knowledge to future new generations and wonderful memories to those who remain!

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

Over the years he has received many Dear Mr. Goossens emails of thanks & here are just some of them.

Please Note: Email service to ssMaritime, is sadly no longer available, to the author’s old age and severe illness as well as being disabled, etc.

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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.”

Featuring over 1,358 Classic Passenger Liners, Passenger-Cargo Liners & Classic Cruise Ships!

Or ENTER HERE

Please Note: Email service to ssMaritime, is sadly no longer available, to the author’s old age and severe illness as well as being disabled.

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ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

Where the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos Story

The Author has been in Passenger Shipping & the Cruise Industry since 1960

In addition he was founder of “Save the Classic Liners Campaign" in 1990.

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, so sorry if this is the case.

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!