SS
Ocean Explorer - previouly:
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Please Note: All ssmaritime as well as my other related
maritime & cruise sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned sites.
Be assured that I am NOT associated with any shipping or cruise companies or
agencies or any other organisations! The author has been in the passenger
shipping industry since May 1960, but although retired and unwell, I
occasionally attempt to write an article now and then, in order to bring
enjoyment and pleasure to ship enthusiasts past passengers and crew.
Ex:
She was finally
named ‘Explorer’ for her delivery voyage to the Alang
This
remarkable ship is seen here under her fourth guise as the Passenger liner,
Postcard from the author’s private Collection
Please Note: Photographs
& Images are on this feature from author’s private maritime
collection, unless as stated otherwise.
This feature cover the days of a ship that, 1:
had a very long life, in fact a total of 60 years afloat. 2. In addition she
saw many lives with a good eight names. She commenced her days as a naval
transport ship, and later as a deluxe American President Lines liner, and in
due course a fine cruise ship! This is her story and I trust that you will
enjoy this and the next page, both having many photographs, which will do
honour to a great ship!
USS General W. P. Richardson
This ship was built as a typical “P2
type” General transport ship for the US Navy. She was constructed by the
Federal Ship Building & Dry Dock Company at Kearney in New Jersey, being
one of eleven 17,000 GRT (Gross
Registered Tons) sister ships. These steam powered geared
turbine ships were built towards the end of WWII, and each would have a
capacity for around 5,300 officers and enlisted men.
The ship
seen as built
Her hull was laid down on February 2, 1944
named the General
The
launching of the
The
World War 2 & the Days Thereafter - 1944 to 1948:
The USS General W. P. Richardson departed on
her maiden voyage from Boston and headed to her first port of call, Southampton
UK on December 10, 1944.
Photograph
provided by www.navsource.org archives
On February 14, 1946, she was officially decommissioned and she was laid up, whilst on April 12, 1946 she was struck from the Naval Register.
However, she was soon returned to the Maritime
Commission and was reassigned to the US Army Transportation Service, and
officially be the
SS LaGuardia
The ship was chartered by American Export
Lines on May 6, 1948 for a trial conversion to a passenger liner. She was
refitted at Ingalls
Shipyards at
Photo from the
A Sailing
schedule and Fares brochure for the
This is a
However on December 13, 1951 the
SS Leilani
Three years later, in 1956 she was sold to the
Textron Inc, of
She operated alternated voyages, and her
schedule was as follows: 1;
SS Leilani
Photo Album
Hawaiian
Steam Ship Co, Postcard of the
An early Hawaiian cruise release
Provided by Valeri Diamond from her Father in Laws’ collection
Schedule contained voyages from February to December 1956
Here we see a tropical Hawaiian scene at the Lanai Lai up on Boat Deck
A view of four cabin styles, from a single room, a twin bedded, three-berth and a four-berth cabin
A postcard
of the
Provided by Valeri Diamond from her Father in Laws’ collection
A
Passenger List Voyage No T-26 Westbound dated October 26, 1958
Provided by Valeri Diamond from her Father in Laws’ collection
A couple
and their son on a Cruise to
Provided by Valeri Diamond from her Father in Laws’ collection
Above
& below: A festive evening meal aboard the
Leilani
Provided by Valeri Diamond from her Father in Laws’ collection
From the
However sadly, the Hawaiian Steam Ship Company
proved to have severe financial problems, and the company went bankrupt in
1958. The Leilani was laid-up in
SS President Roosevelt
This time, she was purchased by famed American
President Lines, of San Francisco on July 25, 1960, but it was not until March 1, 1961 that the
Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Company in Seattle commenced a massive US$10
million comprehensive rebuilding program of the ship, turning her into a luxury
all First Class passenger liner. She was renamed
A superb
looking
Pre
completion of the
Having been completed she looked simply
beautiful, and she was delivered on April 16, 1962 and now being registered as
18,920 GRT. She now had 186 staterooms all having private facilities,
accommodating 456 First Class passengers. She certainly became very famous in
this guise, considering that many movie stars and celebrities sailed on her, in
addition a good number of movies made on the
The
Entrance Hall of the
The Café
is seen during the last day of her fit-out
The
magnificent Dining Room
Here we
see one of the wonderful Lanai Suite’s
Photograph by
Eight years after commencing service American
President Lines realised that loadings on the Trans-Pacific service to
Specifications in Brief: Complete Specs at bottom of page.
Gross tons: 18,920 GRT (Gross Registered Tons).
Length: 189.77 m - 623 ft.
Breadth: 23 m - 75.5 ft.
Draught: 8 m - 26.3 ft.
Propulsion: Steam turbines.
Power: 18,700 SHP.
Propellers: Twin Screw.
Passengers: 456 First, all with
private facilities.
The
A very early postcard release by Chandris of what the rebuilt ship would look like as the SS Atlantis
This fine new ship accommodated 756 passengers
based on twin accommodations, in an all One-Class configuration with a maximum
capacity of 1,092 passengers utilising all berths.
SS Atlantis looking completely different to what she was, but she was a fine cruise ship indeed!
Photograph by
& © Vic-Scrivens
The SS
Atlantis was like a brand new cruise ship and she is seen here at anchor
SS Emerald Seas:
It was in October 1972 that the SS Atlantis
was sold to Eastern
Steamship Lines Inc,
In 1983 she was chartered to Commodore Cruise
Lines,
And the Emerald Seas had a long and prosperous service with the company she did have one sad event, for on July 31, 1986 she suffered a fire onboard whilst off Nassau, which saw 17 people injured, but thankfully no deaths. She was taken to port and repaired and she soon returned to service.
Postcard of the SS Emerald Seas
During her time with Eastern Cruise Lines, she
was also chartered out, including to Admiral Cruises Inc,
Above
& below: Two fine photographs of the Eastern Steamship SS Emerald Seas
In 1992 she was Eastern Steamship Lines decided to place the aging ship on the market and during her short lay-up she was briefly renamed the “Terrifica.”
SS Sapphire Seas:
Having been such a successful cruise ship, Selsdon Maritime Co, Monrovia, Liberia, or Festival Cruises
of Greece decided to obtain her in 1992, and she was renamed Sapphire Seas. She
operated various services, but in 1994 she was relocated in San Diego USA, for
a short time to operate day cruises between San Diego and Ensenada, being a
popular port at the very northern tip of Mexico, being a voyage of just 109k
– 67m each way, and shipboard guests could spend some time enjoying the
Mexican atmosphere.
SS Ocean Explorer I:
Then, in April 1998, she was renamed Ocean Explorer I, she was sent to Lisbon Portugal, where she became a hotel ship for the Lisbon “Expo98 World Fair” and she remained there from Wednesday May 20, to Saturday October 3, 1998, after which she returned to Greece.
The Ocean
Explorer is seen here as a floating hotel in
Upon her return to
Then from November 20, 1999 to March 25, 2000,
the SS Ocean Explorer I was chartered by the “World Cruise Company”
of
Ocean
Explorer I is seen during her World Voyage and looking pristine at her ripe old
age!
A special Millennium feast was celebrated
whilst in
The World Cruise Company scheduled four around the World Voyages, 1; in 1999 2; 2000, 3 2001 and 4; 2002.
SS Ocean
Explorer I is seen at anchor off Easter Island close to
Photograph taken
from one of the ships Zodiac’s by and
However, due to the ships high fuel operating
costs being very high the program could not be completed as it was not a
profitable operation. Due to this, the first two world voyages were completed,
and final two voyages were sadly cancelled, and she was laid up and placed on
the market.
SS Ocean
Explorer I is seen laid up, remained for sale in a pristine condition
Having been laid up berth side for a short
time, but late 2000 she was again laid up in
My then dear Greek friend, the now late
Above
& below: Two photographs of the SS Ocean
Explorer seen at anchor at
Here she is seen after the Indian breakers had obtained her
in 2004 and her name was shortened to just SS Explorer
Photographer
unknown - *See Photo notes at the bottom of the page
The reason for her final demise was mainly due
to her being an old steam ship with a very deep draught and being
un-economical. Otherwise, she remained in perfect condition, included her
This completes the “life and times” of a wonderful all American built trooper, liner, and cruise ship, one that remained afloat for an amazing 60 long years, which is not equalled by many other ships! I trust that you will have gained much from this page, and below are her specifications covering all her changed specs during her many stages in her very long and ever changing career!
1.
Builder: Federal Ship
Building & Dry Dock Co,
Yard number: 276.
Tonnage: 17,811 GRT, 2,800 DWT.
Length: 189.77m - 623ft.
Breadth: 23m - 75.5ft.
Draught: 8m - 26.3ft.
Engines: Two
Propulsion: Two De Laval Turbines four Foster & Wheeler D-type, 465psi 763°.
Boilers: Double De Laval Main Reduction Gears, four 400Kw - 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators.
Fuel Capacity: NSFO
19,600, Diesel 410 Bbls.
Propellers: Twin screws 8,500 SHP.
Speed: 19 knots, 20.6 maximum.
Armaments: Four single 5”/38 cal dual-purpose gun mounts.
. Four twin 40MM AA gun mounts.
. Sixteen 1.1” AA gun mounts replaced by twenty single 20mm AA gun mounts
Cargo
Capacity: 2,700 DWT -
non-refrigerated 145,000 Cu ft.
Complement: 40 Officers.
426 Enlisted crew.
Troop Capacity: 393 Officers.
4,876 Enlisted men.
2. As a Passenger Liner & Cruise Ship:
Tonnage 18,920
GRT in 1956.
Accommodations: 609 passengers after 1956 refit.
. 456 passengers after 1961 refit.
. 756 or 1,069 max passengers after 1971 refit.
IMO: 5284053.
Worked
& involved in the Passenger Shipping Industry over 60 years.
Enter the Ocean Explorer Photo Album
***********************************
“Blue
Water Liners sailing to the distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them
die.”
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Photographs on ssmaritime and associate pages
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In addition there are some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies
and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors.
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