Empress of Canada

[Doc Vernon]

EmpCanada Malta.jpg

Long-vanished, British-based Canadian Pacific Steamships could never have guessed. Their last liner, the Empress of Canada is seen here at Malta in the early Sixties during one of her 60-day winter Mediterranean-Black Sea cruises (remember, it was still New York-to-New York – no segments in those days). And it was $1,250 & up for those 60 days.



Commissioned in 1961, life for the 27,000-ton, 1,050-passenger ship as the Empress of Canada lasted only just ten years. Among other problems, the airlines had stolen almost all of Canadian Pacific's trans-Atlantic passengers. The ship was put up for sale, sitting in the London Docks for easy inspection by perspective buyers. An unknown named Ted Arison came along, bought the ship and laid plans for his brand new cruise line. He took the ship across the Atlantic to Miami. The Empress of Canada was rechristened Mardi Gras, the very first ship in a new, discount, fun-in-the-sun cruise company: Carnival Cruise Lines. The rest is history, great history – today, the Carnival empire includes 15 separate cruise lines (including Cunard), some 105 liners and with another dozen or so under construction or on order. Although long since retired and demolished (out in India), the former Empress of Canada was the beginning for mighty & extraordinary Carnival.

[joseph connor]

I enjoyed my time on the Canada very much , a great run , Ney York Carribbean New York , would have stayed on her longer, but after about ten runs the cruise was cut short , and we sailed for home , never did find out why . the annoying thing was I had three or four rolls of colour film in Bernard,s I didnt have time to get . Great crew , great ship . that was in 64 .65 . ( Good photo of her , thanks Doc .).

[Red Lead Ted]

I done one of the last Montreal crossings on her Joe, As Vern says she was the last C.P. liner to run from Liverpool, And yet had a lot of life left in her. I had a photograph cant for the life of me think what happened to it of me hanging over the bow waving to my old mam who had come down to the pier head with my little sister to wave Bonn Voyage. Happy days indeed Terry.

[joseph connor]

Terry, my stand by station was on the focsle , and I remember bringing in the ropes, while on the quayside mates of the crew were singing, "Five o clock club "TA RA RA RA to make us jealous . It was cold and wet , I know who was the better off , LOL .

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Vernon.
Lovely picture of a lovely ship. One of the things we have over the present day seamen is that the ships we sailed on were ships, not blocks of flats.
I don't like the new liners it would be like staying in a huge hotel, the Container and bulk carriers are ugly and impersonal, can't imagine anyone sitting on no five hatch yarning.
Cheers Des


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[Doc Vernon]

Fully agree with what you say Des
Cannot beat the good old Liners of our Days mate!
Cheers

[John Arton]

Thanks for that pic doc. That deck just below the wheelhouse was where courting passengers used to go for a bit of rumpy pumty, little realising that they were in full view of us watch keepers just above then. For a laugh we would let them get it on and then shine the aldis or searchlight on them just to put the frightners up them. As junior watch officer, when going up to Montreal it was my job to respond using the ships whistle to the gun salute of the editor of the English language Montreal daily newspaper who had a house on the river side just below Montreal. Get it wrong and be a bit late with the reply and you were in for a bollocking. Running late on trip we were going flat out coming up the St. Lawrence and just after Racine? was the summer home of the governor of Quebec that had lawns running right down to the river side. He was having a garden party with tables all laid out on the lawn and guests all dressed to the nines sipping champers. The Canada came round the bend just below his property doing 20knots and blowing the whistle like mad and all the guests ran down to the edge of the river to watch us go by and wave at us. There joy soon turned to panic when the huge wash we were creating started over flowing the lawns and soaking those who could not run fast enough to escape it.
Mickey Arison always had a connection with the CPR, think he started off by being a travel agent in N.Y. having been set up by a rich widow he met on a CP cruise.
Apart from Carnival he also had Nosira shipping (Arison backwards) and initially all the Carnival ships were single ship companies registered in Panama with Nosira as the holding company. When Nosira built ships in Sunderland present at the launch and listed as directors of Nosira were three of the top men from the board of directors of CPR. We were always told that C.P. ships had no connection with Carnival but that was b.s. Arison got his cash to get Carnival up and running with dosh from CPR who probably still have a stake in Carnival.
When the Canada went across to Miami to become the Mardi Gras virtually all the fittings from the passenger lounges were torn out and tossed over the side, seating, grand pianos the lot. Arison reckoned that the furnishing were not suitable for the market he was aiming at so carpets, furnishings etc. were all replaced in Miami.
The only thing that remained was the funnel logo which got new colours but remained basically the same as it does to this day.
rgds
JA

[Chris Allman]

Dies anyone remember Graham Forster - Staff Captain and I think Captain on the Canada and England.

[Captain Kong]

I was on the England in 1958 Capt was Captain Hd Bell, Jeavons was Mate.
on the France October 1960 Captain Dobbs*, on the France 1958 Captain Keay and then Captain Roberts.
On the Britain in 1961 Captain Keay. On the Empress of Scotland in 1955 Captain Walker. On the France in 1956 Captain Hd Bell

Brian

[Jim Brady]

I think his name was Dobson Brian.
Regards.
Jim.B.