Great mediterranean passenger ships -- crossing portugese style

[Doc Vernon]

Santa Maria.jpg



The 609-ft long liner Santa Maria was rather unique in the annals of post-Second World War, trans-Atlantic shipping. She was the only Portugese liner to make regular crossings to North America. She actually ran a rather unusual service: from Europe across the mid Atlantic to the Caribbean and then up to Florida. And she was, in the 1950s, the only Atlantic passenger ship to use what was then the infant port of Port Everglades, a developing harbor that was the gateway to Florida's Fort Lauderdale and then to Miami, some seventeen miles south.

[Gulliver]

SANTA MARIA was one of two sisters,the other being VERA CRUZ. Fine early 1950's liners.
There are some good pictures including internal views HERE.
And read also in the article about SANTA MARIA'S famous hijacking in 1961.Sadly the 3rd Mate was killed.
A poignant picture at the end ,of the two sisters lying beached at the breakers in Kaohsiung in 1973.

[Bryan Portwig]

Gulliver we all no of the hijacking of the achille lauro - less on the msc melody and the santa mariasanta maria 1961.jpg the second images shows a bullet hole in one of the cabins of the melodymelody.jpg