Noontime Sailing for Naples

[Brian Probetts (Site Admin)]

For Naples.jpg



In the 1950s, the luxury liners Independence & Constitution were hugely popular. Big, modern, very American and the first fully air-conditioned liners to put to sea (1951), they regularly sailed the "sunny southern route" -- mid-Atlantic between New York, Algeciras/Gibraltar, Naples, Genoa & Cannes.

Mostly, they were booked to capacity -- American tourists loved them, US diplomats filled their best berths and Italian immigrants booked tourist class when crossing to a "new life" in America. The 1,000-passenger ships had sleek, '50s decor, lots of staterooms with private bathrooms, light-up swimming pools and even Coca-Cola bars.

Every spring, one of the ships left Pier 84 at West 44th Street for sunny Italy on a rather different trip. They were filled with buyers & sales people from all the big New York City department stores. They were headed to Rome and Milan to see the latest fashions. These crossings were unique -- aboard, the voyages were called "the Seventh Avenue Special".