Queen of Bermuda and Ocean Monarch

[Brian Probetts (Site Admin)]

queen of bermuda painting 2015 steinhof. SN.jpgClick picture to enlarge


Bound for Bermuda: Fifty years ago, in September 1965, you could have booked a 6-day cruise from New York to Bermuda and back onboard the British-flag Furness Bermuda Line. The fare for an inside room down C Deck, with upper & lower bunks and a private shower & toilet was $145. Comparatively, the roomy Sandringham Suite on B Deck -- with bedroom, sitting room and full bathroom (including tub bath) -- was priced at $590 for the 6 days. In off season, in late fall and chilly winter, these fares dropped by as much as $20.

You'd sail from Pier 95, at West 55th Street along Manhattan's West Side, at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Sunday would be a sea day while Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent docked in Bermuda. Thursday was another sea day before one of the Furness liners returned to New York at 8:30am on Friday mornings. Unheard of today, the ship then remained quietly overnight at Pier 95.
Bermuda-based, Stephen Card is one of the world's finest marine artists. One of his latest works is of two of his favorite ships, the Furness liners -- the impressive Queen of Bermuda (with three funnels) and the smaller, yacht-like Ocean Monarch (at dock). It is a superb painting, scheduled to be shown at Stephen's one-man show in Bermuda next June. Best congratulations to him!
The Queen carried up to 735 passengers; the Monarch was more limited with 440 beds. A staffmember once described the smaller Ocean Monarch as being like "the Alfred to Queen Victoria -- the consort!"

[Peter Bertorelli]

I served as 5th Officer on the Queen of Bermuda for a year from January 1959. After a refit in a freezing Jarrow shipyard we sailed to New York around the north of Scotland. The routine was 2 days in New York and 3 days in Bermuda each week with a day and a half at sea each way and the occasional visit to Nassau. Years later, in 1992, I revisited Bermuda while sailing from the West Indies to Majorca and was surprised to see the builder's large model (perhaps some 10ft long) in the museum in tohe Royal Naval Dockyard there. The only other artefact was a telegraph. I wonder if they are still there. I understood that the ship had been scrapped before then.
Peter Bertorelli

[j.sabourn]

Peter there were a family lived 2 doors along from me called Bertorelli when I lived In Whitley Bay. They had an ice cream shop on the sea front, best ice cream for miles around, are they any relation. Cheers JWS

[StClair Beatty]

Thanks for reminding me of the details as time has passed things are forgotten. I do remember what an impressive ship she was with real style. The champean reception before we sailed on Saterday. The girls in tears as they left their boyfriends for a whole week!!! And who chatted up anyone in a uniform half an hour later. The food which was always available and of such a high standard, as cadets we were always hungry and ready for more. The chat up lines when we got into port in Bermuda and the importance of having a friend in the telephone exchange who could keep you informed which girls were in their cabins and might appreciate a call! Oh happy days.

[Captain Kong]

A school friend of mine who on my recommendation, joined the MN as a junior Engineer, he was on the Queen of Bermuda and met an American Millionaire ess married her and I never saw of heard of him again.