Further Reading

There are two companion sections…

• The Key Events Index provides details of the ports that Caronia visited, along with a list of Masters and their Voyages
• The index of Virtual Tours provides links to 6 sections that cover specifics about the Caronia itself and a further selection of 8 Virtual Cruises. Each of the latter has a unique approach and goes into sufficient detail to allow you vicariously relive them, with no bags to pack or fares to pay

Slide Shows

Please Note:
These sideshows are in a process of transition to using a later technology. Please follow these guidelines…

• For the time being I'd urge you use the “default” screen settings
• The popup will auto-size to your screen, rather than its content
• This may not show the « back/forward » controls in all slide shows
• To go forward in the show, press the Enter Key on demand
• The above will also work if you change the flow direction
• You can resize the window at will to reduce/enlarge the photo in view
• You'll need to follow the picture aspect while doing this
• The next or previous snap will always fit your resizing.

Once transition to the “new technology” is in place, both text and image will automatically be enlarged according to your choice. Thanks for bearing with me, it is a long research road. I'd be interested in your feedback about this…

The Slide Shows in Detail

Caronia Videos / Movies

These original movies made as Cunard publicity films are hosted on Youtube as videos. They can be viewed full screen…
[Note:] When the movie loads, Youtube will set 3rd Party Cookies.

Cruise News - Great African Cruise 1950

From Caronia's first major cruise, the forerunner of her Great World Cruises, this special feature consists of transcripts of “Cruise News” that were published by the Cruise Staff of the Tour Operators. They were charged with not only providing tours ashore, but also looking after the entertainments programme for the duration of the cruise.

There were 8 bulletins published during the Great African Cruise, so this feature also has a page for each bulletin. At times the language used is a little arcane. I would urge you to read the Introduction page so this can be brought into context. The original bulletins were not illustrated, however, I may add illustrations to these transcribed pages in future.

Cruise News bulletins are linked with this logo within the relevant daily activity pages.

Yokohama Accident 1958

Placement on the Timeline of the very first special feature about Caronia's only major accident, the “Collision at Yokohama” co-incided with the historic tandem departure of the QE2 and QM2 from New York on 25 April 2004. The amazing thing was that this date was also the 30th anniversary of the final departure of the Caribia (the erstwhile Caronia) from New York, under tow bound for the scrap yards in Taiwan.

I'd like to extend my grateful thanks to the late Alex Bulloch MBE and Ave Quin, both of whom were eye-witnesses to probably one of the most scary moments of Caronia's career. The feature has been created by putting together photographs and recollections discussed at length with both of these men over a few weeks. The feature is not cast in stone, so, if you can help by providing further information, do please get in touch

Cape Tour of 1960

This feature, added on 09 October 2004, expands the theme of what is offered to passengers as shore tours. Because Caronia's 1st Great World Cruise did not call at Cape Town and Durban, I have selected an overland tour from the 1960 Great World Cruise to cover this outstanding tour in detail.

The five-day tour was on a special train run by South African Railways exclusively for Caronia passengers, starting from Cape Town rejoining the ship at Durban. The first stop was Kimberley, then on to the Kruger National Park, back to Pretoria and Johannesburg, with the final day travelling to Durban.

I have also added references from Mr. T.R. Schoonover's little book about the 1952 Great Africa / India Cruise to this feature, which gives a first-hand account of what this trip was like, albeit 8 years earlier. He gives a fascinating insight that offsets the “Official Blurb” taken from the Tour Brochure.

Take the overland tour from here…

Cruise News Vignettes

From the mid-1960s, the Cunard office in New York published a series of Caronia Cruise News for distribution with correspondence to intending or booked passengers on various cruise. Each edition featured a vignette about a particular port or region of a cruise.

Of the 90 copies in the Timeline archive, there are around 40 different vignettes, the duplicates being the same text, but for another cruise. Copies of these are distributed around the Timeline pages and below is a complete index of all those transcribed.

Although the greater majority of these texts had been produced in the 1960s, I've included some from earlier brochures that had set the pattern. All the buttons below will open a new pop-up window.

Other Special Features

The Caronia RAOB Lodge 8585

There was a very active Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) lodge aboard Caronia and this special feature gives an indication of its activities. It has been transferred here from the Crew Index pages as I'm keen to further my researches into this topic. I'm delighted to be able to provide some illustrations of the Caronia Lodge 8585 regalia following acquisition of some RAOB artefacts from Bro. Herbert Hindmarsh of the Seaton Lodge, dating back to 1938.

The  RAOB Lodge 8585 Research has now been extended into 2 pages, with more to come as information comes to hand. If you are able to enlighten us further, links for your feedback can be found on these pages.

The Crossing the Line Ceremony

Another highlight of any “round the world” voyage would be when the Equator was crossed. Any initiates would tremble on the day that King Neptune boarded the vessel with his consort. I've put together a slide show of mostly my own photographs from when Caronia “crossed the line” on her 1966 Great World Cruise.

A second page of pictures from the Japan & South Pacific of 1954 show how the unique stamp of the “Green Goddess” was applied to the Shellback Ceremony.

with slide show

Transit of the Panama Canal

Now extended into 3 pages, transit of the Panama Canal was another highlight of most of Caronia's Great World Cruises. Usually her transits were from Balboa in the Pacific to Cristóbal in the Atlantic. These pages are of mostly my own photographs, showing her passage on the 1966 “Green Goddess” world circumnavigation. In addition there are colour photographs from Roger Birch and Len Danson from her April 1964 transit.

photo-strip