The Start of Caronia's Second Phase
Having spent over two months of 1956 in Liverpool to have air-conditioning fitted throughout all the passenger and crew accommodations, Caronia was now ready to start the 2nd phase of her glittering career. Even so, the final pattern of cruises had not yet been established.
After the 1957 North Cape cruise, 3 transatlantic crossings were made as usual. These were well booked westbound, however, it would not be long before passenger numbers of those traversing the Atlantic by air would match or exceed those travelling by ship. Because of tensions in the Middle East, the Autumn Mediterranean Cruise was replaced by two West Indies “Sunshine” cruises.
Once again Caronia would spend 2 months under annual overhaul, however, it would be in Southampton rather than in Liverpool. By this time, with so much new post-war shipping in service, finding spaces available for major overhauls of ships in Britain and Ireland was at a premium. The longer than usual stay was needed in order to fit a new gear wheel in the engine room, weighing over 50 tons!
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