If you enjoyed this video, please drop a comment in the box! You can watch Part 2...'How Flying Used to Be' , here: ruclips.net/video/7m6ZpofqxmM/видео.html By the way you might also like to take a look at our latest video aboard the Queen Elizabeth. You can see that video here: ruclips.net/video/VwicqlGFqOo/видео.html
@ecthelion1735 Ha ha, just a limited side trip!! Part 3 and 4 will look at How Trains Used to Be and Grand Touring in Cars! A little diversion from Cruising, for the fun of it!
My mother and I traveled from Quebec to France and returned 2 months later in 1955 on the Cunard's SS Samaria and the SS Franconia. I was 5 years old and remember my mother was sick almost the entire time! I made friends everywhere (I remember roaming the ship and seeing whales and an iceberg in the distance!) and I remember the stewards being so nice and helpful. When I was 12, we crossed on the SS America out of New York, in 1961, but ended up stranded in Europe due to some kind of port scheduling problem and we were offered a date change for our return or a plane ticket. We flew back for the first time on an airplane. After that I returned to visit family in Europe many more times, but sadly, never again on one of the wonderful cruise ships…
Hi Jess, great to hear from you! What a lovely series of memories. Seeing whales and icebergs, and on such glorious ships of the day! Grand times indeed!
I was an 11 year old girl in 1962 sailing to England with my auntie to visit relatives in London on the Queen Mary. Came home on the Queen Elizabeth after a summer in the UK. Did a lot of traveling as a young adult in the 70's & 80's, but nothing compares to my time on the Queens. A trip of a lifetime that can never be duplicated.
@merrywidow6578, we just crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2. It was so wonderful and luxurious. On the walls, all over the ship were huge black and white photos of stars that were in the Queen Mary in her hay day. Do you know if any celebrities were on board when you crossed?
@Gilded-girl Hi. Some of the invited speakers can be reasonably well known. Such as Astronauts, or Writers, or experts in their field. It's very rare to get genuine Hollywood stars these days!
I am sure that today's cruisers would find even the finest 1950s cruise experience a bit boring. But to my eyes, these bygone days of cruising were gorgeous. Even the tourist class had a sense of luxury. I loved seeing it. Thank you for a well produced video showing time that will never be recaptured again.
Watch some old classic movies from the 1930s and 40s that also show how being on a cruise ship was back then, much classier and romantic than today, unfortunately!
100 percent agreed!! I'd rather have this. I'm a big reader so on one of these cruises with my books while soaking the sun before a dinner I have to dress for and the music of the times and the cocktails and the wonderful fashion! I'd take this any day 💖
They really did have bon voyage parties in their room. I grow up in New York, and several of my parents friends went to Europe by ship. A few times they were invited to the bon voyage party. I think it was a way of really showing off. There were cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the room. My dad always griped, “ why are we getting these people a present when they can afford to take a trip to Europe.” But, my mom who never went anywhere without bringing something always brought a box of Schraff’s candies .
Just before 09/11/01, my wife & I were on an Alaskan cruise in Ketchican, when a friend, who lived in Alaska, flew there by seaplane & was allowed to come onboard, have free lunch & tour the ship! After 09/11, security tightened & the practice ended! Times have changed, but with all the new ship's amenities, not all for the worse!
I had the privilege of being able to travel from Australia to Europe in the 50's & 60's with my parents - The Orcades, Neptunia and the Oriana. Wonderful, wonderful memories. You couldn't give me the cruise ships of today - such monstrocities and completely classless!!!
The Cunard Ships still has that class you speak of. I agree there a lot of monstrosities out there. They are amusement fun fair parks which you could have on land. Not for me.
My grandparents took their honeymoon cruise in 1938. I have the menu card from one of their dinners. It was an amazing menu and the card itself is beautiful.❤️
I wouldn't want to book a cruise on todays horrendous cruise ships but this nostalgic video makes me wish I had been old enough to enjoy cruises of the past - thank you
I was on the QE2 in 1978 on a Caribbean Cruise out of NYC. As. 19 year old it was a wonderful 17 day cruise. Women in long dresses at dinner. men in suits. We had the same waiters everyday all three meals. Great memories.
Turns out, it was the US TV show 'Love Boat' that helped bring cruising to the gen pop. Prior to that, it was even more niche as a from of travel than it is today. It was a Princess ship that was featured in the show, and they attributed the show to their and the industry's growth
I like the look of the old liners/criuse ships - they look like actual boats, complete with smokestacks, instead of resembling multi-story buildings as the modern ones do. Will be interested in your videos about luxury air travel too....
Thanks for the journey! I crossed the Atlantic from N. Y. C. to England as a teenager with my parents on the Queen Mary 1 and crossed back on the Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1968, both in Cabin Class. My father's Cadillac Seville also crossed for the price of another passenger. I loved both ships but the Queen Mary "The Queen of the Atlantic" was more beautiful and warmer in a friendly way. It was the journey of a lifetime! I loved exploring the ships. The British crew was very friendly. The food generally good but now, when I think back, old fashioned. I still have the menus, photos and luggage tags. Just great! Also LOVED the dimly lit pool and the movie theater. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!!!!!
We did a Panama Cruise trip over Christmas 2019 and New Year’s 2020 on the Princess Emerald. It had a bit of a nostalgic and elevated feel - perhaps because of the holiday season - that I had not seen on other cruise lines. On regular nights, most people still dressed for dinner; cocktail dresses and suits seemed to be da rigeur and I loved it! The formal nights were filled with tuxedos and evening gowns and it looked magical. Even on our Caribbean resort vacations, we have always mwde a point of dressing for dinner. It just seems to enhance our own experience, not to mention that the photos taken by both us and the ship’s or resort photographer all look amazing❣️ I get it that it’s not everyone’s style, but it’s ours and makes our vacations a bit more special for us. I don’t know about everyone else reading these comments, but we do not dress like this at home (there no restaurant, pavement nor a traffic light in our town). Getting all dolled up to cook our own dinner, sit in the kitchen and eat it and then clean up seems a bit pointless so it is nice to be able to when we can. Hugs from Canada’s Arctic❣️❣️🇨🇦
Hello Canada's Artic Circle! Great to hear from you. I'm right with you, whilst in everyday life you don't have the time to dress up... that's exactly what cruises are for! Not every cruiseline, not every itinerary... but pick just the right one, and it feels magical!
Excellent and interesting video, but,unfortunately, it also highlighted how far people have allowed their standards to drop! I doubt that care, class and elegance will ever recover fully…the best we can hope is that some will hang on! Edited to add: I don’t miss everything about that era…but do miss the courtesy and general respect for yourself and others…you could very easily bring back elegance and grace if people would just bring back being thoughtful and caring bth about themselves and others….dressing up never killed anybody…caring about how you act never did either…something to think about!
This makes me feel old! My first cruise was in 1990, and much has changed since then. I remember small ships with "bon voyage" parties on the top deck, with paper streamers to throw to your well-wishers ashore; and in the water. I remember midnight buffets, chocolate buffets, tuxedos on formal night, smoking in the cabins, room keys (instead of cards), in-person muster drills and a more sophisticated crowd aboard. Anymore, cruising attracts a more budget-minded demographic.
1st cruise 1982 on Song of Norway Still Dress for Dinner, assigned seating, same waiter, all the young couples seated at same table. Lovely trip. It was my gift for graduation from college. Still prefer this size ship, so we cruise with Oceania now
Among my husband’s earliest memories are those of his five year old self and his mother taking the Ile de France to join his father in England. He remembers the long gangplank and watching their new Studebaker being lowered into the hold. We were watching “The Last Voyage”, the movie in which the ship was so ignominiously destroyed, and during a scene in the dining room he shouted, “I sat right there!”. We had to stop watching when the mayhem started, too painful. In the early 80s, I visited the Queen Mary at Long Beach, and I swear there was almost no one there. I bought that famous cutaway print and used it as my guide. I was everywhere, all the main rooms, the pool, the silver vault, even the projection booth high in the forward wall of the main lounge. No one bothered me. I was not able to get into any of the cabins, though. The Spruce Goose was next door, and I was able to take a very leisurely tour of that, too. No chance of ever doing that again.
We did that double tour (QM & Spruce Goose) also in the 80s, and I think we were pretty much alone. The SG is now located in a small Oregonian town. It's definitely worth a visit, kinda like the Grand Canyon, lol, you can't imagine how big it is until it's seen in person.
I did the double tour in 1984 when I was 33. The H-4 Hercules, aka the Spruce Goose, was spectacular. One could tour the inside and cockpit. Then the Queen Mary was the first ocean going vessel I’d ever been on, and it was truly grand. At some point she was a hotel, but I suspect most guests stayed only one night aboard. Unlike today’s cruise ships the Queen Mary was a beautiful ocean liner.
I remember the double tours. I also remember when the H-4 was being moved from Long Beach. It was a sad day when they broke the H-4 and Queen Mary up. Southern California in the 80's was a great time.
I love the elegance of cruising in the past but I also love how cruising has become an affordable and accessible vacation for all types of individuals and families today. Thank you for posting this wonderful video!❤
My family moved from France to the US on the SS Liberté in September of 1958, from Le Havre to New York, we were greeted by Hurricane Helen on the 4th day of the crossing...what a fun trip that was for a 10 year old kid.
I see why people traveled with trunks. If I had to be in a different gown every night for dinner not to mention day clothes, exercise clothes, and a swimsuit outfit, I’d need several trunks, too. How amazing that would have been ❤
When we went around the world in 1971 My parents had two trunks and 8 suitcases. I had 1 trunk and 6 suitcases. Every night formal meant shoes and handbag to match each outfit. And casual clothes meant business caual. Not they way so many dress like slobs nowadays.
I’m 51 and I remember the bon voyage parties as recently as 1986 on Royal Caribbeans M/S Song of Norway. We even threw confetti towards the dock as we were pulling out of Miami.
My first cruise was in 1977 on the SS Uganda at the age of 15! We cruised for two weeks on the Mediterranean, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel. Absolutely amazing and I felt incredibly fortunate to have experienced it at such a young age. I didn’t cruise again until 2018 and have now cruised 7 times, mainly Royal Caribbean and Cunard, I love it. Really enjoyed this video, thank you!
Hi Alison, what a lovely treat to be on the Uganda! That would have been a fabulous Mediterranean itinerary By the way, f you haven't already seen them, we have several videos on our channel covering cruising on Cunard!
I still recall when passengers dressed up to fly . The vast majority of people hadn’t even gotten on a plane since travel for ordinary Americans was an extravagance. So, yes, I would very much enjoy a video on air travel.
One thing I forgot to add in my comment below: The way people dressed then and now is striking! People actually got DRESSED UP when traveling!!! Oh, no!!!! Heavens forbid anyone nowadays would leave their baggy shorts and flip-flops at home!!! Comfort, comfort, comfort! Too bad these people haven't ever heard of mirrors! Oh, well. Call me old fashioned to think that people could be stylish and comfortable at the same time.
Thank you for this wonderful video. I really like how the passengers really got to enjoy the "now" and not on cellphones and computers :) I would love to see the Premium Class passengers on those airplanes back in the day.
In 1958 I traveled as a 15-month-old with my parents to England on the Queen Elizabeth. I have a picture of little me at the Children's Tea in the first-class dining room.
What we're not acknowledging is that those were Liners - designed to cut through rough sea and remain steady as a rock. Today's ships are designed for maximum capacity: they're big floating bath tubs that get tossed around accordingly.
Happy to be a new fan of this channel. Just the right mix of intelligent, trans-Atlantic narrative with well-chosen vintage footage. A salute of thanks to those who track down these historic film records , and reformat them to be enjoyed by future generations. As a baby boomer who did my first cruise in my teens in 1966, what strikes me is the subtle level of sexism in all the old travelogues. It was assumed that men were buying the tickets. So, the swimming and sunbathing scenes always emphasized good looking females in skimpy attire. The reality on most cruises is quite different, both then and now. It's a marketing ploy that still works.
These videos are brilliant. One of my favourite movies is An Affair to Remember with Deborah Kerr and most of it is set on the ship. The beautiful dresses, rooms, dancing of the late 40s , early 50s is exquisite. Ive been on a few Cruises, but id sell a kidney to be able to experience an old fashioned luxury cruise. Thanks for the time warp.😊😊
As a child we travelled on the Q Mary, the France, and the United States. The first class passengers would always slum in the tourist bars and clubs. Plenty of stuffed shirts! First class was boring. I remember sneaking into the first class pool and it was usually deserted. Marvelous times!
My father worked for Matson Navigation, one of the main shipping lines that services Hawaii. When I was 7 our family took the S.S. Lurline to San Francisco from Honolulu. It was a seminal event in my life for reasons that are well illustrated in this video. I was especially impressed with the dining room: white tablecloths...and all that silverware! I'd never seen a cocktail fork before or the ice bowl for the shrimp cocktail. My mother kept all the menus that I still have. It was the first time I had seen French and culinary terms: Lyonnaise, sauté, Bourguignon, camembert... After all these years, I still remember Mr. Lee our waiter, and the room steward, Pedro. In later life, I became a restauranteur and a French teacher. All because of those wonderful four days it took to cross the Pacific Ocean. I recently purchased a book about Matson's passenger lines. In it is a picture of the dining room and the very table that we sat at for every meal. I can still hear the hand chime that a staff member would ring in the hallway to announce the start of mealtime.
Hi there, what a fabulous account you have written, thank you so much for writing in. I can fully imagine everything you are relating. How fabulous the menus have been kept!
I love that "typical" ship design, instead of today's "overgrown giants". But also, these old ships were not really cruise ships but passanger ocean liners, so the purpose of such travels was a mix of enjoying the "cruise" and getting from A to B. I wonder if such a trip is stil possible, or are there only coastal cruises offered today?
I think that what is depicted here is First Class. We went to France when I was very young, about 65 years ago, in a Holland America ship. My father worked out a discount with them for my brother’s and my tickets by giving a couple of concerts on board. If they had had a cheaper class with hammocks for everyone, my dad would have had us travel that way. Unsurprisingly, my dad got seasick when we hit rough weather. Happily, I found out that I didn’t get seasick, despite being constantly carsick for the next 3 months of car travel! However, although it was nice, I didn’t call any of it luxurious.
@@ritzytravelguideHe wasn’t super famous, but he was the 1st violinist of the Pittsburgh Symphony. I think he enjoyed having a concert or two wherever he went. He probably would have done it discount or no, but he was never one to pass up a deal.
While I certainly wouldn't want to bring back all aspects of cruising of the golden days, the idea of romance and elegance is worth retaining. The ships certainly lacked diversity and it's interesting how class division is coming back. That leads to that Celebrity Ascent, a ship I'm highly critical of and have a lot to say about (that isn't very positive). Some of the aspects of cruising are remarkably similar to what exists now.
@@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus What race card? You're out of line. I'm talking about class division not race division. No one in their right minds talks of the good old days without bringing up diversity in terms of respecting women's rights, and any person's right, not just the rights of Black people so you're being presumptuous. Shame on you. This is about the ships and the cruise product. The romance of being at sea is being replaced with hanging out on your balcony and having special perks due to being in a larger space. The idea of restricting passengers to a part of the ship while others have their own area and the run of the ship is what I'm objecting to. And this is NCL, Celebrity and MSC doing this and I'm objecting to that.
Yea but if someone has more $$ to afford more perks I mean that’s life. That’s why I don’t go anywhere unless I can be at my level of comfort. I am taking my first cruise in Nov because I got a great deal on an ocean view. You have to do what’s best for you and your budget. I am fine with my Corolla even though my neighbor has a BMW! That’s their business and that’s life.
@@AshleySpeaks09 I'd take the Corolla as well. The issue with the Celebrity Edge ships and the NCL Haven ships would be like saying only BMW and luxury car drivers are allowed to drive in certain areas of the resort. That's the class division that I'm objecting to. I don't mind a few perks here and there but ship within a ship with some prime areas reserved for suite passengers is a something worth debating IMO.
Thanks for bringing back many great memories. I took a cruise back in August of 1973 aboard the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam ( Holland America ). She was built in the mid 1930's. I remember feeling like I stepped thru a time portal. God that was beautiful ship. Could you possibly include her in one of your next nostalgia films ? Thanks so much.
I too love the exuberance! I imagine Mad Men, the TV series in my mind, as I listen to narration of those days. The script writing was impeccable. Each sentence crafted and honed!
Truth. We finished a 113-day World Cruise this year, 2024, and people were 'animals'. I don't know what it is but since covid people are uber-rude and out for themselves. We didn't see this before the pandemic. (Our ship had 1,500 French, 400 Germans, 200 Italians, 200 English speaking, 200 Chinese Nationals and 500 other.)
I sailed with my family from New York to Amsterdam aboard SS Maasdam (Holland-America Lines) in 1962, and we returned to the States aboard SS Prinses-Margriet in 1965. Real passenger ships. Always something to do. even for the kids. A library, games on the deck, the food. I was old enough that I could stay up with my parents for evenings in the Salon; horse-racing--carved and painted horses that stewards would move around a wooden track on the floor based on numbered balls from a Bingo-style cage. I remember there was a famous opera diva with us from South Africa. And once, I wanted a snack between meals, and a steward brought me vanilla ice cream with stewed figs and lady fingers. It was fabulous!
When I was 9 my mother, brother and I left Canada on a freighter to Amsterdam to then train down to Austria where we immigrated from. The freighter was a blast for us but the trip home was on an ocean liner. Wow what fun that was, during the day we explored every inch of the ship. Then after dinner and a story Mom would put us to bed and go see the movie which we had seen in the afternoon. My brother and I would sneak into the 1st class balcony and watch the movie again, leave just before it ended and fell into bed. Both ocean trips were a blast for a kid and i will remember it forever. My bother and I often discuss those trips.
3:22 Just a noted difference here from then and now. When I recently left on a cruise that departed Miami, nobody was there on shore waiving to anybody. The ship just quietly left port.
I think that there was a big difference in the passenger lists in the 50's and 60's. A large number of those people were emigrating to different parts of the world and would probably never return to their home lands, so saying good-bye was far more important to them.
I sailed the QE with my family from NYC to Europe. I remember the intensely yeasty rolls at dinner with unsalted butter as well as the yummy consomme soup served on deck in the stiff cold breeze. Sailed back from Germany on the SS United States in June of 1969. Only a few months later, she was removed from service. No surprise, our cruise was hardly half filled.
I did two crossings as a kid 1965 & 1966, NYC to Spain on SS Independence. I had. Fond memories but the rooms were small and there were 2 classes. We were in 2nd class.
@ It absolutely is. I find it endlessly fascinating that cruising went from the deluxe pampering of the Caronia to the carefree days of the Love Boat to what basically amounts to Walmart meets Vegas at sea with Carnival. I understand the economics behind the changes. And I know I’m in the minority in wanting old world glamour on a cruise. But if only to experience it just once.
@angellight495 I'm right with you, the glamour and panache of the 1930s on the Normandie, to the glory days in the 50s...oh for a time machine to witness it in person!
@ of all of the grand ships it is the Normandie that has captured my heart the most. No other ship can compare to her. In terms though of ships that cruised regularly or at least semi regularly or is the inter war Empress of Britain that seems the most like a dream. I would love to sail on any of them but I would gladly settle for going back and taking photos of their glorious interiors with a modern camera. Certain interiors like those of the Mauretania just do not photograph well in black and white.
Very enjoyable viewing. Great to see how people dressed up for this sense of occasion. Please keep up the great work and you mentioned a future instalment on aviation. Absolutely. Thanks for keeping us entertained and great to see your subscriptions increase rapidly and rightly so.
In the 70s my parents went on a cruise to BDA out of NY. They actually let visitors of passengers board the ship. We got to have a soda in my parent's stateroom. At some point an announcement was made advising visitors to get off. It waa special.
Hi Sabrina, you're absolutely right, back in the day Cruise Lines did permit visitors on board for the day. These days however, practically impossible!
It was such a a big deal as I was 10. They had an inside room. And it had a fully stocked mini fridge! Afterwards, we watched the ship depart and waved at it from the pier.@@ritzytravelguide
You often get pedantic people commenting under videos about old liners saying that they were liners (operating a scheduled service from A to B) and not cruise ships (going on journeys for pleasure round ever-changing routes), but this entertaining compilation shows that the liners sold their services by emphasising the cruise-like attractions to be found onboard (and isn't it amazing how many of those attractions were young, female and clad in swimsuits)?
Hi there. Many thanks indeed for your comments. Whilst Ocean Liners were the forerunner to Cruise ships, and offered transportion from A to B, on a fixed schedule, and had a different hull design.... that being said, the offerings and facilities aboard, were almost identical to cruise ships. Day to day life onboard mirrored each other: swimming pools, promenade decks, dining rooms, theatres, shops, bars, children's facilities, hair salons, casinos, activities, butler services, room service and entertainment.
Great video! I’ve seen vintage bus, plane, and train videos but not cruise ships! It did look glamorous. Today things may not be as glamorous but when I travel by car and go to hotels, I like to do my little part and dress up and dress well! In my own little way, maybe I can encourage others to dress a little sharper like back then.
Just watched the plane video and had to pop over here. I started cruising in '11 and while I love it, I always longed for that old feeling of sailing "back in the day" . In '19 I booked a trans-Atlantic on the QM2. Blew me away. Yes, it's more modern, and probably not as "glitzy" as the Queens of the 30's, but it was an amazing experience. Seeing the Statue of Liberty at 4am was an emotional experience, thinking of the millions of people who came to the States to start a new life. I still enjoy cruising, sucking down my Bahama Mama on the deck of the Elation in Cozumel or Nassau, but I'm booked for trans-Atlantic number 4 on the Queen. It's just a whole different and wonderful experience being at sea that I truly treasure and am grateful for being able to do.
So wonderfully expressed. It's a delight, and very fortunate to be able to travel and cruise, and imagine those who did it before us. I can fully imagine it was emotional for you as you arrived at 4am. Have a amazing time on your next transatlantic crossing!
As an ex-pat child of the 50s, I made several trips to and from San Francisco to my dad’s posting in Asia. I remember ticker tape departures and the children’s play room, running wild with a gang of 7 to 10 year olds. Our Nanny had a room in another class but was allowed to spend her days with us looking after my younger brother. I have a passenger list booklet, and several photographs taken at what must have been a children’s party. It was a mode of transportation…airplanes were only used if someone back home was very ill and expected to pass away! I remember passing under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. For the adults, there were Galas, costume parties, dances, and a lot of clothing packed in large trunks which were emptied, then sent off to a cargo area for the rest of the trip!
Hi Jessy, how lovely to hear from you! Thank you so much for letting us know your first hand experiences from the 50s, many of which we saw in the video! Your experiences closely match exactly how it was portrayed in these documentaries and promotional films. We might almost have seen you in there! It also amazes me how passenger lists were public in those days. Confidentiality laws would certainly prevent that now!
My parents came to Australia in 1963 as £10 “poms” along with me, aged 12 and 4 younger siblings. A 28 day voyage aboard the Sitmar ship Fairsky was a wonderful adventure which started my love of ships and the sea. I repeated the voyage in 1976, this time as a paying passenger on the Chandris ship Australis.
In some ways I wish Chandris was still around. They had panache and style. They were folded into Celebrity Cruises, and whilst John Chandris remains on the board, it's not quite the same.
@@ritzytravelguide seems so glamorous! My mom told me that she used to spend hours on her hair and clothes! Now us ladies just wear sweats lol. More comfortable for sure but oh the beauty back then!
I sailed NY to Southampton on the S.S. France in 1965. I don’t remember much about the ship other than my many excursions to the children’s game room where I became an Expert Rifleman on one of the numerous pinball machines. I also snuck into an R rated movie (A Man And A Woman). I do remember my parents dressing for dinner, which meant I had to wear a monkey suit too. I went on deck once and was the only one there, perhaps because it was stormy and cold in the mid-Atlantic. Even at age 12 I considered myself an old salt because I had spent three weeks cruising the Med on the MS Dunera with some of my schoolmates a year before. This documentary takes me back to those heady days - We’ll done!
My mother travelled aboard the Cunard Samaria in 1952, to and from a two month tour of Europe following her graduation from university. At the time, it was one of the older boats in the fleet (scrapped three years later), but she had a marvelous time and would always mention how it left her with a lifelong desire to cruise. I would like to imagine she's one of the young women by the pool in the video! Thank you! PS would love to see your air travel footage.
In 1957 we traveled from New York to Southhampton, England on the RMS Queen Elizabeth. It was a wonderful trip, a beautiful memory. It took 5 days each way. We lived in Brooklyn, two blocks from the water and from our back window we could see the big ocean liners sail by. Mom could recognize all of them by their smoke stacks.
How fabulous for you. I hope you looked out for yourself on the video! 5 days, as we know, is much faster than crossings of today. They really powered through the water.
@@ritzytravelguide- Yes, it’s seven days now I believe. Today the crossing is considered a cruise, back then it was just nice transportation to your destination. We made that crossing a few times because we stayed with our grandparents in Birmingham for the summer when we were young.
Lovely video. My husband, son of an RAF veteran and Canadian war bride was born in Bristol, England and emigrated to Canada in 1951 on the Queen Mary. We have a copy of that manifest from Southampton to New York. While we have toured the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, we were fortunate to sail on the QM2 in 2004.
I used to lament the demise of the elegant, great liners of the past and feel like I missed out. But watching this confirms what I realized awhile back; everyone pretty much smoked every where on the ship. So much for luxury travel.
Thank you Mr Ritzy for another great vlog, neatly put together. How those early days compare favourably in contrast to the benidorm on boat rabble who are ever more present on modern day cruises. God help us for bigger boats.
I just discovered this channel and I'm so glad I did! I love videos about big old ships. This one is interesting, fun to watch, informative and entertaining. My grandmother took my mom and aunts to France shortly after WWII as my grandfather was there working for radio free Europe. They must have taken a ship. I wish I had thought to ask them what it was like before they passed. At least I can imagine watching this video. Thank you!
If you enjoyed this video, please drop a comment in the box! You can watch Part 2...'How Flying Used to Be' , here:
ruclips.net/video/7m6ZpofqxmM/видео.html
By the way you might also like to take a look at our latest video aboard the Queen Elizabeth. You can see that video here:
ruclips.net/video/VwicqlGFqOo/видео.html
And now you have to become an air travel channel, lol
@ecthelion1735 Ha ha, just a limited side trip!! Part 3 and 4 will look at How Trains Used to Be and Grand Touring in Cars!
A little diversion from Cruising, for the fun of it!
My mother and I traveled from Quebec to France and returned 2 months later in 1955 on the Cunard's SS Samaria and the SS Franconia. I was 5 years old and remember my mother was sick almost the entire time! I made friends everywhere (I remember roaming the ship and seeing whales and an iceberg in the distance!) and I remember the stewards being so nice and helpful. When I was 12, we crossed on the SS America out of New York, in 1961, but ended up stranded in Europe due to some kind of port scheduling problem and we were offered a date change for our return or a plane ticket. We flew back for the first time on an airplane. After that I returned to visit family in Europe many more times, but sadly, never again on one of the wonderful cruise ships…
Hi Jess, great to hear from you! What a lovely series of memories. Seeing whales and icebergs, and on such glorious ships of the day! Grand times indeed!
I was an 11 year old girl in 1962 sailing to England with my auntie to visit relatives in London on the Queen Mary. Came home on the Queen Elizabeth after a summer in the UK. Did a lot of traveling as a young adult in the 70's & 80's, but nothing compares to my time on the Queens. A trip of a lifetime that can never be duplicated.
Hi, thanks so much for that lovely story. Fantastic for you to experience both Queens!
I crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary in 1964, first class. What a wonderful experience.
Hi there, I can imagine it really was. What a wonderful memory!
@merrywidow6578, we just crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2. It was so wonderful and luxurious. On the walls, all over the ship were huge black and white photos of stars that were in the Queen Mary in her hay day. Do you know if any celebrities were on board when you crossed?
@Gilded-girl Hi. Some of the invited speakers can be reasonably well known. Such as Astronauts, or Writers, or experts in their field. It's very rare to get genuine Hollywood stars these days!
I just want to know the story behind your handle. “Merrywidow”-I feel like there’s a story there…
Yes, on the original Queen Elizabeth twice and the United States once. Lovely memories.
I am sure that today's cruisers would find even the finest 1950s cruise experience a bit boring. But to my eyes, these bygone days of cruising were gorgeous.
Even the tourist class had a sense of luxury. I loved seeing it.
Thank you for a well produced video showing time that will never be recaptured again.
Thanks Ruth. No, I don't think that era will ever be fully recaptured as it was!
This is way before my time, but I prefer this atmosphere in general.
Watch some old classic movies from the 1930s and 40s that also show how being on a cruise ship was back then, much classier and romantic than today, unfortunately!
100 percent agreed!! I'd rather have this. I'm a big reader so on one of these cruises with my books while soaking the sun before a dinner I have to dress for and the music of the times and the cocktails and the wonderful fashion! I'd take this any day 💖
They really did have bon voyage parties in their room. I grow up in New York, and several of my parents friends went to Europe by ship. A few times they were invited to the bon voyage party. I think it was a way of really showing off. There were cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the room. My dad always griped, “ why are we getting these people a present when they can afford to take a trip to Europe.” But, my mom who never went anywhere without bringing something always brought a box of Schraff’s candies .
What a great story! Thanks so much for that! Can you imagine that today... people giving you a going away present, before you hop on a cruise!!
it was the first leg of an extended journey, not a 'stand alone' cruise holiday!
Just before 09/11/01, my wife & I were on an Alaskan cruise in Ketchican, when a friend, who lived in Alaska,
flew there by seaplane & was allowed to come onboard, have free lunch & tour the ship! After 09/11, security
tightened & the practice ended! Times have changed, but with all the new ship's amenities, not all for the worse!
@rongendron8705 They were allowed on for a free meal!! Times have changed!
Your mom was a lady, who knew one never went empty handed.
I had the privilege of being able to travel from Australia to Europe in the 50's & 60's with my parents - The Orcades, Neptunia and the Oriana. Wonderful, wonderful memories. You couldn't give me the cruise ships of today - such monstrocities and completely classless!!!
What amazing memories for you!
Not all of them. Read my comment above.
The Cunard Ships still has that class you speak of. I agree there a lot of monstrosities out there. They are amusement fun fair parks which you could have on land. Not for me.
I was on the Oriana in 1968
@@katiestanfield8794 I hope that you had as wonderful a journey as I did!!
My grandparents took their honeymoon cruise in 1938. I have the menu card from one of their dinners. It was an amazing menu and the card itself is beautiful.❤️
Fantastic that you still have it 😊
How May I obtain a copy ?
I wouldn't want to book a cruise on todays horrendous cruise ships but this nostalgic video makes me wish I had been old enough to enjoy cruises of the past - thank you
Thanks for watching!
I was on the QE2 in 1978 on a Caribbean Cruise out of NYC. As. 19 year old it was a wonderful 17 day cruise. Women in long dresses at dinner. men in suits. We had the same waiters everyday all three meals. Great memories.
Hi Ann! Yes elegance, attentive waiters, dressing to the nines.... how fabulous!
@@ritzytravelguide Don't know if the eastern part of Africa is a cruise spot now with pirates and the like? 🤔
@dankelly5150 A lot of cruises going near the Suez are now being cancelled
Turns out, it was the US TV show 'Love Boat' that helped bring cruising to the gen pop. Prior to that, it was even more niche as a from of travel than it is today.
It was a Princess ship that was featured in the show, and they attributed the show to their and the industry's growth
Yes, agreed, I think the Love Boat did contribute to the pickup in cruising!
I like the look of the old liners/criuse ships - they look like actual boats, complete with smokestacks, instead of resembling multi-story buildings as the modern ones do.
Will be interested in your videos about luxury air travel too....
Yes, the ships had elegant lines in those days 🙂
I liken them to Soviet style apartment buildings.
They were actual boats. They were not cruise ships. They were ocean liners. The difference is that an ocean liner is seaworthy.
Thanks for the journey! I crossed the Atlantic from N. Y. C. to England as a teenager with my parents on the Queen Mary 1 and crossed back on the Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1968, both in Cabin Class. My father's Cadillac Seville also crossed for the price of another passenger. I loved both ships but the Queen Mary "The Queen of the Atlantic" was more beautiful and warmer in a friendly way. It was the journey of a lifetime! I loved exploring the ships. The British crew was very friendly. The food generally good but now, when I think back, old fashioned. I still have the menus, photos and luggage tags. Just great! Also LOVED the dimly lit pool and the movie theater. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!!!!!
Hi Alexandra, how lovely that you still have the keepsakes from your Atlantic Crossing! Real personal treasures! Many thanks for watching!
We did a Panama Cruise trip over Christmas 2019 and New Year’s 2020 on the Princess Emerald. It had a bit of a nostalgic and elevated feel - perhaps because of the holiday season - that I had not seen on other cruise lines. On regular nights, most people still dressed for dinner; cocktail dresses and suits seemed to be da rigeur and I loved it! The formal nights were filled with tuxedos and evening gowns and it looked magical. Even on our Caribbean resort vacations, we have always mwde a point of dressing for dinner. It just seems to enhance our own experience, not to mention that the photos taken by both us and the ship’s or resort photographer all look amazing❣️ I get it that it’s not everyone’s style, but it’s ours and makes our vacations a bit more special for us. I don’t know about everyone else reading these comments, but we do not dress like this at home (there no restaurant, pavement nor a traffic light in our town). Getting all dolled up to cook our own dinner, sit in the kitchen and eat it and then clean up seems a bit pointless so it is nice to be able to when we can.
Hugs from Canada’s Arctic❣️❣️🇨🇦
Hello Canada's Artic Circle! Great to hear from you. I'm right with you, whilst in everyday life you don't have the time to dress up... that's exactly what cruises are for! Not every cruiseline, not every itinerary... but pick just the right one, and it feels magical!
Bravo - well said.
Excellent and interesting video, but,unfortunately, it also highlighted how far people have allowed their standards to drop! I doubt that care, class and elegance will ever recover fully…the best we can hope is that some will hang on! Edited to add: I don’t miss everything about that era…but do miss the courtesy and general respect for yourself and others…you could very easily bring back elegance and grace if people would just bring back being thoughtful and caring bth about themselves and others….dressing up never killed anybody…caring about how you act never did either…something to think about!
Interesting fact a lot of the standard started dropping when people stopped wearing hats
@cherylmaden5989 that's an interesting thought!
This makes me feel old! My first cruise was in 1990, and much has changed since then. I remember small ships with "bon voyage" parties on the top deck, with paper streamers to throw to your well-wishers ashore; and in the water. I remember midnight buffets, chocolate buffets, tuxedos on formal night, smoking in the cabins, room keys (instead of cards), in-person muster drills and a more sophisticated crowd aboard. Anymore, cruising attracts a more budget-minded demographic.
You don't get clay pigeon shooting on deck any more either! One errant wave, and you could be shooting the wrong direction altogether!
1st cruise 1982 on Song of Norway
Still Dress for Dinner, assigned seating, same waiter, all the young couples seated at same table. Lovely trip. It was my gift for graduation from college. Still prefer this size ship, so we cruise with Oceania now
@meman6964 Oceania does indeed give a great experience
Our bucket list on Cunard to experience this elegance.
The new Cunard Queen Anne is coming very soon. If you haven't seen our video on this new ship, you can find it in our playlist!
Among my husband’s earliest memories are those of his five year old self and his mother taking the Ile de France to join his father in England. He remembers the long gangplank and watching their new Studebaker being lowered into the hold. We were watching “The Last Voyage”, the movie in which the ship was so ignominiously destroyed, and during a scene in the dining room he shouted, “I sat right there!”. We had to stop watching when the mayhem started, too painful.
In the early 80s, I visited the Queen Mary at Long Beach, and I swear there was almost no one there. I bought that famous cutaway print and used it as my guide. I was everywhere, all the main rooms, the pool, the silver vault, even the projection booth high in the forward wall of the main lounge. No one bothered me. I was not able to get into any of the cabins, though. The Spruce Goose was next door, and I was able to take a very leisurely tour of that, too. No chance of ever doing that again.
Hi, thanks so much for those lovely stories. He was one of those we saw in the video with cars being winched on and off!
We did that double tour (QM & Spruce Goose) also in the 80s, and I think we were pretty much alone. The SG is now located in a small Oregonian town. It's definitely worth a visit, kinda like the Grand Canyon, lol, you can't imagine how big it is until it's seen in person.
That would have been a fantastic double!
I did the double tour in 1984 when I was 33. The H-4 Hercules, aka the Spruce Goose, was spectacular. One could tour the inside and cockpit. Then the Queen Mary was the first ocean going vessel I’d ever been on, and it was truly grand. At some point she was a hotel, but I suspect most guests stayed only one night aboard. Unlike today’s cruise ships the Queen Mary was a beautiful ocean liner.
I remember the double tours. I also remember when the H-4 was being moved from Long Beach.
It was a sad day when they broke the H-4 and Queen Mary up.
Southern California in the 80's was a great time.
I love the elegance of cruising in the past but I also love how cruising has become an affordable and accessible vacation for all types of individuals and families today. Thank you for posting this wonderful video!❤
Hi Nicole. Many thanks for your kind words, and for watching 🙂
Exactly. Who could afford crusing in those "Golden years"? Only the very wealthy.
@@jansupronowicz1300The very wealthy and the very white.
Thank you people seemed to be a lot classier back then
My family moved from France to the US on the SS Liberté in September of 1958, from Le Havre to New York, we were greeted by Hurricane Helen on the 4th day of the crossing...what a fun trip that was for a 10 year old kid.
I bet! Somewhat like a roller-coaster!
I see why people traveled with trunks. If I had to be in a different gown every night for dinner not to mention day clothes, exercise clothes, and a swimsuit outfit, I’d need several trunks, too. How amazing that would have been ❤
🙂
When we went around the world in 1971 My parents had two trunks and 8 suitcases. I had 1 trunk and 6 suitcases. Every night formal meant shoes and handbag to match each outfit. And casual clothes meant business caual. Not they way so many dress like slobs nowadays.
I’m 51 and I remember the bon voyage parties as recently as 1986 on Royal Caribbeans M/S Song of Norway. We even threw confetti towards the dock as we were pulling out of Miami.
My first cruise was in 1977 on the SS Uganda at the age of 15! We cruised for two weeks on the Mediterranean, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel. Absolutely amazing and I felt incredibly fortunate to have experienced it at such a young age. I didn’t cruise again until 2018 and have now cruised 7 times, mainly Royal Caribbean and Cunard, I love it. Really enjoyed this video, thank you!
Hi Alison, what a lovely treat to be on the Uganda! That would have been a fabulous Mediterranean itinerary
By the way, f you haven't already seen them, we have several videos on our channel covering cruising on Cunard!
It was, thank you. Subscribed 🙂@@ritzytravelguide
I still recall when passengers dressed up to fly . The vast majority of people hadn’t even gotten on a plane since travel for ordinary Americans was an extravagance. So, yes, I would very much enjoy a video on air travel.
Hi there, yes extravagance is a good word! A real treat!
Oh, remember, a couple of years ago, a woman was taken off a flight because she was inappropriately dressed!!😮
One thing I forgot to add in my comment below: The way people dressed then and now is striking! People actually got DRESSED UP when traveling!!! Oh, no!!!! Heavens forbid anyone nowadays would leave their baggy shorts and flip-flops at home!!! Comfort, comfort, comfort! Too bad these people haven't ever heard of mirrors! Oh, well. Call me old fashioned to think that people could be stylish and comfortable at the same time.
I find it funny to see men in suit and tie lounging in the pool deck.
That was very much the way, back in the day. Men tended to dress formally, no matter the occasion
If you watch some documentaries on NewYork, people were dressed up just to walk down the street!
@Angiehere-1 That's so funny 🤣
I cruise and I love formal night! I also dress up when going out.
Nice video! The show The Love Boat made cruising exciting, popular and yet still exotic.
Thank you 😊
We sailed on The Norway before the scraped her. Was wonderful and the lounges were stunning. Learned to ballroom dance on that ship.
That would have been interesting! The Norway, and before that as the SS France, was also a very graceful ship!
My parents were lucky enough to sail on the Norway shortly after she debuted. Mom talked about that beautiful ship for years.
Thank you for this wonderful video. I really like how the passengers really got to enjoy the "now" and not on cellphones and computers :) I would love to see the Premium Class passengers on those airplanes back in the day.
Thanks for watching, yes it's really insightful to see the old footage!
I wish the world was still this wonderful.
It was wonderful only if you were white and had money. For everyone else ..... not so wonderful. Not too different than today actually.
It is. If you can afford it
Except back then everyone smoked. Every room smelled of smoke. Otherwise great!
In 1958 I traveled as a 15-month-old with my parents to England on the Queen Elizabeth. I have a picture of little me at the Children's Tea in the first-class dining room.
What we're not acknowledging is that those were Liners - designed to cut through rough sea and remain steady as a rock. Today's ships are designed for maximum capacity: they're big floating bath tubs that get tossed around accordingly.
I can't imagine wanting to go on a modern cruise after see this
Too crowded and too noisy!
How wonderful to see the QE and QM in their prime
Yes indeed!
Happy to be a new fan of this channel. Just the right mix of intelligent, trans-Atlantic narrative with well-chosen vintage footage.
A salute of thanks to those who track down these historic film records , and reformat them to be enjoyed by future generations.
As a baby boomer who did my first cruise in my teens in 1966, what strikes me is the subtle level of sexism in all the old travelogues.
It was assumed that men were buying the tickets.
So, the swimming and sunbathing scenes always emphasized good looking females in skimpy attire. The reality on most cruises is quite different, both then and now. It's a marketing ploy that still works.
Hello. Many thanks for your kind comments, and great to have you with us!
Thoroughly enjoyed that. Hopefully there will be more of this type of content to come in the future
Hi Mr C.... will do my very best!
Love, love the beautiful attire that all people took pride in wearing, as each activity is a event.
Yes indeed! Those were the days!
YES... would LOVE the videos of the golden age of flying! THANK YOU
Thanks Barbara!
Hey Bill! Really great video! Your clips of old bring the past back and all the glamor that once was! Past, present, future! All are good!
Thanks George, glad you enjoyed it!
Love the service they had!
Fantastic wasn't it!
These videos are brilliant. One of my favourite movies is An Affair to Remember with Deborah Kerr and most of it is set on the ship. The beautiful dresses, rooms, dancing of the late 40s , early 50s is exquisite. Ive been on a few Cruises, but id sell a kidney to be able to experience an old fashioned luxury cruise. Thanks for the time warp.😊😊
Maybe keep your kidney! You need that for drinking the cocktails 🍹
As a child we travelled on the Q Mary, the France, and the United States. The first class passengers would always slum in the tourist bars and clubs. Plenty of stuffed shirts! First class was boring. I remember sneaking into the first class pool and it was usually deserted. Marvelous times!
Amazing experiences for you David. How revealing you mention First Class used to frequent the tourist bars and clubs, for a bit of excitement
Yes please for passenger planes. You've an enjoyable voice for commentating.
That's very nice of you to say! Thanks for letting me know!
This civilization, extinct now, is almost like Atlantis. A great and beautiful society lost to the ages.
A bygone era!
Sad! smdh
Excellent video, well produced, and documented- love looking at all these elegant ship interiors from the 30s 40s and 50s
I totally agree, it's fascinating isn't it! Oh for a time machine, to be able to visit for a day!
My first cruise was when i was about 10 and thats exactly how it was for kids and teens. A free for all with absolutely no parent supervision
😂
My father worked for Matson Navigation, one of the main shipping lines that services Hawaii. When I was 7 our family took the S.S. Lurline to San Francisco from Honolulu. It was a seminal event in my life for reasons that are well illustrated in this video. I was especially impressed with the dining room: white tablecloths...and all that silverware! I'd never seen a cocktail fork before or the ice bowl for the shrimp cocktail. My mother kept all the menus that I still have. It was the first time I had seen French and culinary terms: Lyonnaise, sauté, Bourguignon, camembert... After all these years, I still remember Mr. Lee our waiter, and the room steward, Pedro.
In later life, I became a restauranteur and a French teacher. All because of those wonderful four days it took to cross the Pacific Ocean. I recently purchased a book about Matson's passenger lines. In it is a picture of the dining room and the very table that we sat at for every meal. I can still hear the hand chime that a staff member would ring in the hallway to announce the start of mealtime.
Hi there, what a fabulous account you have written, thank you so much for writing in. I can fully imagine everything you are relating. How fabulous the menus have been kept!
I love that "typical" ship design, instead of today's "overgrown giants". But also, these old ships were not really cruise ships but passanger ocean liners, so the purpose of such travels was a mix of enjoying the "cruise" and getting from A to B. I wonder if such a trip is stil possible, or are there only coastal cruises offered today?
Flying in the golden era. Yes please.
Will do!
I think that what is depicted here is First Class. We went to France when I was very young, about 65 years ago, in a Holland America ship. My father worked out a discount with them for my brother’s and my tickets by giving a couple of concerts on board. If they had had a cheaper class with hammocks for everyone, my dad would have had us travel that way. Unsurprisingly, my dad got seasick when we hit rough weather. Happily, I found out that I didn’t get seasick, despite being constantly carsick for the next 3 months of car travel! However, although it was nice, I didn’t call any of it luxurious.
Hi, was your father a famous musician? That was a clever idea for a discount!
@@ritzytravelguideHe wasn’t super famous, but he was the 1st violinist of the Pittsburgh Symphony. I think he enjoyed having a concert or two wherever he went. He probably would have done it discount or no, but he was never one to pass up a deal.
I loved this . Thank you
Thank you Tim!
Please do an airline travel back in the day. TWA and Pan Am! Thanks Great work by the way!
Hi Pierre, thanks for your comments. Will try to get that video made
While I certainly wouldn't want to bring back all aspects of cruising of the golden days, the idea of romance and elegance is worth retaining. The ships certainly lacked diversity and it's interesting how class division is coming back. That leads to that Celebrity Ascent, a ship I'm highly critical of and have a lot to say about (that isn't very positive). Some of the aspects of cruising are remarkably similar to what exists now.
I knew someone would wave the race card. Shame on you, sir.
@@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus What race card? You're out of line. I'm talking about class division not race division. No one in their right minds talks of the good old days without bringing up diversity in terms of respecting women's rights, and any person's right, not just the rights of Black people so you're being presumptuous. Shame on you. This is about the ships and the cruise product. The romance of being at sea is being replaced with hanging out on your balcony and having special perks due to being in a larger space. The idea of restricting passengers to a part of the ship while others have their own area and the run of the ship is what I'm objecting to. And this is NCL, Celebrity and MSC doing this and I'm objecting to that.
Yea but if someone has more $$ to afford more perks I mean that’s life. That’s why I don’t go anywhere unless I can be at my level of comfort. I am taking my first cruise in Nov because I got a great deal on an ocean view. You have to do what’s best for you and your budget. I am fine with my Corolla even though my neighbor has a BMW! That’s their business and that’s life.
@@AshleySpeaks09 I'd take the Corolla as well. The issue with the Celebrity Edge ships and the NCL Haven ships would be like saying only BMW and luxury car drivers are allowed to drive in certain areas of the resort. That's the class division that I'm objecting to. I don't mind a few perks here and there but ship within a ship with some prime areas reserved for suite passengers is a something worth debating IMO.
What a treat that was.
Keep up the great work. Love your channel, and all your content.
Thank you so much Frank! Very kind
I would love to see a video about air travel in the 50's and 60's. Really enjoyed your video.
Thank you so much John. It's been a couple of months since I mentioned the Air Travel video, I really should get it out!
Thanks for bringing back many great memories. I took a cruise back in August of 1973 aboard the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam ( Holland America ). She was built in the mid 1930's. I remember feeling like I stepped thru a time portal. God that was beautiful ship. Could you possibly include her in one of your next nostalgia films ? Thanks so much.
Hi, that's a nice idea. I will try to include some in any next one I do!
Please bring back the world cruise!
There are still many ships that do world cruising. Not the monsters that only sail around the Caribbean and have a 1,000 screaming kids.
Loved this video, especially the exuberant comments from the 1950s narrator. I'm now a subscriber. Please keep the content flowing!
I too love the exuberance! I imagine Mad Men, the TV series in my mind, as I listen to narration of those days. The script writing was impeccable. Each sentence crafted and honed!
Back when people had manners and class.
these are advertisements. of course everyone has manners or class, you think they're gonna show the bad things?
Truth. We finished a 113-day World Cruise this year, 2024, and people were 'animals'. I don't know what it is but since covid people are uber-rude and out for themselves. We didn't see this before the pandemic. (Our ship had 1,500 French, 400 Germans, 200 Italians, 200 English speaking, 200 Chinese Nationals and 500 other.)
@@d.808lf5 Insolent people who call other people 'animals'? Bravo!
Manners are not taught any more. No one is concerned about others. We are in a selfish society.
And wealth and access to dignity was truly exclusive to certain people. It was just the best 🥲!
A great video. Thank you. looking forward to the next one
Thanks Steve!
I sailed with my family from New York to Amsterdam aboard SS Maasdam (Holland-America Lines) in 1962, and we returned to the States aboard SS Prinses-Margriet in 1965. Real passenger ships. Always something to do. even for the kids. A library, games on the deck, the food. I was old enough that I could stay up with my parents for evenings in the Salon; horse-racing--carved and painted horses that stewards would move around a wooden track on the floor based on numbered balls from a Bingo-style cage. I remember there was a famous opera diva with us from South Africa. And once, I wanted a snack between meals, and a steward brought me vanilla ice cream with stewed figs and lady fingers. It was fabulous!
What fabulous memories for you Allison! Lovely story
When I was 9 my mother, brother and I left Canada on a freighter to Amsterdam to then train down to Austria where we immigrated from. The freighter was a blast for us but the trip home was on an ocean liner. Wow what fun that was, during the day we explored every inch of the ship. Then after dinner and a story Mom would put us to bed and go see the movie which we had seen in the afternoon. My brother and I would sneak into the 1st class balcony and watch the movie again, leave just before it ended and fell into bed. Both ocean trips were a blast for a kid and i will remember it forever. My bother and I often discuss those trips.
Hi, what lovely memories you have from those days! Thanks so much for sharing!
3:22 Just a noted difference here from then and now.
When I recently left on a cruise that departed Miami, nobody was there on shore waiving to anybody.
The ship just quietly left port.
I think that there was a big difference in the passenger lists in the 50's and 60's. A large number of those people were emigrating to different parts of the world and would probably never return to their home lands, so saying good-bye was far more important to them.
@LisbethIvy Very true
I sailed the QE with my family from NYC to Europe. I remember the intensely yeasty rolls at dinner with unsalted butter as well as the yummy consomme soup served on deck in the stiff cold breeze. Sailed back from Germany on the SS United States in June of 1969. Only a few months later, she was removed from service. No surprise, our cruise was hardly half filled.
Hi there, it's great to hear your stories. Isn't it funny how one's mind remembers certain things... such as the "intensely yeasty rolls!"
I was on the SS United States with my parents on our way to Belgium.
❤The Gloria days… more more more the video like this🎷🍾️
I'll try to bring out more!
Just the tonic after a hard week at work (post Christmas) .
Thank you sir I am looking forward
to more please 🙏.
Cheers! Raising a 1960s Martini to you 🍸
I did two crossings as a kid 1965 & 1966, NYC to Spain on SS Independence. I had. Fond memories but the rooms were small and there were 2 classes. We were in 2nd class.
As an ocean liner enthusiast this video is an absolute treat. Thank you so much.
Hello. So glad you enjoyed it. It's fascinating isn't it, to dip into the archives
@ It absolutely is. I find it endlessly fascinating that cruising went from the deluxe pampering of the Caronia to the carefree days of the Love Boat to what basically amounts to Walmart meets Vegas at sea with Carnival.
I understand the economics behind the changes. And I know I’m in the minority in wanting old world glamour on a cruise. But if only to experience it just once.
@angellight495 I'm right with you, the glamour and panache of the 1930s on the Normandie, to the glory days in the 50s...oh for a time machine to witness it in person!
@ of all of the grand ships it is the Normandie that has captured my heart the most. No other ship can compare to her.
In terms though of ships that cruised regularly or at least semi regularly or is the inter war Empress of Britain that seems the most like a dream.
I would love to sail on any of them but I would gladly settle for going back and taking photos of their glorious interiors with a modern camera. Certain interiors like those of the Mauretania just do not photograph well in black and white.
Very enjoyable viewing. Great to see how people dressed up for this sense of occasion. Please keep up the great work and you mentioned a future instalment on aviation. Absolutely. Thanks for keeping us entertained and great to see your subscriptions increase rapidly and rightly so.
Thank you so much, that's very kind of you. I'll add 1 more to the Aviation installment!
Bill, great! More...............................!
Thanks so much!
What a great Sunday afternoon treat. Brilliant video thanks for your hard work. X
Thanks so much Jermaine! Perhaps it's a Sunday afternoon type of video, on a snowy winters day, in front of a crackling fire, with cognac in hand 😬
In the 70s my parents went on a cruise to BDA out of NY. They actually let visitors of passengers board the ship. We got to have a soda in my parent's stateroom. At some point an announcement was made advising visitors to get off. It waa special.
Hi Sabrina, you're absolutely right, back in the day Cruise Lines did permit visitors on board for the day. These days however, practically impossible!
It was such a a big deal as I was 10. They had an inside room. And it had a fully stocked mini fridge! Afterwards, we watched the ship depart and waved at it from the pier.@@ritzytravelguide
And no cell phones, imagine that. Who else wants to go back in time ?
Yes.. people used to TALK to each other. And they could also read well;....🔞.. today...❓❓❓
Me, old soul here!
No, thanks!
Oh YES !!! PLEASE!
Back to a time where my family were discriminated because of where they were from and their religion? Think I will pass.
Well done Bill, as always. A great nostalgic throwback. BTW, we booked the Celebrity Ascent for a TA in April. Looking forward to your review. Jorge
Hi Jorge, aboard as we speak. Review in a couple of weeks!
You often get pedantic people commenting under videos about old liners saying that they were liners (operating a scheduled service from A to B) and not cruise ships (going on journeys for pleasure round ever-changing routes), but this entertaining compilation shows that the liners sold their services by emphasising the cruise-like attractions to be found onboard (and isn't it amazing how many of those attractions were young, female and clad in swimsuits)?
Hi there. Many thanks indeed for your comments. Whilst Ocean Liners were the forerunner to Cruise ships, and offered transportion from A to B, on a fixed schedule, and had a different hull design.... that being said, the offerings and facilities aboard, were almost identical to cruise ships. Day to day life onboard mirrored each other: swimming pools, promenade decks, dining rooms, theatres, shops, bars, children's facilities, hair salons, casinos, activities, butler services, room service and entertainment.
@@ritzytravelguide I'm curious... What would
a butler do on a cruise ship? Was his role more
akin to that a concierge?
Great video! I’ve seen vintage bus, plane, and train videos but not cruise ships!
It did look glamorous. Today things may not be as glamorous but when I travel by car and go to hotels, I like to do my little part and dress up and dress well! In my own little way, maybe I can encourage others to dress a little sharper like back then.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it!
Just watched the plane video and had to pop over here. I started cruising in '11 and while I love it, I always longed for that old feeling of sailing "back in the day" . In '19 I booked a trans-Atlantic on the QM2. Blew me away. Yes, it's more modern, and probably not as "glitzy" as the Queens of the 30's, but it was an amazing experience. Seeing the Statue of Liberty at 4am was an emotional experience, thinking of the millions of people who came to the States to start a new life. I still enjoy cruising, sucking down my Bahama Mama on the deck of the Elation in Cozumel or Nassau, but I'm booked for trans-Atlantic number 4 on the Queen. It's just a whole different and wonderful experience being at sea that I truly treasure and am grateful for being able to do.
So wonderfully expressed. It's a delight, and very fortunate to be able to travel and cruise, and imagine those who did it before us. I can fully imagine it was emotional for you as you arrived at 4am.
Have a amazing time on your next transatlantic crossing!
As an ex-pat child of the 50s, I made several trips to and from San Francisco to my dad’s posting in Asia. I remember ticker tape departures and the children’s play room, running wild with a gang of 7 to 10 year olds. Our Nanny had a room in another class but was allowed to spend her days with us looking after my younger brother. I have a passenger list booklet, and several photographs taken at what must have been a children’s party. It was a mode of transportation…airplanes were only used if someone back home was very ill and expected to pass away! I remember passing under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. For the adults, there were Galas, costume parties, dances, and a lot of clothing packed in large trunks which were emptied, then sent off to a cargo area for the rest of the trip!
Hi Jessy, how lovely to hear from you! Thank you so much for letting us know your first hand experiences from the 50s, many of which we saw in the video! Your experiences closely match exactly how it was portrayed in these documentaries and promotional films. We might almost have seen you in there!
It also amazes me how passenger lists were public in those days. Confidentiality laws would certainly prevent that now!
My parents came to Australia in 1963 as £10 “poms” along with me, aged 12 and 4 younger siblings. A 28 day voyage aboard the Sitmar ship Fairsky was a wonderful adventure which started my love of ships and the sea. I repeated the voyage in 1976, this time as a paying passenger on the Chandris ship Australis.
In some ways I wish Chandris was still around. They had panache and style. They were folded into Celebrity Cruises, and whilst John Chandris remains on the board, it's not quite the same.
@@ritzytravelguide I agree. Chandris certainly had class.
Great video, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
So so cool to see how it was back in the day. People really took care of their appearance back then. I wonder how much it was comparatively to now.
Yes, back in the day they wore suits to the pool deck! And all their relatives came to the dock to wave them off!
@@ritzytravelguide seems so glamorous! My mom told me that she used to spend hours on her hair and clothes! Now us ladies just wear sweats lol. More comfortable for sure but oh the beauty back then!
I sailed NY to Southampton on the S.S. France in 1965. I don’t remember much about the ship other than my many excursions to the children’s game room where I became an Expert Rifleman on one of the numerous pinball machines. I also snuck into an R rated movie (A Man And A Woman). I do remember my parents dressing for dinner, which meant I had to wear a monkey suit too. I went on deck once and was the only one there, perhaps because it was stormy and cold in the mid-Atlantic. Even at age 12 I considered myself an old salt because I had spent three weeks cruising the Med on the MS Dunera with some of my schoolmates a year before.
This documentary takes me back to those heady days - We’ll done!
SS France was such an iconic ship. Fantastic that you were able to experience it first hand, as a youngster!
Excellent montage.
Wonderful and informative! A true look into the past! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
My mother travelled aboard the Cunard Samaria in 1952, to and from a two month tour of Europe following her graduation from university. At the time, it was one of the older boats in the fleet (scrapped three years later), but she had a marvelous time and would always mention how it left her with a lifelong desire to cruise. I would like to imagine she's one of the young women by the pool in the video! Thank you! PS would love to see your air travel footage.
Hi, she might well have been in there. Thanks for your lovely story!
In 1957 we traveled from New York to Southhampton, England on the RMS Queen Elizabeth. It was a wonderful trip, a beautiful memory. It took 5 days each way. We lived in Brooklyn, two blocks from the water and from our back window we could see the big ocean liners sail by. Mom could recognize all of them by their smoke stacks.
How fabulous for you. I hope you looked out for yourself on the video! 5 days, as we know, is much faster than crossings of today. They really powered through the water.
@@ritzytravelguide- Yes, it’s seven days now I believe. Today the crossing is considered a cruise, back then it was just nice transportation to your destination. We made that crossing a few times because we stayed with our grandparents in Birmingham for the summer when we were young.
This was wonderful! And yes - luxury air travel would be great to learn about. Thank you.
Thanks April, yes I think an Aviation Edition would be a lot of fun!
Lovely video. My husband, son of an RAF veteran and Canadian war bride was born in Bristol, England and emigrated to Canada in 1951 on the Queen Mary. We have a copy of that manifest from Southampton to New York. While we have toured the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, we were fortunate to sail on the QM2 in 2004.
Hi Kathy, what a lovely keepsake, to have a copy of the manifest. That's really one to treasure!
Wow - get me a time machine and get me back there.
I'll call HG Wells immediately!
A beautiful video. Loved every minute of it. I hope you will have a video focused from the 1960s to 1980s on cruise ships. 😊😊
Thanks for watching!
@@ritzytravelguide You're very very welcome 😊
I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this. Thank you.
Thank you Geoffrey.
A Pleasent Life on A Happy Ship😆If you know your place ....Of Course! What an amusing video...enjoyed it tremendously! Thank Youuuu*******
You're welcome!
I used to lament the demise of the elegant, great liners of the past and feel like I missed out. But watching this confirms what I realized awhile back; everyone pretty much smoked every where on the ship. So much for luxury travel.
Thank you Mr Ritzy for another great vlog, neatly put together. How those early days compare favourably in contrast to the benidorm on boat rabble who are ever more present on modern day cruises. God help us for bigger boats.
Thanks for watching!
Love this vid,. Cruising as cruising supossed to be. Yes, flying in the 50"s? Yes please 🙂
Hi Ronald, yes Cruising in the heyday would have been a riot!
Yes please for the air travel history!
Thanks Alastair!
Brilliant video Bill. Please keep them coming.
Thanks Marc!
….Oh, I just LOVED this! New sub. ***PLEASE DO A VID ON THE “GOLDEN AGE OF FLYING”*** Thanks ❤
Thanks for your message. Hopefully a video of flying coming!
I just discovered this channel and I'm so glad I did! I love videos about big old ships. This one is interesting, fun to watch, informative and entertaining. My grandmother took my mom and aunts to France shortly after WWII as my grandfather was there working for radio free Europe. They must have taken a ship. I wish I had thought to ask them what it was like before they passed. At least I can imagine watching this video. Thank you!
Hi Kitty, thanks so much for your lovely story, and your comments. Much appreciated!
Yes make a video about airline luxury. What wonderful times!
Hi Silvia, the airline video came out this week, and is now ready to view