Pacific Lounge on the Promenade Deck.

Starlight Room on the Sun Deck.

Lanai Stateroom

Does anyone have a brochure of the Ocean Explorer 1?

[ 12-30-2003: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

I joined the PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT in April 1962 and sailed on her straight through to February 1963, a total of 7 US West Coast/Orient voyages. Her maiden voyage was great but such hard work. I know several of the list members have strong feelings about maiden voyages, some good and some bad, but it was a wonderful trip and we worked our tails off trying to make this ship into the best in the fleet.

There were many funny moments and some not too funny during those 7 voyages but the ROOSEVELT (named for both Presidents, incidently) was always an interesting ship.

The arrivals in port of a maiden voyage are always colorful and festive. Each port had special activities and welcomes. Later on we made an off schedule call at Nagasaki, the first of any APL passenger ship and the welcome was just like the picture you posted on the CLEVELAND/WILSON string. Very nice.

I remember on the maiden voyage after we had left San Francisco enroute to Honolulu and the Orient, we were steaming full ahead at about 19-20 knots when the steering gear failed and the rudder went hard left throwing the ship into a sharp port turn and putting us into a terrific list to starboard. I was at the Purser's counter and ran up to the open deck where the swimming pool was gushing the water over the side. Looking aft at the wake I could see we were making a complete circle. The engineers finally got it in hand and it never happened again. Thank God we were out on the open sea.

Oh well, lots of other stories, but enough for tonight.

Thank you for sharing for your experience with us.

The President Roosevelt arrived at Nagasaki for the first time on May 1, 1964. Followed by Wilson two weeks later.

Do you know one special visit to unusual port in Kyushu made by ROOSEVELT in 1966?

[ 12-31-2003: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

Are you sure that was 1964 in Nagasaki? I went back and checked my sailing records and find that in May of 1963 I was on the WILSON and now believe that was the trip to Nagasaki, not when I was on the ROOSEVELT. In 1964 I was on the MONROE which was in the round the world service.

You got me though on the Kyushu call in 1966. I am unaware of the port but my guess would be Kagoshima.

I'm sure my source from Japanese Magazine that informed on New APL's Route including Two ROOSEVELT Photos(One in San Francisco and One in Nagasaki).

On Jan 3. 1966, the President Roosevelt made a special call to Port of Hakata(Fukuoka City) where is the biggest city in Kyushu Island.

The special voyage was materialized for deligation from city of Auckland to commemorate on sister
city between Fukuoka and Auckland.

Well, no doubt age has hit my memory cells, but I do know we called at Nagasaki on one of the big 3 passenger ships and it was the first time as we were given a grand maiden call special welcome by the city officials, the kimono clad dancers, the band, etc. As I recall it was not a regularly scheduled visit, as later calls were, but a special one.

Interesting about Fukuoka. I was stationed there in the service in 1958-59. Much later in the 1990s the APL container ships begain regularly scheduled service to Fukuoka but unfortunately I had already come ashore with the company so never got to go back.

Regards,

Fill me in please on the differences between the President Roosevelt and the Wilson/Cleveland duo.

When my folks visited me, while I was stationed in Japan (Summer of '55), only Wilson/Cleveland were in service.

I know Roosevelt was a newer ship as far as APL operations was concerned, but were they not all cut from the mold of the WWII troopships (MARAD P-2 I believe?) designs?

What were the differences, and I mean in design, not placement of facilities?

Also that the PR was a P2-S2 design (twin screw geared steam turbine porpulsion), but the PW/PC were P2-SE2 design (twin screw steam turboelectric propulsion).

[ 01-26-2004: Message edited by: Marlowe ]

That is a great picture, Marlowe, of the WILSON. Where and when was it taken?

dated on Feb 22, 1952

The La Guardia which chartered by US Maritime commison carrying 550 passengers of US Military Families.

She was visited for the First time to Yokohama in the morning of Feb. 21, 1952

[ 01-26-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

I assume that P. Rooevelt's maiden voyage schedule as follows

San Francisco Lv May 12 4PM - Honolulu Ar May 17 8AM Lv 10 PM - Yokohama Ar May 26 9AM

[ 06-23-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

You certainly have a great nautical collection!

APL maintained regular cargo service around the world by Eight Mariner cargo liners with accommodations for 12 passengers.

In addition to the above cargoliners, President Roosevelt begun to sail two Round the world cruises in Spring and fall 1966.
APL also ofered Mystey cruise to nowhere and Canadian Caper cruises as well as Orient cruises in 1969.

Here's sailing route from 1969 schedule.

Spring 90-days Round the World cruise

San Francisco - Los Angeles - Honolulu - Yokohama - Kobe - Hong Kong - Singapore - Colombo - Bombay - Mombasa - Durban - Capetown - Rio de Janeiro - Bahia - Port of Spain - Port Everglades - Kingston - Cartagena - Cristobal - Balboa - Acapulco - Los Angeles - San Francisco

Winter 92-days Discover the World cruise

San Francisco - Los Angeles - Honolulu - Yokohama - Kobe - Hong Kong - Singapore - Colombo - Bombay - Port Victoria - Mombasa - Durban - Capetown - Dakar - Casablanca - Lisbon - London - Bermuda - Port Everglades - Kingston - Cristobal - Balboa - Acapulco - Los Angeles - San Francisco

Here's sailing route of 1970 Spring 65-days Mediteranean cruises from Bill Miller's book :

San Francisco - Los Angeles - Acapulco - Balboa - Cristobal - Kingston - Piraeus - Rhodes - Haifa - Naples - Palma de Majorca - Madeira - St Thomas - Cristobal - Balboa - Mazatlan - Los Angeles - San Francisco

She was sold to D & A Chandris Registered under ownership of Solon Navegacion S.A. and
placed under the Greek flag and renamed ATLANTIS

[ 06-27-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

quote:

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Originally posted by sslewis:
Chandris was a great reconstructor of liners into cruise liners.
However, they seemed to have missed a few things when doing Atlantis.
Had the engines been replaced and balconies added, she would still have been sailing.
President R had huge voids enclosed in her superstructure and they could have been balconies...

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