CURISING THE PAST - SAILING TO JAPAN DURING THE JAZZ AGE - ACROSS THE PACIFIC - ABOARD THE NYK LINES AND OSK LINES Jazz Age Destination - 1920s - YouTube video - great films of the fabulous Orient before WW2. M/S Asama Maru (1929) and M/S Tatsutu Maru (1930) - NYK Line One of Japan’s proudest periods in passenger shipping was the 1929 building of two of the finest and most luxurious ships ever to sail the Pacific Ocean - the Asama Maru and Tatsuta Maru. They were routed on NYK Line&... Read Full Story

FIVE TIMES BIGGER THAN THE RMS TITANIC - THE OASIS OF THE SEAS Departs Finland. A new chapter in Cruise History. The Oasis has also been voted one of the ugliest ships in the world. THE OASIS OF THE SEAS - Aft view. THE DOOMED TITANTIC CRUISE HISTORY: OASIS OF THE SEAS, the world’s largest cruise ship, passes the island of Ruissalo shortly after departing the Turku, Finland shipyard of STX Europe, where she was built. The above YouTube footage was recorded October 30, 2009 at 08:... Read Full Story

HOLLYWOOD HISTORY - HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD - TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY MERCER GREAT YOUTUBE VIDEO OF HOLLYWOOD HISTORY - CLICK TO PLAY John Herndon “Johnny” Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American songwriter and singer. As a songwriter, he is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others. From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performe... Read Full Story

CRUISING THE PAST: SS CHUSAN - P&O LINES - THE LINER WAS KNOWN AS “THE HAPPY SHIP” CRUISE LINE HISTORY: The SS CHUSAN was a smaller version of the Himalaya and was designed as the principal element in the postwar regeneration of the Indian and Far East service. Indeed in some ways she was a long overdue replacement for the celebrated Viceroy of India that had been tragically lost during the Second World War. Like her celebrated predecessor she introduced superior standards on... Read Full Story

ORCADES in Sydney Cruising Line History: The Orient Steam Navigation Company, also known as the Orient Line, was a British shipping company with roots going back to the late eighteenth century. From the early twentieth century onwards an association began with P&O that eventually culminated in the Orient Line being totally absorbed into that company in the 1960s. Ten Pound Sterling immigrants from the UK to Australia during the 1950s.   A family only had to pay 10 Pounds to travel to a ... Read Full Story

Social History: Rosa Rio at the Tampa Theatre Wurlitzer Organ - She’s 107 and the oldest living theatre organist in the world.  She was also a famous staff organist for NBC.  She played for such famous radio shows as: Lorenzo Jones, The Shadow and Town Hall Tonight. This is a two minute excerpt of Rosa playing the Wurlitzer at the Tampa Theatre in 2005. She was a 103 years old.  Rosa is playing: ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ is a song from the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy... Read Full Story

Happy Halloween aboard the fictional SS ANTONIA GRAZA. The photo is from Ghost Ship (2002) - A horror film directed by Steve Beck. The fictional ship Antonia Graza featured in the movie is based on a real life Italian ocean liner, the SS Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956 after colliding with the MS Stockholm near Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA. The film starred Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies, and Emily Browning.  The film was a dud at the box office, panned by most critics, but the photo a... Read Full Story

New York Social History: Radio City Music Hall - Showplace of the Nation - Over 700 movies opened here from King Kong to the Sound of Music. Click on above to hear Broadway show tunes on the greatest theatre organ in the world.  Playing songs from Gypsy, Mary Poppins and South Pacific. You Tube video of the Music Hall’s “Mighty Wurlitzer” pipe organ. It was the largest theater pipe organ built for a movie theater.  “Ladies and gentlemen, the Radio City Music Hall ... Read Full Story

Social History: Orrin Tucker ad His Orchestra - Perhaps the only living big band leader from the 1920s - 1940s era.  He studied to be a doctor, played the saxophone and formed a band in college.  Tucker became a major band for society dance music and was the first band signed by Columbia Records. Great You Tube video from Aron 1912’s channel. Bandleader Orrin Tucker (born February 17, 1911) has earned a star on the downtown St. Louis Walk of Fame. Through the ’90s he comfortably ... Read Full Story

Cruise History: Shaw Savill Line - The Last Ocean Liners Deck games on Shaw Savill. The Shaw Savill & Albion Company built two advanced one-class ocean liners for continuous around-the-world service. Voyages were approximately 75 days, from Southampton to Australia and New Zealand outward via South Africa and return via Panama or in reverse order. Southern Cross was a remarkable ship for her time, with significant innovative features. She was the first major liner with funnel and engine... Read Full Story