--- Mark Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: << I probably represent the last generation ever to emigrate to America by ship. >>
Well, by 1967, not only were few people emigrating to America by ship, but few people were emigrating from Western Europe to America by any means, except perhaps some from Southern Italy (I assume you are not, in fact, Southern Italian given that you are a "Roberts", but one never knows). The last emigrants to America by ship probably came over in the 1970s largely from Southern Italy before Italian Line/"Italia" ended their North Atlantic service. << We came over on the Queen Elizabeth I in 1967. It was, I believe, the next-to-last crossing the ship made before Cunard Lines ended transatlantic service. >> Cunard never ended Transatlantic service - it continues to this day. Cunard became the only shipping line to operate a regular North Atlantic passenger service in 1987 after Gdynia-America Line withdrew their last ship, STEFAN BATORY, which operated on the Gdynia-Montreal service. QUEEN ELIZABETH didn't retire until October 1968. MARY retired a year earlier, in 1967. The service was resumed in April 1969 when QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 entered service, and she ran it until 2004 when she was (mostly) replaced by QM2. (However, QE2 still does occasional crossings, in addition to her now more usual cruises.) Actually, QE2 made visit to New York yesterday, though this was part of a round-trip cruise from Southampton to various Eastern US and Canadian ports. It is relatively rare these days to have her on these shores; generally she visits four or five times a year now that QM2 has become Cunard's regular Atlantic liner. I might also add that today (20 September) is also a big anniversary in Cunard history - or really, two big anniversaries. For one, it is the 100th anniversary of the launching of MAURETANIA (I) at Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend; it is also the 39th anniversary of the launching of QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 at John Brown & Company, Clydebank. --- "Bob W" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: << I can beat that. I took my first baby steps aboard the Strathnaver coming to England from Australia in 1958. >> Well now, I suppose the only person who could beat you would be someone BORN at sea! (And through the Internet I have met no fewer than TWO people who were born on line voyages from Italy to Australia, aboard the same ship with the same Captain, though not on the same voyage!) Doug __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
