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Chargement... Crossing & Cruising: From the Golden Era of Ocean Liners to the Luxury Cruise Ships of Todaypar John Maxtone-Graham
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"The Only Way to Cross, John Maxtone-Graham's classic history of the great transatlantic liners, was published twenty years ago, followed in 1985 by Liners to the Sun, his colorful sequel about life aboard cruise ships. Now, with Crossing & Cruising, he completes his definitive survey of passenger-ship travel, showing how the elegant "crossings" of the past gave way to the extravagant cruises of today." "From the steerage ordeal of emigrants bound for New York to the "huddled masses" who sail on seven-day cruises, Maxtone-Graham ranges back and forth over the years, re-creating the grandeur of a lost era and detailing the corporate maneuvers of the 1980s. Here are the ships and their stories: the stellar career of Aquitania, the great four-stacker that survived three million sea miles and two world wars; the art deco luxe of Normandie, French dream liner of the 193Os; and the rebirth of fabled France as Norway, closing the circle on an immortal ship that once crossed but now cruises. Here, too, are the marvels and problems of contemporary cruising: the sleek lines of customized ships, the crews that man them, and the corporate high jinks that drive the industry to seek ever larger markets." "More than just vivid social history, Crossing & Cruising cultures what it was really like on board then and now - the sophisticated ambience of Cunard and White Star, the crowded squalor belowdecks, and the Formica and glass of today's liners. Rich in detail, broad in scope, Crossing & Cruising is a voyage in itself, evoking salt air, cabin lore, deckchair wisdom, shipyard savvy, and marketing guile. Sail as a fellow passenger with an entertaining guide who knows his ships well and loves them all."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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All the early conversions were of W.N.A. ships (built for the Winter in the North Atlantic) and were extremely well built, with reliable engines. They will last decades more. The newer vessels all have a much boxier look that has a tendency to catch the wind. One ship plucked out several bollards from the Miami pier there was so much wind pressure. Carnival’s director has a background in ship building and engineering, so he can speak the language of the ship builders — a handy ability. The mini cruise ship is making a resurgence although the newer ones resemble a scaled down version of their larger sisters rather than the yachtlike appearance of the original Polaris Stella. They cater to a more affluent and academic crowd that requires less external stimulation and entertainment. Originally these smaller ships thrived in the Mediterranean cruise business, until the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro cast such a pall over the business that they couldn’t give cabins away. The larger Caribbean ships spend almost as much time in port as at sea, providing a continual opportunity for passengers to shop.
The Normandie, despite her short life – she burned at a New York pier in 1942 – remains the ship with the most mystique, perhaps because she never lived to the end of her days. Her design was clearly beautiful: three (one fake) rakish funnels seemingly planted on the ship unlike previous ship designs that had rigid funnels held in place with ungraceful guy wires and swept back bridges (although they were later replaced when they proved unpractical). She had no sister ship; indeed, the concept was foreign to French shipbuilders and no equivalent phrase existed in the French language. Each Frenchbuilt liner was unique. She had long, graceful staircases that connected multi-level dining rooms with enormous multi-decked ceilings that created a ballroom effect for the black- or white-tuxedoed passengers. (I would have eaten in my cabin – the thought of having to dress for dinner is positively loathsome.)
We have detailed descriptions of the Normandie from a series of preserved letters sent by Everett Moore to his family. He apparently did not socialize with the other passengers, much to the author’s consternation, but to my complete understanding. After all, why would anyone ever want to stand around over coffee or whatever, making small talk, when one can sit in the library overlooking the ocean with a stack of books.
One of Maxwell’s most interesting chapters relates his experiences accompanying the delivery of some new ships to their new owners. In one case, he and his wife were the sole passengers on a huge new cruise ship. What a deal! ( )