[ 08-28-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

Deck Order (from top):
Lay Playa
Sun
Promenade
A Deck
B Deck

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I believe These ships layouts were identical.

When Santa Rosa was rebuilt as Cruise ship in 1992, New decks(Sun, Bridge) were added to the superstructure and decks extended Forward and Aft.

In 1993, She began to sail as Regent Rainbow for Regency Cruises.
She had the Starlight Lounge on the New Bridge deck.
New Cabins were added to the Upper(La Playa) deck/Forward and Aft areas.
Midships room named Le Bistro.
New Cabins were added to former officer's quaters on the Boat(Sun) deck/Forward and Aft areas.
Lounge and dining room were expanded,
Club Tropicana area expanded to the hull and named Monte Carlo Court, surrounded by Card Room, Bar, Library and boutiques.
New Casino Royale and Yacht Club were added to the Promenade deck/Aft.

[ 08-29-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

Just wondered at the aft end of the Lay Playa deck are 6 circles drawn, were these tables with seats around them? They are just outside the frame of the small picture.

13-days cruises

New York, San Juan(*Occasional), St. Thomas(*Occasional), Willemstad(Curaçao), La Guaira(Caracas), Oranjestead(Aruba), Kingston, Port-au-Prince, Fort Lauderdale(*Omitted when ships called San Juan/St. Thomas), New York.

DAMBROSI, Where is your favorite port(s)?

I thought the cruises were very popular for passengers to South America.

[ 08-30-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

I would love to see the scens as like below:

[ 08-29-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

Were there many one-way passengers for people going to Central American ports, just as transAtlantic passages were primarily one way going to and from Europe?

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Originally posted by Ocean Liners:
Cambodge,

As far as I knew, Grace Line's caribbean cruise service offered yearly in the late 60s and early 70s, they accepted one way passage to/from Willemsted, La Guaira and Aruba, while other cuise lines offered full cruise basis only.

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That's how we came home in August of 1970. We flew from Rio de Janeiro to LaGuaira. Stayed there for a few days and then boarded Santa Paula for NYC.

We stopped at Curaçao, Oranjestead (Aruba), Kingston, Port-au-Prince, and Fort Lauderdale. Queen Elizabeth was laid up in Fr. Lauderdale while we were there.

They know the roads, but are not always good drivers.

Early in my career I worked for such. They would sketch out a theme and a vision. An army of designers and engineers would follow through on the process, and the director would guide it along.

On the BigU: Markwaldt did the interior decor, but another firm did the space planning.

It sounds easy but it is not. One has to assemble the right team and the ship has to do well what it was intended for. Design Director like Gibbs has to convince and negotiate the financial powers that be. Form follows financing. They take the heat when the ship is flawed.

The ROC Speedsters are a prime example of nice ships with the wrong design direction.
*Too dense for luxury
*Cabins only suitable for short cruises
*monohull causes rough ride
*no balconies
*engine configuration is not economical slow speed

Had the BigU been originally designed for half time cruising, she may have had a longer career.

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
I was under the impression from a video I have of SSUS that Mr. Gibbs was really not a naval architect. One of his employed naval architects that was also in charge of the SSUS project said Mr. Gibbs was the inspiration for many of Gibbs and Cox's projects and president of the company, but he was the money man at the firm and not actually the designer of the ships. He liked what he liked and had trained naval architects and designers produce the working drawings from his ideas.

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[ 11-24-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

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Originally posted by anthemius:
Can someone tell me what remains of her original interiors? Are there cabins that are still original? Are ther public rooms with original decor?

Michael
Germany
http://liners.gmxhome.de

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