Bill Miller Chronicles Onassis’ Yacht “Christina”

(image from Wikipedia)

May 2024 Issue: World Ship Society’s Port of New York Branch Newsletter

The Luxurious “Christina” by Bill Miller

In a book published in 1996, Winston Churchill’s last private secretary recalled some of the British prime minister’s final travels. In particular, he recounted an evening onboard the celebrated yacht CHRISTINA. It was a summer’s night in the late 1950s and that grand vessel was moored off Monte Carlo. Sitting around the aft, canvas-tented deck were Churchill himself, Maria Callas, Greta Garbo, the Duke & Duchess of Windsor and the ship’s owner and host, tanker billionaire Aristotle Onassis. Festively, the 300-foot-long yacht was strung with lights. Its funnel was illuminated. White- jacketed stewards served Champagne and caviar. Over the years, other guest lists included the likes of kings and queens, Eastern sheiks, Eva Peron, Elizabeth Taylor, and Frank Sinatra. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco held their Monte Carlo wedding reception onboard in 1956.

After Onassis died in 1976, the CHRISTINA was laid-up. Later, it was sold to the Greek Government for a token one dollar and renamed ARGO. It was intended that the famed ship might be used as a government yacht, hosting officials, and spreading Greek commerce and culture. Instead, it was unused, neglected and was just about forgotten. Myself, I saw her in Perama Bay, near Piraeus, in the winter of 1979. The once immaculate craft was all but lost (and noticeably listing) among such out-of-work liners as the OLYMPIA, ELLINIS, and the former AUSTRALIS. It was eventually sold off, however, in 1998 and lavishly refitted (for $50 million in a shipyard in Croatia) as a luxury yacht for the high-end charter market. Reaffirming its rich history, the yacht was renamed CRISTINA O. It later made some charter cruises, carrying as few as two dozen passengers for fancy, high-end tour operators and even made a “guest appearance” (with Prince Charles and Diana on their Mediterranean honeymoon) in the TV series The Crown.

Initially, the 1,850-ton vessel had been extravagantly rebuilt at a Hamburg shipyard in the mid Fifties. At the same dockyard, Onassis was then building some of the largest oil tankers of the day. The yacht had been a Canadian frigate, built in 1943, and which Onassis later bought at auction. He had it gutted and made it over as his mini-floating palace. Onassis did, however, decide to keep the old, original steam reciprocating engines because they were so quiet, but resulting in an operating speed of only 12 knots. Never the smoothest-riding vessel, she was “absolutely awful,” according to one officer, when pushed to 16 or even 18 knots, and, evidently, Onassis sometimes suddenly decided to hurry home. Once, so it was said, and with Churchill as well as Garbo onboard, the yacht all but capsized in a fierce storm off Capri. Later, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reportedly so enjoyed the CHRISTINA that she overlooked its shortcomings. She and Ari honeymooned onboard in 1968.

There were eight guest cabins onboard, each named and fitted with priceless paintings and added touches such as solid gold water taps. Although splendidly furnished, the cabins were reportedly a bit compressed. Since it had been a warship and therefore slim in beam, space aboard was quite narrow. For example, the clothes hangers could not be hung squarely in the closets. But these were minor faults when compared to the utter luxury of the vessel. The swimming pool floor, for example, was a mosaic of acrobats and a bull done in mock lapis lazuli, which was copied from the Knossos Palace on Crete. The bottom of the pool could be hydraulically raised at night to create a dance floor and could be surrounded by lighted jets of spraying water. The nearby bar had stools made from whale bones. A twin-engined Piaggio amphibian craft was cradled at the stern and could be lowered into the seas by a small crane. This plane, often described as a “high-spirited pony”, was used to ferry the more adventurous of Onassis’s guests and to fetch mail and daily newspapers. It later crashed while taking off from Athens airport, killing young Alexander Onassis, Ari’s son and principle heir.

With Sir Winston and Lady Churchill onboard, Onassis brought the CHRISTINA to New York in April 1961. There was a ceremonious welcome with escorting tugs and a spraying fireboat. Even so, Onassis reportedly was less than pleased with the state of the Manhattan piers and so had the yacht moored in mid-Hudson, anchored off West 79th Street. He and his two important guests landed by launch. Afterward, the CHRISTINA was moved to Cunard’s Pier 92, at West 52nd Street, and remained there for several days.

SCRIBBLINGS – August 2022

                                                    From Bill Miller 

Aug 2022

Above:  During a winter cruise, the Nieuw Amsterdam passing through the Panama Canal

Fri Aug 19^th New York City:  Almost touching the clouds!   The City has at least two new observatories.   Last October, we visited the Summit, 85 floors above Madison Ave & East 42^nd St.   Today, as a long delayed birthday present (from Michael, Tony & Des, actually from back on May 3^rd — but yes, my own travels & the extremely hot summer weather got in the way), we were off to Hudson Yards, the extraordinary complex over on West 33^rd St & the Hudson River.   We were soon off to the very top – 101 floors above the West Side.   First, it was lunch at The Peak Grill;   then it was out on the specially created deck.  And happily, the weather assisted – a very clear & bright summer’s day.   (Was that really Paris I could see on the eastern horizon?)

I love skyscrapers & skyscraper views – and my “collection” currently includes the likes of the World Trade Center (105 floors), Empire State Bldg (102), One Vanderbilt (85) and Top of the Rock (the former RCA Bldg at 60 stories);  and the John Hancock Tower in Chicago & the Terminal Tower in Cleveland;   and over the seas, the Shard in London, the Eiffel Tower (well, of course) and tallest of all – up to 146 floors at ther Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Above with extended deck, now The Edge  is added to the list and clearly visible – 101 floors at  Hudson Yards.

The summer weather was brilliant!

Looking south, we could see all the way to the Jersey seashore …

Quick Review:   Lunch was excellent, service superb, of course the setting brilliant!

By mid-summer, the Hudson Yards complex was said to be renting with a fury – a 50% increase in commercial rentals!

The mighty Hudson River just below …

Looking west – to New Jersey & beyond …

The $25 billion Hudson Yards is an almost staggering addition to the Manhattan skyline.  (But what does the stately 91-yr-old Empire State Bldg really think!)

Scheduled for final completion in two years, Hudson Yards – begun a decade ago and replacing the old rail yards & some gritty warehouses & factories – covers 28 acres and contains no less than 16 skyscrapers.   The current tallest is 30 Hudson Yards at 1,337 ft and 102 floors.  Even taller, the 106-floor The Spiral, a residential tower and located at 520 West 41^st St, but is now delayed.

Manhattan’s West Side

Hudson Yards on a September evening …

SCRIBBLINGS – August, 5 2022

                                                    From Bill Miller 

Jul 2022

Above:  Docking the United States (1957)

Mon Jul 18^th Fond Farewell:  A familiar face in New York harbor, the pilot boat New York has been replaced and is going off to scrappers in Boston.

Below:  Our good & kind friend Capt Justin Zizes caught the Carnival Magic at Pier 90, New York on a summer’s morning – offloading passengers & then off on a weeklong cruise to Bermuda

Tue Jul 19^th Added Luxury!  Royal Caribbean Group today announced it has received court approval to acquire the ultra-luxury cruise ship Endeavor. Originally delivered to Crystal Cruises in 2021, the ship will be renamed Silver Endeavour when it officially joins the Group’s wholly owned subsidiary, Silversea Cruises’ fleet, this month.

Job Complete!   Vincent Cassea & I met today to organize the final corrections for our book They Taught Us Well, memories of teachers past & present in our hometown of Hoboken.   The completed work is due out this fall from the Hoboken Historical Museum.  Meanwhile, with my work hat in place, I am busily scribbling & assembling yet another new book:   British Liners of the 1950s & 60s in Colour.

Wed Jul 20^th   Backlash! There seems to be protests – or at least objections – to almost everything these days.  The travel business is no exception – and this includes the cruise trade.   

The cruise industry appears to be booming with 99% of ships sailing and with demand way up since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the end of the CDC’s reporting program for ships, and the cessation of many of the vaccination protocols both on ships and in ports of call.

However, cruise lines now find themselves up against a rising tide of anti-cruise sentiment in Europe. Protesters are confronting passengers in some ports as the tourists disembark for shore excursions. The protesters complain about the crowds brought by the ships which are perceived as overwhelming the streets of cities like Dubrovnik, Venice, and Barcelona while spending very little money on food, goods, and services in those same locales.

Protests broke out in Norway this week at five different ports of call, with protesters confronting cruise passengers protesting the “environmental and social damage” caused by cruising. The protests are led by the anti-cruise group CruiseNotwelcome. Protesters and academics alike argue the cruise industry is a major source of environmental pollution. Posters in the Norwegian ports of call point out the cruise ships are registered under foreign flags, pay no local taxes, and flood the streets of the port towns.

July 13, 2022
SCRIBBLINGS

                                                    From Bill Miller 

June 2022

Sat Jun 11^th:  Catch-up & review!   Over the past week, the Queen Victoria returned to service after a 2-year hiatus caused by Covid. … Seabourn as well MSC now have full fleets back in business. … Rules!  With news that the US Govt has now lifted pre-Covid testing before re-entering the country, the three cruise giants – Carnival, Royal Caribbean & Norwegian – are pressuring the Govt, namely the CDC, to drop the pre-cruise requirement currently placed at 48 hrs prior to sailing.  … Virgin Cruises have had their problems – including long delays caused by Covid.  Now comes word that their third $1 billion ship, the 100,000-ton Resilient Lady, will have a delay of at least six months before entering service.  Staffing problems is one of the reasons.  Virgin has reported it is successfully operating its first two Lady Ships, the Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, and looks forward to welcoming the Resilient Lady to its fleet early next year, with its fourth ship in the fleet, the Brilliant Lady, soon thereafter. For now, the 2,500-bed Resilient Lady will remain in Genoa at Fincantieri getting onboard work completed. 

Forty years ago!   Terry Foskett was chief purser on the legendary QE2, but also traveled in the Cunard flagship to the Falklands in the spring of 1982.   Today, he wrote of the ship’s return to Southampton on June 11^th:  “QE2 returned to Southampton [seen below] to a rapturous welcome and greetings from HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother from the Royal Yacht Britannia. Karina and Jennie meet me at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal. A day I shall never forget. God bless all of you who sailed with us!”

Fine dining!  P&O-Orient Lines added two of the most important liners of the post-World War II generation in 1960-61.  The Oriana was the fastest passenger ship yet on the UK-Australia run while the Canberra was the largest.   Devotees were divided between their preferences between these two large and distinctive ships.   But from over in Shropshire in England, our dear & longtime friend Howard Franklin – who made dozens of voyages on P&O and the affiliate Orient Line ships – preferred the 2,100-passenger Oriana.   Recently, he reminded us that the Oriana had a nice addition:   the Silver Grill in her First Class quarters.   Howard noted, “Although the First Class Restaurant was on E Deck, there was also the Silver Grill on A Deck for those who preferred more exclusive dining. It had its own very modern china and silverware”.

Reductions!  Also from over in the UK, passenger ship, cruising & also ferry expert Matt Scudders shared some insightful news:  “Most cruise ships have been sailing at a fraction of their full loads. And I do not believe that it is just down to the lines themselves restricting loads – the special offers and pricing tell the real story.  Some lines are clearly suffering more than others from low bookings and the problem everyone is having getting staff. Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady is due to be delivered in 3 weeks, and make her maiden sailing in about 8. She has just had that maiden season put off for almost a year, even though she is basically finished.” 

He added, “Carnival have clear issues filling some ships too. They recently offered a 9 night cruise from Dover on a ship rerouted away from St Petersburg, for a starting price of £199. Similarly, Costa is definitely suffering with the Asian fleet unable to operate at all, and numerous other ships not back in service.  Fred Olsen’s Bolette was sailing under 50% full just a few weeks ago, with the line taking the chance to take a whole deck of cabins out of service. Oddly given that the ship has been with Fred and in service for coming up to a year, and she was theirs for a year before that, she is still far from finished, with work going on and derelict spaces around the ship. This particularly includes the kids club aft of the funnel, the side wings in the main restaurant and the suites lounge.” 

The Costa Diadema at Civitavecchia in a photo from Andy Hernandez

Matt concluded, “Anyone booking a new ship is definitely taking a risk. Newbuilds are being delayed and/or having cancelled inaugural voyages or seasons almost universally. For instance SH Vega, Disney Wish and Norwegian Prima (below) have all cancelled numerous inaugural voyages or the inaugural season. Seabourn Venture is also very very late (due next month).” 

Tue Jun 14^th:  Moving forward!   Viking Ocean announced today that it is dropping pre-cruise Covid testing and onboard masks are now optional.   Viking also reports “exceptional” bookings for their near dozen 930-passenger ships.  

Wed Jun 15^th:  Safety Recommendation!   In a feature story, a travel writer suggests the “safest” way to travel these days.  “Although the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be behind us, it’s understandable if you’re still hesitant to cruise right now. Apart from the usual logistics involved with cruising, you now must deal with new vaccination requirements, pre-cruise testing requirements and a slew of other mandates imposed by lines and the countries that cruise ships visit. You also may still be worried about the risk of getting COVID-19 on a cruise. If that describes you, I have a recommendation for a type of voyage that might just be the best there is for keeping you in a COVID-19-free bubble: A transatlantic voyage on Cunard Line‘s iconic Queen Mary 2.”

The writer concluded, “I’m currently sailing on the ship, a classic ocean liner that does week-long crossings between New York’s Red Hook terminal in Brooklyn and Southampton in the United Kingdom. Due to the nature of the voyage and the requirements for boarding, this could be not only one of the safest voyages right now but also one of the safest ways to travel, period!”

The Golden Age of Hollywood!  A grand collection of both Hollywood & theater memorabilia is going to the auction block.  The preview catalog is fascinating, but catching our eye was a signed photo from Bert Lahr as the cowardly lion from 1939’s classic The Wizard of Oz.   Minimum bid:   $12,000.

Thu Jun 16^th Looking Ahead!   MSC’s huge and exciting MSC World Europa is due out in Dec and look how big cruise ship décor is evolving (below).   The nearly 206,000 gross ship will carry up to 6,762 passengers in 2,626 cabins, have a crew of 2,138 and measure 1092 ft from stem to stern.

Looking for something different – say Milwaukee to Antarctica?  For those looking to make up for travel time lost during the pandemic, Viking Cruises might have the answer. The cruise line recently announced two all-new “longitudinal” trips—moving north to south or south to north—where guests will travel between the Great Lakes and Antarctica over the course of 65 days. 

Passengers on the first sailing, called a “Longitudinal World Cruise I,” will meet in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Mar 2nd 2023, before flying to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina, to board the Viking Octantis and head directly to Antarctica for a week. From there, it’s back across the Drake Passage and up the coast of Chile, where blue-tinged glaciers, dizzying fjords, and national parks are on the itinerary through the end of the first month. Then it’s onwards to Peru, Ecuador, through the Panama Canal and the Gulf of Mexico, before enjoying East Coast cities like Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, and New York City. The final two weeks explore various Canadian coastal cities on the St. Lawrence River and communities in the Great Lakes region before wrapping in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 5th. 

The second sailing (appropriately called “Longitudinal World Cruise II”) is essentially the same, but in reverse and on the Octantis’s sister ship, the Viking Polaris. The few alterations include embarkation in Duluth, Minnesota (on Sep 12th) and some changes in the Great Lakes and Canada ports (for example, it spends time in Georgian Bay, Canada, while its predecessor visits Detroit, Michigan). The second sailing wraps up on Nov 12th (for those counting, that’s 71 days later). 

Broadcast!  Chris Frame is a top-class maritime author, cruise journalist & shipboard speaker.  From down in his native Australia, he writes:  “I’ve now been back to sea aboard Pacific Explorer. So wonderful!”  But two years ago, in the height of the pandemic, we looked at the largely paralyzed cruise industry.  Here’s a look back;   https://youtu.be/UUNqwH7VBPE

The Saga Rose in Sydney harbor (Mar 2005)

News desk!  The luxurious Crystal Endeavour has gone to the auction block and been grabbed by Silversea Cruises.  Meanwhile, the Crystal Symphony has reportedly been sold for some $25 million to an unknown British company called CSY.   But the Crystal Serenity, priced at $100 million, had yet to be sold off as of today.  And within the vast Genting Hong Kong dispersal, the 2^nd of the huge, 9,000-passenger pair has been incomplete at the bankrupted MV Werften shipyard in Germany.   The hull of the proposed but unnamed 208,000-ton ship will now be scrapped.  Some components and the engines will be sold off.    … Within the huge Carnival fleet and like checkers on a board, the Costa Luminosa is now moving over to Carnival Cruise Lines.  

PS:   By late day, the 19-yr-old Serenity was sold off as well – for $103 million.  Again, actual owners uncertain – masked as something called CSY.