Cunard was the largest trans-Atlantic passenger ship line and by the mid-1950s it operated 12 ships that travelled between England, Canada and the United States. The line included luxury ships RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth. RMS Carinthia's maiden voyage to Montreal was on June 27, 1956, with 890 passengers and crew on board. We boarded this brand-new ship on September 19, 1956, in Liverpool, England.
After arriving in England on September 14, we spent a few days sightseeing and visiting family.
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| Emily and Ethel holding Nathan in Manchester England |
I don't remember who Emily and Ethel were. I would guess they were members of the Hackett family and possibly cousins of my father. Mom did not write anything about these few days in England. There is a train ticket from London to Stockport and another from Stockport to Liverpool. We likely visited family in the Manchester area after some sightseeing in London.
Mom's diary continues on September 19th.
September 19- Leaving Liverpool for Montreal. Beautiful four-berth cabin on A-deck. Took the train from Stockport to Liverpool. Dull rain and fog. Waited in the customs shed for four hours.
September 20th- Cold and foggy day. Choppy with moderate swells. Good meals. Clocks back one hour.
September 21st- Clear and cool with moderate swell. Entered stormy seas and gale winds at 10 AM. Heavy swell turning to heaving seas by afternoon. Travelling in the trough of waves. All outer decks are closed and waves are crashing completely over the boat. Clocks back one hour. (mid-Atlantic)
September 22nd- Heavy swell, temperature 42 F. Played shuffleboard and table tennis. Overcast and foggy.
September 23rd- Slight swell and clear. Passed Belle Isle at 11 AM and approached Newfoundland and Labrador. The sky became overcast with rain. Passed the RMS Ivernia (another ship on the Cunard Line). Clocks back another hour.
September 24th- Sunny and clear, temperature 45 F. We can see an iceberg off the coast of Gaspé. Stopped at Pointe-au-Père and immigration officers boarded the boat. Docked at Quebec City at 10 PM and walked (around the) sheds for a while in pouring rain.
September 25th- Overcast and cool. Left Quebec City shortly after midnight. The trip down the St. Lawrence River was lovely. Passed the Empress of Canada (ship)under the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Docked at Montreal at 1 PM and disembarked two hours later.
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| RMS Carinthia at Liverpool |
Ocean travel was the most practical way to travel inter-continentally until air travel gradually became more convenient and economical in the late 1950s and 1960s. The Cunard Line still operates four luxury cruise ships today;- Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne.
Our next two ocean crossings were on Norwegian ships...
*Credits: The photos in this series are digitalized copies of my father's Kodachrome slides*
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