At one time, Oceanic was one of the most popular cruise ships sailing from New York. Built for Home Lines at the end of the ocean liner period, she had a sleek design and an elegant interior. When she was older and no longer competitive with the first tier of new cruise ships, she was sold to Premier Cruises, and once again achieved great popularity doing family-oriented cruises as the Big Red Boat. When Premier went bankrupt, Oceanic once again rose from the ashes and became very popular in Spain cruising for Pullmantur.
Now, after four decades of bringing people joy, Oceanic is sailing the world for the Japanese Peace Boat organization. She still carries paying passengers but her interior, while clean and well-maintained, looks like a time capsule of the late 20th Century. While in New York, she was detained by the Coast Guard because of a crack in her hull and other safety violations. It seems unlikely that Oceanic can stage another great come back in popularity.
Oceanic’s story is a classic illustration of the life cycle of a cruise ship - - first tier competitor; budget cruise ship; and then “foreign market” cruise ship. What makes it particularly interesting is the fact that Oceanic managed to achieve popularity at each stage. My article about Oceanic along with photos of her interior appears at: http://beyondships.com/Cruise-historic-Oceanic.html
One ship that is still competing in the first tier of the cruise industry is NCL’s Norwegian Dawn. Like Oceanic, Dawn has spent most of her early years sailing from New York. As a result, I have often been able to snap a photo of her at New York’s Passenger Ship Terminal or sailing the Hudson River. However, I have also encountered her smiling face while at sea and in other ports. Accordingly, I have put together a photo essay of Norwegian Dawn in New York and elsewhere. http://beyondships.com/NCLDawn-essay.html
Now, after four decades of bringing people joy, Oceanic is sailing the world for the Japanese Peace Boat organization. She still carries paying passengers but her interior, while clean and well-maintained, looks like a time capsule of the late 20th Century. While in New York, she was detained by the Coast Guard because of a crack in her hull and other safety violations. It seems unlikely that Oceanic can stage another great come back in popularity.
Oceanic’s story is a classic illustration of the life cycle of a cruise ship - - first tier competitor; budget cruise ship; and then “foreign market” cruise ship. What makes it particularly interesting is the fact that Oceanic managed to achieve popularity at each stage. My article about Oceanic along with photos of her interior appears at: http://beyondships.com/Cruise-historic-Oceanic.html
One ship that is still competing in the first tier of the cruise industry is NCL’s Norwegian Dawn. Like Oceanic, Dawn has spent most of her early years sailing from New York. As a result, I have often been able to snap a photo of her at New York’s Passenger Ship Terminal or sailing the Hudson River. However, I have also encountered her smiling face while at sea and in other ports. Accordingly, I have put together a photo essay of Norwegian Dawn in New York and elsewhere. http://beyondships.com/NCLDawn-essay.html
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