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This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
Argentina
Moore-McCormack Lines
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Moore-McCormack liner
Argentina,
which had a long subsequent career as a cruise liner with many name changes.
Argentina
,
and her sister
Brasil
, were the last luxury liners to be built in the USA. They replaced two earlier ships of the same names (plus a third, the
Uruguay
), on Moore-McCormack's services from New York to South American ports, terminating at Buenos Aires. They were built in the deep south of the USA, by Ingalls at Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Brasil
was commissioned first, in September 1958,
Argentina
following three months later. They cost an expensive $25 million dollars each. As built, the sisters were 14984 gross tons, 570 ft long (614 ft OA) and carried 553 First Class passengers. 120 new berths were added on a new upper deck addition in 1963, which increased tonnage to 15257 gt. The dummy funnel was originally a glass-covered solarium, but these were removed in the 1963 refits. Their exhaust was released through twin uptakes aft. The accommodation was of a very high standard, and the sisters typically ran a 31 day schedule that called at Barbados, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, and Montevideo on the way to Buenos Aires. Trinidad was substituted for Barbados in the return direction.
The sisters were not economic, due to the high cost of US flagged operation and competition from cheaper foreign flags. They were also plagued by industrial action. In the late 1960s, operations were coordinated with those of
Grace Line
. There were plans for new cruise itineraries being prepared when
Argentina
,
and her sister
Brasil
were laid up in 1969, remaining idle for three years before sale to
Holland America Lines
as
Volendam
and
Veendam
.
Holland America had been looking for second hand tonnage suitable for use on long distance, luxury cruises. They were bought for $10 million each, and were refitted for just 500 passengers in Bremerhaven.
Veendam
was used in place of
Rotterdam (5)
on their 1974 world cruise. The sisters were very heavy on fuel, and the 1973 oil crisis made them uneconomic on their planned long cruises, so they were laid up briefly in early 1974. However,
Veendam
was chartered to Brazilian operator Intermares in 1974-75, and confusingly renamed
Brasil
(she had been the
Argentina
). She was used on cruises from Rio de Janeiro to Miami, the Azores and Dakar. Briefly renamed
Veendam
at the end of the charter, she joined her sister
Monarch Sun
in 1976 as the
Monarch Star
. Returned to
Holland America Lines
in 1978,
Veendam
was sold to Bermuda Star Line in 1984 as the
Bermuda Star
. In 1990, she passed to
Commodore Cruise Line
as the
Enchanted Isle
.
Ship Names on this Page:-
Argentina
- Moore-McCormack Lines: 1958-1969
Veendam
- Holland America Line: 1972-74, 1975-76, 1978-84
Brasil
- Intermares: 1974
Monarch Star
- Monarch Cruise Lines: 1976-1978
Bermuda Star
- Bermuda Star Line: 1984-1990
Enchanted Isle
- Commodore Cruise Line: 1990-
Associated Pages:-
American Hawaii
Commodore Cruise Line
Holland America Lines
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
References:-
The Cruise Ship Phenomenon in North America:
Brian J.Cudahy
- Cornell Maritime Press 2001
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Argentina
(Moore-McCormack: 1958-69)
Early official art card of
Argentina
and
Brasil
.
Later official card of
Argentina
and
Brasil
, with additional cabins above the bridge deck.
Veendam
(Holland America Line: 1972-74, 1975-76, 1978-84)
Holland America Cruises official postcard of
Veendam
and
Volendam
.
Holland America Cruises official postcard of
Volendam
and
Veendam
.
(Ship is
Volendam
).
Holland America Cruises official postcard of
Veendam
.
Holland America Cruises official postcard of
Veendam
.
Holland America Cruises official postcard of
Veendam
.
Chantry Classics
postcard of
Veendam
.
Veendam
or
Volendam
cruising in Norway
Scan: Audun Indseth
Click to open larger image in new window
Painting of
Veendam
by
Willem Johan Hoendervanger
.
Scan:
www.wjmaritiem.nl
Click on image to open larger version in new window
Brasil
(Intermares charter: 1975)
Brasil
on charter from HAL to Brazilian tour operator Intermares in 1974.
Scan: Dimas Almada.
Monarch Star
(Monarch Cruise Lines: 1976-1978)
Monarch Cruise Lines official card of the
Monarch Sun
and
Monarch Star.
Bermuda Star
(Bermuda Star Line: 1984-1990)
Bermuda Star Line postcard of
Bermuda Star.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Bermuda Star Line postcard of
Bermuda Star.
Bermuda Star Line postcard of
Bermuda Star.
Chantry Classics
postcard CC/S110 of
Bermuda Star.
Enchanted Isle
(Commodore Cruise Line: 1990- )
Commodore Cruise Line card of the
Enchanted Isle
and
Enchanted Seas (
ship is
Enchanted Seas).
Commodore Cruise Line card of the
Enchanted Isle
and
Enchanted Seas (
ship is
Enchanted Seas).
Commodore Cruise Line card of the
Enchanted Isle
and
Enchanted Seas (
ship is
Enchanted Seas).
CT publishing card of the
Enchanted Isle.
Simplon Postcards card of the
Enchanted Isle.
American Hawaii
-
Commodore Cruise Line
-
Holland America Lines
Ferry Postcards
-
Cruise Ship Postcards
-
Ocean Liner Postcards
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