The Fabulous Interiors of the Great Ocean Liners in Historic Photographs (Dover Maritime) by William H. Miller Jr

Author:William H. Miller Jr. [Miller Jr., William H.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2013-07-24T04:00:00+00:00

The Rex. The grand veranda (opposite, top) was a combination of gallery, winter garden and enclosed promenade. Although it was a bright, light space, filled with greenery, the furnishings were more typical of the transatlantic trade, particularly in the use of heavy drapes. There was no rattan and no tropical feeling.

In first-class suites (opposite, bottom) curtains partitioned the beds, allowing morning sleep-ins as well as late-night reading without disturbing the other occupant of the room. The books come from the ship’s library. It was common for passengers to make a selection even before the liner set sail and then, as a goal of the voyage, to complete their selections before the journey’s end. The larger liners carried the most up-to-date titles.

The windows along the enclosed promenade deck (above) could be cranked open in the mild regions of the Mediterranean, allowing for long hours in the breezy comfort of a sheltered deck chair without the strong direct sun passengers encountered on the open top decks. Framed travel posters adorned this space.

In the thirties, the liner runs to the Channel and Northern Europe were still more popular and prestigious than the Southern Mediterranean service. The Italian Line, as the main firm on the latter trade, attempted to popularize “the sunny southern route.” Giant liners such as the Rex and the Conte di Savoia offered vast open-air deck spaces for sunning and games (right) and several pools. To carry the concept even further, real sand was scattered around the lido areas to create a beachlike atmosphere. For sun-seeking, impressionable Americans, a slogan was invented: “When you sail aboard the Rex or Conte di Savoia, the Riviera comes to meet you.” To many, the two Italian queens were known as “the Rivieras afloat.”

However, despite their creative and ambitious attempts, the southern run of the Italian liners remained second to the northern-routed ships. Neither ship was a commercial success. One contributing factor was a failure to attract enough American tourists.

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