I had just moved to Hawaii and was invited by friends to bid aloha to the Lurline at the Aloha Tower. It was quite an event with the Royal Hawaiian Band playing and streamers flying and people waving.

Chuck, roughly what year was this?

1964, right after I moved there from Arizona. I had just read Michener's Hawaii and you could still see the Royal Hawaiian from the sidewalk on Kalakua; the Waikiki Pharmacy was the place to go for breakfast (sweet, warm corn bread and Guava Jelly - yum!); early mornings you might run into THE DUKE on the sidewalk; Don Ho was singing "Tiny Bubbles"; I can go on and on...

My car and furniture were shipped over on a Matson container ship and saw them loaded on board in San Pedro but I had no idea the Lurline existed (I was not cruise savvy in those days). Actually, it turns out the one I saw was the old Matsonia, a sister ship. Later, knowing her schedule, you could drive to Diamondhead and see her come in.

Thank you for sharing your memories. SS Lurline is a special ship to me as she was built in my backyard (well, not quite, but close enough).

The reason I asked for the year is that 1963 is a key year in determining which Lurline you were referring to. I've always said that if you want to stump a liner buff, just ask about Lurline.

Your Lurline, as you noted, was once Matsonia, orignially built as Monterey in Quincy, Massachusetts. And, many of us know this last Lurline -- your Lurline -- by the name given to her when she was sold to Chandris years later: Britanis.

What wonderful memories... thank you again.

My grandfather played with various bands on the SS Lurline in the 30s. I am looking for any band memorablia during that time. I also just bought a gi'clee painting of the Lurline and 1930 Waikiki...it's awesome. Check out website at www.marineartbyrick.com.

hi from germany
another memory from me
i am 40 years old.i startet my hobby cruiseships at child.one time ,i saw a pictures from the "britanis" in a prospekt!and i say to my mother"when i do a cruise,only with this ship"....
1991 i stay on the cruiseterminal in miami,and my childdream was true!6 days on this historialship.i don no,but i make not so many photos.i think i was in a dream!i can fell today the ocean crash,water on her steel,the vibation of here motor!!!!!!!!
everytime when i stay on the pier in miami,and she drive in the ocean,he take here horn(the only ship)by my cruise no!i have think,she say "hello" to me.and i cry(i am a sentimental idiot)
after the lay up from chandris,i write to cruisecompanies(for classiccruises)city`s(as a hotelship) to the unesco(to save the ship industriemonument)...

but nothing
at my last holiday in miami,i fly to tampa!
i say now "hello" to the sleeping lady..........and by
one year later she was in guantanamo/cuba i fly to cuba and a friend organis spezial for me,a trip to .......yes guantanamo!!!!!!!!!

but she was after a fire back in tampa

yes that was the last goodby.............

and the.........she is sold..........to alang

i pray"please sink lady,save your own life forever"!!!
ten days after my birthday she go ..........forever in the deepocean 22 october

exakly 1 year later i saw in the net a picture from a lifeboat on a beach of africa.the last hello for me from the white lady............
so many story,so many people in her history..............

at my cruisen person celebriting her 100 birthday,on my table sitting to new lovers 85 and 89 years old!
one man drive in the IIwar on here back to the states...........
and a moviestar(here in germany) from the`30 was on board.she listen all the time on deck a book.........she was alone ..........Carola Höhn
she diet last year with 95 years!!!!!!
and my last story:i sitting every evening with a glas Manhatten on deck.a stewart came 3-4 to my table,say nothing...........and"its every all right??can i something to do ??".......lett me fell the ship......thats only what i want

oh once more:at the airport i go to my travelpoint,the woman say to my" you are wrong here! it is the cruise for the britanis!carnival is not here!sorry!"
she ask me 4-5 times agains why i make a cruise with this old ship.............

for me !!!!!!!!! no question!!!!!!!!
i have love this lady!forever

wishes from germany to all fans

Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories

have anything pictures for me ??
from the interior?or outside??

lurline@t-online.de

now lurline@freenet.de

Hi lurline,
I just send you a mail with this link to some offers in ebay...
Regards
Uwe