CRUISING’S GLORY DAYS
The Golden Age of Cruising
Art Deco ocean liners once set the standard for opulence at sea.
Ah, to pass through the hallway as Marlene Dietrich played a baby grand piano in her suite aboard SS Normandie; to ascend the grand staircase on SS Bremen as Cary Grant leaned rakishly against the railing; to lounge on the deck of ms Gripsholm with Greta Garbo, back when she did not vant to be alone …
It was the Golden Age of Cruising — from the dawn of the 20th century to the outbreak of World War II and the advent of air travel in the 1950s — when ocean liners were floating palaces illuminated by stars.
Never had ocean travel been more opulent. Normandie’s first-class dining salon was longer than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, and featured a dozen pillars of Lalique glass. Even the banisters on RMS Queen Mary were detailed with Art Deco silver.
Today, as jets traverse continents, crossing the pond by ship is a choice. And, oh, what a choice! An ocean liner offers a heavenly respite from the hectic pace of the 21st century.
Travel back in time with us for a glimpse of high-seas romance as we cruise through the glory days of yesteryear.