RMS Caronia: Cunard's Green Goddess (Classic Liners)

 

Painted in shades of green and known affectionately as the "Green Goddess," Cunard’s Caronia of 1949 ushered in the era of modern cruising, and here is her incredible story. She represented Britain’s recovery and the rebirth of the world’s maritime industry after the devastation of World War II, designed almost exclusively for an untapped passenger market: luxury cruising. With such illustrious Cunard predecessors as the Queen Mary, the ill-fated Lusitania, and the record-breaker Mauretania, Caronia was an instant favorite with the world’s rich and famous. She gathered an exclusive, often American, clientele—the "mink and diamonds set"—who sailed on her year after year. Many passengers lived on board for years, giving her the air of an ultra-wealthy country club. While under tow to the breaker’s yard, she met her end on the rocks at Guam after running aground during a typhoon. Her subsequent salvage was the largest ever undertaken by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.