Yet More Maiden Visits
Despite all of the problems that Cunard were facing after the 1966 Seamen's Strike, and the fierce competition from elsewhere, no-one could accuse those who planned Caronia's itineraries of giving up! Here, with what was to be her 17th and final North Cape Cruise, no less than 4 new ports of call were added.
To take out the day at sea between Gdynia and Copenhagen, a maiden visit to Bornholm was made. Then a call to Rotterdam was made, this being only her 2nd visit there in her entire career.
Workington & The Lakes
Probably the most adventurous was, instead of Bangor in Ireland, the maiden visit to Workington in N.W. England. Why this town of heavy industry you may ask? Simple, why not give Caronia's passengers easy access to Britain's Lake District for a day?
With the ship at anchor and no proper passenger landing facilities in the port, one of Caronia's lifeboats was used as a temporary pontoon with a walkway securely fitted across it from shore to each of the shore tenders. Despite it being August, these were not sporting their usual open-sided awnings.
Caronia lifeboat acting as a landing pontoon at Workington
It seems the Solway winds may have been too chilly for the elderly passengers, so they were esconced inside a heavy green tarpaulin with no side-windows and with little or no view of their destination. Also of note is that the tenders on this cruise flew the Blue Ensign, matching the ship.
More British Shipping History
The final maiden visit was to the old naval port of Plymouth, with not only its historical significance, but also access to the wilds of Dartmoor. This may have been as it were Caronia's swansong, but for the many regular passengers there was no shortage of additional sights to see on this the last of her probably most popular cruises.
A Unique Cherbourg Visit
Calls at Cherbourg toward the end of cruises terminating at Southampton had been common throughout the Caronia's career. However, on this occasion, rather than spending just a couple of hours disembarking passengers extending their holidays into France and the rest of Europe, a full day of sightseeing was planned as part of the cruise itinerary.
Two full-day shore tours were arranged by American Express, one to explore the Normandy Landings beaches, the other a trip to Mont St. Michel, which didn't return to the ship before 9.30pm. This is the only known occasion where tours ashore were organised for a call by the “Green Goddess” to Cherbourg.
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