Cruise liners and containers

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33963, 2 October 1975, Page 17

Cruise liners and containers

(By

JOHN LESLIE)

Shipping News

Curtailed cruising and the forced retirement of popular passenger liners will reduce the number of travellers visiting New Zealand by sea this summer.

Auckland, according to reports, will see only 44 liners from now until the end of February, compared with more than 60 last summer.

This month, the United States cruise liner, Monterey (14,799 tons) which was here last year, will make a twoday call at Lyttelton, on October 23 and 24.

The next cruise liner at Lyttelton will be the Norwegian vessel Royal Viking Sky (21,219 tons), which is due on February 17. She was also here last March.

An airmailed postcard from Acapulco, from a widowed woman friend, received at the writer’s home yesterday, indicates that on her first trip abroad in a lifetime she has discovered what shipboard relaxation truly is. Well may she enjoy the good ship Marconi, and her dance with the captain on “ladies’ night,” because passenger liners are being forced out of existence by increased oil and other costs.

The Marconi will be withdrawn after her next homeward voyage from Auckland, beginning on November 26. Thus, the sorry pattern continues. Sadly enough, many young people and old people too, will never know what true relaxation at sea means. It is the end of an era.

It is, in fact, the container! era — for better or worse! — the day of ugly, floating! carthorses of convenience. In; short, progress. Beautiful i vessels, not only passenger; liners, are disappearing from! the ocean. And to cap it all, 1 an important, first container seminar will be held in Christchurch on October 7, in the James Hay Theatre. Prominent speakers, exk perts in their maritime or associated fields, will address the gathering. These will include the Minister of Transport (Sir Basil Arthur), who will speak on “Containerisation in New Zealand.” The general manager of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr J. A. McPhail) will speak on Lyttelton’s acceptance of the container challenge.

It must be almost 40 years since the writer first experienced early containers on the New Zealand coast — “transports” (normally containing furniture) we called them. Aulsebrook’s biscuit containers, from memory, were shipped out of Lyttelton as long as 30 years ago. The Chathams Islands container trade has been in existence for manyyears. ARRIVALS Coastal Trader <6.58 a.m.), 2499. Capt. J. Taylor (Dunedin) (S.C.N.Z.). DEPARTURES Coastal Trader (11.32 a.m.), 2499, Capt. J. Taylor, Auckland (S.C.N.Z.).

EXPECTED ARRIVALS Sachem. Wellington, today. I (Tanker J Rangatira, Wellington, today. Bowoon, Australia. today. (Tanker.) Hawea. Dunedin, today. Japan Totara. Wellington, today. |Amalric, Wellington, October 3. i Union Wellington, Auckland, i October 4. ;Rosario Maru. Wellington. October 4. Holmdale,-Wellington, October 4. Rangatira, Wellington, October 4. ' Inverbank. Bluff, October 5. Chevron Venice, Arabian Gulf, October 5. (Tanker.) Gudrun Maersk. Singapore, October 6. (Tanker.) Coastal Trader, Auckland. October 6. Shansi. Wellington, October 6. Ngakuta, Wellington. October 7. Neptune. Christmas Island, Auckland, October 7. (Bulk.) Cedric, Bluff. October 8. Wild Auk, Auckland, October 8. Turakina, Wellington, October 8. Orfeo Brovig, Texas, October 9. (Bulk.) ’ PROJECTED DEPARTURES , ‘ Hawea, Wellington, toda\ . Rangatira, Wellington, today. Sachem, Singapore, October 3. (Tanker© Union Transtasman. Tauranga, October 3: Bowoon, Wellington, October 4. (Tanker.) Union Wellington, Wellington, October 4. Amalric, Napier, October 4. Rangatira, Wellington, October 4 (daylight). Coastal Trader. Dunedin, October 6. Chevron Venice, , October 6. (Tanker.) Gudrun Maersk, Wellington, October 7. (Tanker.) Inverbank, Napier, October 7. VESSELS IN PORT Union Transtasman, No. 3 West. Westmorland.’ No. 6 West.