ATLANTIC LINERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 78, 1 April 1936, Page 9

ATLANTIC LINERS

ALL CABIN SHIPS NOW

BRITISH INSURANCE

The regrading of more than seventy transatlantic liners, which is • being ■ carried out by the North AtlanticPassenger Conference in Paris,; is proving a heavier task than was anticipated (wrote a special correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" recently, in one of a series of articles covering the work of the conference). This general regrading was made necessary by the decision of the Cunard-White Star Line to class the Queen Mary, as a "Cabin Ship" and the company's threat to withdraw from the conference because of dissastisfaction within it with the proposed fares. One of the chief points of discussion lias been ■whether the Atlantic . should"be "smoothed out," and all ships become "Cabin, Ships." The classes would then be Cabin, Tourist, and Third. . . Much more than^ mere classification is involved in this question; problems of psychology and human nature arise. Some of the big shipping companies are afraid-that if this general reduction were made, the subtle and intangible "tone" of some of their great, ships.would be lowered. On the other hand, it is admitted that there is a great "Cabin" public ready and waiting to cross the Atlantic in "Cabin" ships. There are, also, many travellers who value the "prestige" of a "First Class" ticket in their pockets and a "First Class" label on their lugSage. There is a good deal of misconception about the fixing of Atlantic fare rates.'. People wonder why, if it is possible to cruise for some.two weeks for £V a day, the same rateJcannot be charged for the Atlantic crossing to America. .• . ■ . . Actually, if North Atlantic conditions were more normal and fare rates stabilised no great, shipping line would send out its ships on. short cruises. ' ' ■ But it is not so easy to send a ship across the North Atlantic as it is to run one to Madeira. More oil is used, the stair is larger; moreover, the ship . has to be run to a definite schedule. She' must not lose time; It is thus impossible to charge so, cheap.a rate as on short cruises. Circumstances, are quite different. A VICTORY. The North Atlantic Passenger Conference has solved the differences raised by the decision of the CuriardWhite Star line to enter the Queen Mary as a "cabin ship" (wrote the ■ correspondent later). As a result of ; the agreement, reached in Paris: The "first-class" rating of liners has ' been abolished; Liners will, in future, all be in the "cabin class," divided into twenty dif- ; ferent categories; and The Cunard-White Star Line, having achieved its object of having the Queen ■ Mary rated as a "cabin ship," has cancelled its notice to withdraw from the conference, given when foreign objections were raised to the proposal. . •' Some of the classifications of liners, in thb.iiew categories will be as follows:— ; - . I.' Queen Mary (Great Britain), Normandie (France); : 2. Bremen and Europa (Germany); Rex'.(ltaly); 3. Empress of Britain (Canada); 4. Manhattan and Washington (America); . . i. .5. George and Britannic (Great Britain);'and V;.,; ■•:•_, ■ ," p:J6.:«G;hamplailiand^Lafayette.(France). :^ Other "classifications will be an- ', riouhced.' "■'", .' The meaning of the change is that whereas, hitherto, ships have been : run.' on ."a!'label of class, they will in future run on their name. It will still be possible, in effect, to choose "firstclass" ships,' and passengers desiring such travel will .choose. the luxury liners.. ' . v ... A revised- schedule of fare rates, corresponding with the different categories, has been agreed on. It is predicted, ■ however, that there will be no . great change in .. fares, . except" for slight reductions for. the biggest ships and slight increases for 'the' smaller cabin ships. These will be announced shortly by the. various " lines. All rate changes take' effect on February 24. The basis of the fare rate is the minimum' cabin •rate-^-the fare charged for an inside , single - cabin in probably- the least" desirable part of the ship. The Queen Mary and the Normandiei for1 -example,. will charge a minimum cabin rate slightly higher than the rate for corresponding accommodation in ships in the next lower'category. • These basic rates will "shade off" , slightly-through-the categories, so that intending passengers will be able to choose for the same fare either the most modest accommodation in one of the greatest and fastest luxury ships, or more comfortable and convenient accommodation in a smaller and slightly slower ship. No drastic alteration in steamship fares is likely to result from the decision of the conference to abolish "first-class" rating, and to classify ships into twenty categories (said the cor-respondent-finally). ■ The new rates are expected to vary by about 30s or so in either direction. In many cases there will be ho change. . The,new scale of fares is now being worked out. and will probably be -announced ;shortly. Ships will now revert to the old practice of having three grades of accommodation—cabin class, .' tourist, and third class. The latter may be given a hew name. Cabin class will embrace the luxury accommodation previously kriown as "first class," as well as the more moderate apartments which have been hitherto "cabin class." Under.the new classification, the Canadian Pacific liners Empress of Australia, Duchess of Atholl, Duchess of- Richmond, Duchess of Bedford, and Duchess of York will be grouped with the Hamburg America liner Reliance. The Canadian Pacific Montrose, Montcaimi and Montclare will occupy another category. The public will not be concerned with these classifications when booking passages. The price of the fare and the name of the ship will bethe guides to- the type of accommodation. ■ Size, age, and speed are three main' factors taken into consideration in ■ tfro work •■ of classification. . According to the "Information" in Paris, the new Atlantic fares-on-the United States liners Manhattan and Washington will show an increase.of £l.for the cabin class, while the Cun-ard-White Star liner Queen Mary will show, a reduction of about 8s on the fares originally scheduled for first- ■ class. This represents a considerable concession by the Cunard-White Star, as their original demand was for a reduction of £5. The following transfers were approved at the meeting of the manage- ' ment committee of the Wellington Rugby Football Union last night:—H. 1 M. Stitt, from Poneke to Porirua; H. Parker, from Petone to Athletic. The French are known the world • over as people so individualist that • co-operative methods rarely flourish i among them. The pool of medical ! knowledge now being formed by a . medical society in France is therefore anthemojs teraarkgbj* _^ - —*»■ •f i"ff'-';' { ■■ ■■>'