LUXURY CRUISE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18332, 26 February 1934, Page 4

LUXURY CRUISE

FRANCONIA AT AUCKLAND ; COSMOPOLITAN COMPANY With an international passenger list of SCO tourists,, the Ciitlui'd liner P raiie.onia arrived at Auckland oil Weducs day in the course of a world cruise. At about 8 o’clock the majority of the passengers were leaving on tlie first stage of six crowded days’ sight-seeing. Wealthy Americans predominate among the tourists, but in all there aie representatives of 14 different countries, with members of the British, breach, Italian and Dutch aristocracy. One titled visitor, the Countess of Mexborough, is disembarking at Auckland to spend a- holiday with her cousin, tlie Countess' of Orforu. The passengers are chiefly retired people with ample leisure, those who come from Europe, particularly the French contingent, appear to be happily escaping in luxury cruising in tlie South Seas the troubled conditions oi their home lands. “Paris will be lovely in' tlie spring, one voting Frenchwoman said. Tlie riots Anust have been terrible, and 1 was glad to be away, but we French people do not remain upset for long. Paris will be beautiful again when J return.” This view seemed to epitomise the outlook of most of tlie passengers. Tlie vice-president of a leading New York bank said he had been away for six weeks and had not received one communication from his office. He knew that there had been some “pretty cute juggling with the dollar,” but he was not worrying about the repercussions oi President Roosevelts monetary policy. “This is my first holiday in years,” he said, “and I am going to See that it is a holiday.” The Franconia is a beautiful ship, perfectly fitted out to be tlie floating home of leisured people on a luxury cruise. The liner was last in Auckland in 1927 in the course of a world cruise. The Franconia will leave for Wellington at 7 p.m. on Saturday, sailing thence for Sydney at 7 p.m. on Monday. I lie liner will visit the East Indies, India, South Africa, and South America before her return to New York on May 31, after a cruise lasting nearly five months and covering nearly 40,GC0 miles.