ANOTHER NEW LINER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 86, 12 April 1938, Page 7

ANOTHER NEW LINER

MODERATE DECORATIONS STRATHALLAN’S MAIDEN VOYAGE. LONDON, March 19. The trend to simplicity in the interior decoration of passenger vessels is further shown in the latest P. and O. liner Strathallan, which began her maiden voyage from London to Australia yesterday. As in her recentlycompleted sister-ship, Stratheden, the furnishings show marked restraint, and any hint of flamboyance, either in the direction of modernism or of superfluous embellishment has been carefully avoided. Apart from the actual decorative scehme, the Strathallan closely resembles her sister-ship. She is about 23,500 tons gross, 664 ft. long, and 84ft. in beam. Her engines develop 24,000 shft horse-power, giving a speed of 21 knots. She has only one funnel and has eight pasenger decks, providing accommodation for 447 first-class and 538 tourist-class passengers. The public rooms show a further development of the use of panelling in light woods as a means of decoration. Finely-figured woods in great variety are used, and they constitute the chief ornamentation of many rooms. Etched mirrors are also a feature of many rooms and vestibules.

The furniture itself is a blend of modern and traditional, in that period designs have been simplified by the removal of unnecessary enrichments. There is a wide range of first-class public rooms, including a huge airconditioned saloon, children’s diningroom, nursery, library, writing-room, lounge, dance floor, and verandah cafe, while the open-air swimming pool, in a sheltered position and surrounded by commodious dressingrooms, is particularly attractive. The cabins are very comfortable, some of the de luxe suites with private verandahs being the last word in luxury. From the point of view of comfort, there is little to choose between the first and tourist-class public rooms. Similar decorative treatment, with generous use of panelling, is employed. The tourist-class rooms include a saloon seating 332 persons, smoke-room, lounge .verandah cafe and nursery. Single, double, four-and-six-berth cabins are available in this class, and tourist passengers have their own swimming pool.