RMS Caronia Timeline

Ship's Course & Activities
December 1952

The Cunard White Star Line's ‘Green Goddess’

Luxurious ocean travel aboard a world-famous British cruise liner

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Celebrate Yuletide and Ring in the New Year
Cruising in the Incomparable Caronia!

Even jolly old St. Nick never brought you a more dazzling holiday package. 12 days of fun and luxury under warm sunny skies, cruising the blue Caribbean in the magnificent world cruise liner Caronia! You'll join a host of congenial fellow passengers in the traditional shipboard Christmas celebrations, ring in the New Year at sea, while a brilliant array of Broadway entertainers spark the festivities throughout the voyage.

You'll explore the tropical enchantment of St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands then to La Guaira, magnificent seaport from which you'll cross the majestic Andes to Caracas, the fascinating Venezuelan capital, and to Curaçao, where quaint windmills whirl in the gentle trade winds, and where you'll roam the narrow streets, filling your shopping bag with the countless bargains of this duty-free port! Then to scintillating Havana where you'll begin 1953 with an unforgettable day and enthralling night amid the gayiety of this Paris of the New World.

Aboard the yacht-like Caronia, largest liner ever built especially for cruising, you'll find every detail planned to assure your complete holiday pleasure. Each of the spacious bedrooms has a private bath or shower and touch control ventilation is within easy reach of the sleep-enticing beds. You'll relax with gay companions in luxurious air-conditioned public rooms. You'll romp on the broad sun-soaked sports decks.

You'll partake to your palate's delight of the exotic delicacies featured in Cunard's renowned international cuisine, prepared by master chefs, served by cheerful, attentive stewards. For a bright-as-tinsel, merry Yuletide season, reserve your space now on the Caronia's Christmas and New Year's Cruise! Your travel agent will serve you, at no extra cost.

I thought I'd let the brochure do the talking, even if the language is a little quaint in places.

If you can contribute any information, do please get in touch…

01 December 1952

At Liverpool

Depart Liverpool PM
At Sea
Steaming Liverpool to Southampton 461 miles

02 December 1952
03 December 1952

At Sea
Steaming Liverpool to Southampton

04 December 1952

Arrive Southampton AM

05 December 1952
06 December 1952
07 December 1952
08 December 1952
09 December 1952


At Southampton
Sunday

10 December 1952

Depart Southampton AM

Start of 1st Sterling Cruise

With an extra call at Bermuda, and extended to other Bahamas ports in later years, this was the first of what became known as the “Sterling Cruise” - so-called because the ports of call on the way to New York were all within the Sterling Area.

It was also the only Caronia cruise which could optionally be paid for in Pounds Sterling. All her other cruises were to be paid for only in U.S. Dollars.

At Sea
Crossing English Channel 75 miles

Arrive Le Havre PM - Depart PM

Crew Complement
10 December 1952
Deck Dept
136
Engineers Dept
 97
Catering Dept
460
Total
693 (including Master)
11 December 1952
12 December 1952
13 December 1952
14 December 1952
15 December 1952
16 December 1952

At Sea
Westbound transatlantic
Steaming Le Havre to Bermuda 3,074 miles
Sunday

17 December 1952

Arrive Hamilton, Bermuda PM - Depart PM

18 December 1952

At Sea
Steaming Bermuda to New York 775 miles

19 December 1952

Arrive New York at 8am with 206 passengers

Arrival Summary
19 December 1952
First Class Passengers
 87
Cabin Class Passengers
119
Total Passengers
206
Crew Total
693
Total souls on board
899 (including Master)
20 December 1952
21 December 1952
22 December 1952


Sunday
At New York

At New York

Depart New York 11am with 680 passengers
At Sea
Start of 1952 Christmas & New Year W.Indies & S.America Cruise

23 Dec Luncheon Suggested Menu

PAT AND MIKEFeaturing: Katherine Hepburn | Spencer Tracy at 4.30 & 9.30pm

24 December 1952


24 December
programme

At Sea

24 HOURS IN A WOMAN'S LIFEFeaturing: Merle Oberon | Richard Todd at 4.30 & 9.30pm

Clocks advanced 1 hour at Midnight

Depart St Thomas 2am

At Sea
Steaming South St Thomas to La Guaira 479 miles

27 Dec Luncheon Suggested Menu

27 Dec Dinner Suggested Menu

LOVELY TO LOOK ATFeaturing: Kathryn Grayson | Howard Keel at 4.30 & 9.30pm

Clocks retarded 30 minutes at Midnight

28 December 1952

Sunday Arrive La Guaira AM - Depart PM

28 Dec Luncheon Suggested Menu

28 Dec Dinner Suggested Menu

At Sea
Steaming N.West La Guaira to Curaçao 148 miles

29 December 1952

Arrive Willemstad, Curaçao AM - Depart PM

Curaçao 1959

29 Dec Dinner Suggested Menu

Notes on the menu cover:
The Spanish Armada 1588, the English ship of Sir John Hawkins attacking the great Spanish ship ‘Santa Ana’. Note the ensign of the Spanish ship, red saltire on white was usually used by the Spaniards at this time.

At Sea
Steaming Willemstad to Havana 1138 miles

30 December 1952


30 December
programme

At Sea

Steaming N.West Curaçao to Havana 1,138 miles

30 Dec Dinner Suggested Menu

SCARAMOUCHEFeaturing: Janet Leigh | Stewart Granger at 4.30 & 9.30pm

Clocks retarded 30 minutes at Midnight

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Page last updated on Thu, 24 Sep 2026

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