Has History Been Kind?
As the number of Timeline pages without their own topic header dwindles and we're discussing what will turn out to be the last year of her career, it's perhaps time to reflect on the legacy of RMS Caronia. You could be forgiven for asking: “Is there one?”
The problem being that to my mind history has not been kind to this ship, like when people casually take the “Green Goddess” name out context in vain attempts to revive her endowment, which really annoys me! Nevertheless, it's pretty clear that the manner in which her career faded has been a huge contributing factor.
So, the Timeline reaches 1967 and for Caronia and the wider British shipping industry the writing is clearly on the wall! With other shipping companies attempting to emulate this ship's legacy but with newer, brighter ships they're reflecting just how quickly the World was changing back then.
In reality the pace of change was at breakneck speed, and it was heading toward an abyss. Within the cruise market competition is getting fiercer than ever! So many seemingly minor effects are now beginning to really test any cracks.
Dark Clouds Gather
With the World's biggest currencies also heading towards almost certain collapse, could it be cruising itself that dies the death? Of course, recent seamens’ strikes both in the UK and abroad only help to further seal Caronia's fate. Almost by the day, she was becoming more and more uneconomic to run.
This would have run-on effects as cost-cutting measures later came back to bite. For example, things like boiler and engine room maintenance and renewal more or less came to a stop. So all we see are many contributing factors that don't point toward Caronia bowing out in the same way as her career was created.
What - No Grand Departure?
Unlike her Cunard cruising successor, the QE2, there'd be no leaving in a blaze of glory, with fireworks and aerial tributes to boot. With the preservation of RMS Queen Mary in Longbeach, the legacy of another long-lived Cunarder would also live on.
One reason why I have set such high standards in building the Caronia Timeline is to try and demonstrate a human legacy of being associated with the “Green Goddess”. This in paying close attention to every detail. That's how it was done and it brought its own rewards.
I'm often accused of being a perfectionist. Sadly, perfection is just a pipe-dream that can horribly collapse and disappoint. However, if things are “just right” then that engenders a lasting sense of pride and joy, hopefully for others to enjoy with me. I can honestly say that to date I have received very few complaints!
Should History Be Rebalanced?
Obviously, I'm tremendously biased, but I'm definitely of the belief that it should. The Caronia was a huge trend-setter in a time of major changes. Forget discussions about the luxury aspect for a moment, all commentators of the period readily acknowledge and broadcast that, but that wasn't all that the ship was about.
Despite almost any difficulty that was thrown at it, the ship was a floating community, solid in its ambitions and attractive to all who wanted to fit in. Cunard might have painted other ships in Cruising Green, but I know first-hand just how dreadful the RMS Carmania was by comparison. If ever there was a floating prison!
Today, whenever ships are described as the most luxurious ever, the Caronia never gets a mention. It's always the ships of a certain size that get this attention, though it's not necessarily deserved. It's interesting to watch old films of Southampton Docks where many ships from all over the World gathered. Whenever Caronia appears, you just can't miss her grace and presence.
Modern Maritime Historians - Here's A Challenge
My appeal to modern shipping historians is that don't you think it's time to redress the balance? What's the problem, do you think that you'll run out of superlatives too quickly? In reality, it's probably best to leave out the more prodigious adjectives and just let the reality speak for itself. There's plenty of good material to work with, so what do you say?
I should add that the number of Timeline visitors is not in any way diminishing. With several on-line travellers spending well over an hour at a time on repeat visits, interest in the ship is surprisingly healthy. Finally, surely this topic needs addressing while we still have people able to contribute first-hand experiences of Caronia.
If you can contribute any information, do please get in touch…
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