Genevieve Oliver aka “Itsy-Bitsy”

The Influence of a Key Passenger

Have you come this far into the Caronia's career by exploring many pages here? If so, have you worked out how and why another nickname for the “Green Goddess” was the “Millionnaires' Yacht”? Maybe, after all, it was all about the wonderfully luxurious lifestyle.

Not really. While the most expensive daily pro-rata trip of Caronia's schedule was the North Cape Cruise, it wasn't the mechanics of what was offered that made life aboard quite so magical. The most effective impact was how some regular, and key, passengers set out to make the ship their own, with some enthusiasm!

Seventeen Great World Cruises

A case in point would be a certain Mrs. E.C. (Genevieve) Oliver, (1884-1973, wife of machine-tool maker Mr. Edd C. Oliver) of Adrian, Michigan. Her name appears in every Caronia Great World Cruise passenger list, from 1951 to date. Such was her generosity that on her trips away she would individually amass gifts for every employee back home in her husband's factory.

Rather than returning to the USA on board a Cunard Queen after her first cruise, which had ended in Southampton, she chose a later Caronia sailing instead. Of course, she'd made arrangements to be in the same stateroom, and attended by the same stewards.

Unlike Miss Macbeth, another long-term Caronia traveller, Mrs Oliver didn't live aboard Caronia beyond this major cruise each year, although her tenure with the ship was one year longer.

Oliver's Court

On board ship, the lady may have been approaching her senior years, but she was a force to be reckoned with! It didn't take too long before her Main Deck suite became colloquially recognised as “Oliver's Court”

This even when she was absent. Such was her force of character that many fellow travellers on board also became close friends and returned to sail along with her, year after year! Her chosen seat in the Balmoral Restaurant was to the left of the Chief Engineer.

The Curtains Are Drab!

I can only guess where the name for her quarters came from, but I'd lay a strong bet that its foundation came from a conversation in a LGBT gay cabin down below. With such intense competition between passengers and the parties they hosted, it doesn't take very much detective work.

Popularly and fondly known by the crew as “Itsy Bitsy”, Mrs. Oliver would book 3 staterooms just for her luggage, her bookings being made years in advance. Like a few other favoured passengers, her suite was painted and decorated to her taste. No matter, it wasn't above her to remark if her curtains looked a little drab.

I've Come to Fix a Sign

So they wouldn't be disturbed by unruly passers-by, all the Main Deck suites on board Caronia had their own discreet doorway set back from the main passageway. Just imagine being the Carpenter on board who came along to affix his hand-made sign, indicating the location of Oliver's Court!

With it being the Caronia, I can't imagine there not being a proper naming ceremony to unveil said plaque. What cannot be imagined is the strings that needed to be pulled in order to get to that point.

Legendary Parties!

On her major cruises, Caronia was more like a floating country-club, where a person of such generous disposition as Mrs. Oliver could indulge their passions like throwing a good party. In effect she could have all her favourite neighbours round with very little inconvenience either to them or herself, not even the weather!

Passenger hosted parties fell into two types, either brief cocktail affairs before Dinner or a less time-limited revelry afterwards. Obviously, the latter didn't start until after the Dinner service. Any arrangements for providing refreshments would be made with the ship's Pursers, who at some point would also produce a bill.

However, it was the passenger's own Bedroom Stewards who'd be charged to do the organising. Often, this was no small matter, like when the guest-list warranted it, he'd need a team to decorate a public room to a chosen theme, and others to serve refreshments.

There was always intense competition between passengers over who could throw the most lavish party, with no expense spared. If there was an lull in proceedings, it was incumbent on us serving to gently and seamlessly revive it.

It was here where crew and passenger relationships could become quite blurred. Fraternising with passengers was an instant dismissal offence elsewhere on Cunard!

A Trio of Trouble!

Clearly, MesDames Irene Vedovell, Lauretta Robinson and Itsy Bitsy herself, would not have had many problems to commandeer the use of the Verandah Café for this party. I imagine that the force of three of the best ever party-givers combining would mean no-one said “no” to any suggestions.

I have no idea how they decided to cast their invite cards; perhaps they were distributed to each table in the Balmoral Restaurant. Wth a start time just 30 minutes ahead of a normal Dinner service, the Café Waiters would have had their work cut out for them, but they'd also be amply rewarded for their efforts!

A Sad Commemoration

As a catering steward, any mentions of Oliver's Court were magic words below decks. Even though the extra work was unpaid and could last well into the early-hours, you'd be happy to volunteer and be part of it, if invited. Forget the wealth of our hostess, she would ensure that it was well worth your while, quite apart from it being just an unforgettable experience!

As this page commemorates Genevieve during the month of her final Great World Cruise disembarkation, at the time it's unlikely that she'd have realised it would be her last Caronia voyage. The return of her booking deposit later that year was probably an unexpected shock!

I had wondered, did she ever migrate to a QE2 World Cruise? It seems that, no, it was probably the M.V. Kungsholm (1965), another John Brown's shipyard creation, that she chose instead. It's quite possible that some of her former Caronia stewards had stayed in touch and told her where they had migrated to.

Nevertheless, despite the sad news of Caronia's sudden dismissal, it must have been quite amazing to simply muse upon those 17 annual adventures. Also to recall many friends and acquaintances she had met on board what was clearly a favourite ship.

The far more reclusive Miss Macbeth features on the October 1956 page.

From the Shore Tours Brochure

Just like the previous Great World Cruise, the range of shore tours arranged by Thos. Cook was extensive. By this time tourism had very much got into its stride and most public transport was not only more comfortable, it was quicker and safer than hitherto.

Air travel was also burgeoning, bringing with it a direct challenge to a market that had been shipping's sole domain. Where previously, taking an aeroplane to get somewhere quickly and efficiently was seen as a bit risky, modern tourists were taking to the air with some excitement.

Closing Dates

As on previous pages, within the published Shore Tours programme there are reminders that tours have closing dates. What made life a bit easier was that these dates were also the final points of cancellation.

Log Abstract…
At: 12 Noon 16:00 (GMT) Position: 30.45N | 74.15W
Travelled: 463 miles
Slight sea, heavy N.Easterly swell, cloudy & clear

At Sea

Log Abstract…
At: 12 Noon 16:00 (GMT) Position: 39.10N | 73.59W
Travelled: 506 miles
Slight sea, low swell, overcast & clear
80 miles to New York

Arrive New York 6.15pm

End of 1967 Great World Cruise

Log Abstract…
At: 16:09 (LT) 20:09 (GMT) Ambrose C.L.V. abeam, NYC arrival
Passage: 4 days, 0 hours, 36 mins.
Voyage Distance: 1,962 miles Average Speed: 20.31 knots

Depart New York 10.30am
Start of 1967 Spring Mediterranean Cruise

Mediterranean Cruise Movie

Arrive Funchal AM - Depart PM

Funchal 1954

Funchal 1959

Funchal 1961

Funchal 1964

Tours #01-03: for Funchal, Madeira

Funchal, 1966

Arrive Gibraltar AM - Depart PM

Gibraltar and Tangier

Gibraltar 1959

Tour #04: for Gibraltar

Gibraltar, 1966

Steam Gibraltar to Tangier 30 miles

Arrive Tangier PM

Tangier 1959

Tangier 1961

Tangier 1964

Tours #05-07: for Tangier

Arrive Valletta, Malta G.C., AM - Depart PM

Malta G.C. 1954

Malta G.C. 1959

Malta G.C. 1961

Tour #08: for Valetta

Alexandria 1954

Alexandria 1961

Alexandria 1963

Tours #09-11: for Alexandria & Cairo

Tours #12-15: Extended from Alexandria

Tours #16/17: Extended from Alexandria

Alexandria, 1966

Egypt, Land of the Pharaohs

Wonders of Ancient Egypt

At Alexandria

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Tours #18/19: Beirut to Haifa

Tours #20-23: to Haifa via Jerusalem

Tours #24-26: for Beirut

Highlights of the Holy Land

Depart Beirut 2am
Steam to Haifa 72 miles

Arrive Haifa AM

Haifa 1954

Tour #28: for Nazareth & Galilee

Full-day Tour #29 today (see below)

Haifa 1964

Tours #29-32: for Nazareth & Galilee

Depart Haifa PM
At Sea
Steaming Haifa to Athens 642 miles

Arrive Piraeus, Athens AM

Athens 1964

Tours #35-38: from Piraeus

Athens, 1966

Catania 1959

Catania 1961

Tours #40/41: to Taormina

Catania

Steam Catania to Messina 48 miles

Arrive Messina PM - Depart PM

Messina 1959

Messina 1961

Messina 1964

At Sea
Steaming North Messina to Naples 175 miles

Arrive Naples AM

Naples 1954

Naples 1959

Tours #44-46: Extended from Naples

Tours #47-49: Extended from Naples

Italian Sights 1967

At Naples (See day trip #51 below)

At Naples (See day trips #53-55 below)

Naples 1961

Naples & Italy 1963

Tours #51-55: Day trips from Naples

Depart Naples PM
At Sea
Steaming Naples to Villefranche 368 miles