Reina del Mar

For this was in 1974 when not only were there over 1600 red-ensigned vessels compared to less than 300 today. That notwithstanding, the slump in vessels was already declining in that year owing to the oil-price shocks of the day – a four-fold increase in oil prices forced many owners to curb expansion plans.

And it was thus that the Reina del Mar – a former PSNC liner built for the UK-South America trade and therefter operated as a cruise liner by Union Castle – ran into financial difficulties.

The ‘Reina’ cruised mainly to the Mediterrean, Caribbean and Atlantic Isles drawing in passengers from everyday society some who had experienced little or no prior cruising, but having saved with an organisation known as the Travel Savings Association – a type of monthly Christmas Club contributory scheme – it was very popular with the British cruising public.

The ship’s crew were mainly from both Merseyside and Southampton areas and just the same as some regular passengers enjoyed the Reina, to the crew it was known as a ‘happy ship.’

Compared to crew numbers of cargo ships and tankers the total personnel from catering, deck and engine ran into the hundreds; in fact the whole ship seemed representative of a local community in Liverpool or Southampton especially in off-duty time when the crew bar known as the ‘Pig’ – an abbreviation of the British pub name ‘Pig and Whistle’ was a venue for drinks, chat and bar games.

There was generally a table fraternity of departments, I.e., cooks and stewards sat and drank together whilst engine and deck also had their own respective areas in the bar which had the floor space of a very large hotel as well as a hotel’s diverse choice of beers, wine and spirits.

Port calls were always welcomed by crew and passengers, the latter being transfixed by such events as a Trinidadian steel band concert on the quay, or else the sale of pet canaries in Madeira – this of course being a time when the trade in exotic birds wasn’t against international law.

On any outward or homeward- bound voyages there would be crew bar domino drives, horse-racing nights and a phased knock-out competion of darts; although passengers were rarely invited there was one particular darts championship when prizes of Seiko watches were graciously presented by two passengers, a certain Jean Alexander and Julie Goodyear of Coronation Street fame.

A Caribbean cruise would be in the region of four weeks and such was the popularity of the ship many crew would stay in Southampton for a few days (the ship’s home port) and then sign on again for a fortnight’s cruise to typically Mediterrean ports such as Barcelona, Naples and Piraeus.

It certainly couldn’t have been ship comfort which lured them back though. For most cabins were multi-occupancy and some lacked air-conditioning. Furthermore, many stewards privately complained that it wasn’t a good ship to receive tips; the ‘Queens’, I.e. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth on the Southampton-New York run being far more remunerative.

All the same, the Reina’s timbered decks and panelled bulkheads gave It a real-ship feeling, and that, together with a vibrant social life, was a constant draw.

Unfortunately in 1975, the ship fell victim to high oil prices and it was ultimately scrapped in Taiwan which hastened even more ship scrappage, loss of jobs and a way of life at sea.

By the millenium, cost-cutting and numbers declined to the point whereas Union Castle involvement in cruise ships was only a memory and it is doubtful that even had the company reduced crew numbers the vessel still wouldn’t have been viable.

Again, by this time and in contrast, the ‘Emma Maersk’ a huge 15,000 TEU container ship was operating with a mere 17 crew – hardly ideal for sociability at sea.

Which begs the question: how few personnel can sail a ship? And are there still happy ships as indeed the Reina was?

Certainly Rolls-Royce Marine – heavily involved in the maritime industry – believes that ultimately there will be robotic ships sailing world-wide. It doesn’t actually give a time-frame for this scenario of absence of humans from voyage to voyage- but as well as the obvious cost savings Rolls-Royce adds that computers will operate at every level.

From navigation to engine speed control, the latest concept is that computers will even deter a pirate attack by shutting down systems or else instructing the vessel to sail to a safe port. Clearly, piracy is an aspect which humans would not be involved with, but the potential of more frequent occurrences of machinery breakdowns and oil/water spills would make most experienced seafarers sceptical of Rolls Royce’s vision.

However, from the halcyon days of the Reina del Mar and the Merchant Navy,  it is indeed worrying just how far we are headed to a post-human future where there is no- one around anymore.