Home
Lines began operations in 1946 by purchasing the Norwegian America
liner
Bergensfjord, which was renamed Argentina
and used on services to South America from the company's base, Genoa. Home
Lines ships were registered in Panama, the
company chairman was Greek (Eugen Eugenides), and crews were Italian.
There
were connections with both Cosulich Lines, who were managers of the Argentina,
and
Swedish America Lines (Axel Johnson, manager of Swedish America, was
also
manager of South Atlantic Lines who initially managed the Brasil and
Italia).
Home Lines was originally a joint venture between Swedish American and
the
Italian Cosulich Line. The original connection between the companies is
seen in
the funnel designs, with Home Lines closely resembling Swedish America,
but
with one, not three, crowns on each funnel.
Additional
ships were acquired, and services successfully switched to the North Atlantic, and then cruising. Home Lines
first
purpose-built ship, was the Oceanic of 1963. She was designed as a
two-class
liner to operate in summer on their Canadian route from Cuxhaven, Le Havre
and Southampton.
By the time of her delivery, Home Lines had dropped the Atlantic liner
voyages,
and Oceanic ran 7-day cruises to Nassau
from New York
through the
summer. In winter she ran longer trips to the Caribbean.
Home Lines were one of the most highly regarded of cruise lines, with
superb
purpose-built ships, when they were purchased by Holland America Line
in 1988.
Eugen
Eugenides' adopted son, Vernicos Eugenides, also founded the Hamburg
Atlantik
Line, whose Hanseatic (2) later joined Home Lines as the Doric.
Vernicos
Eugenides was later president of both Hamburg Atlantik and Home Lines.
Holland America
Line
www.hollandamerica.com
|