[pompeyfan]

FIRST TRIP ON CANBERRA PART ELEVEN

After leaving Acupulco we headed for Los Angeles or rather San Pedro, the port for Los Angeles. Going out to New Zealand and Australia via the Panama was a ‘line voyage’ and a half, but a line voyage it was, a working voyage. When we arrived back in Southampton on 12th December 1972, Captain Vickers told us that Canberra had ceased to be a liner, and would become a full time cruise ship.



Anyway, back to her ‘line voyage’. San Pedro was a great port to go into loads of interesting places close by, Queen Mary at Long Beach which we visited on an earlier visit, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knotts Berry Farm. Never been to the latter, but I have the others. The green bridge at San Pedro was the setting for the Rockford Files starring James Garner. A lot of their location work was done in that area.

Next stop was San Francisco where we arrived on Sunday 10th September 1972. We stayed there overnight, leaving at 1600. sailing under the Golden Gate. I have been lucky enough to sail under it, drive over it, and fly over it. Another bridge in San Francisco Bay is the Oakland Bay Bridge, eight and a half miles long. And not forgetting Alcatraz Island of course in the bay between San Francisco and Sausalito, one and a half miles from the mainland, until 1963 was a Federal Prison.

On 13th September Canberra arrived at Vancouver. A passenger gave ne a $10 tip for helping her ashore. From there was headed for Honolulu where was arrived on Monday 18th September 1972. The following is the Port Information for departure from Honolulu.

DEPARTURE. The ship will sail for Auckland at 11pm. Passengers should be on board at least Thirty Minutes before sailing

PASSENGERS WHO EMBARKED AT VANCOUVER are requested to attend the U.S. Immigration Inspection which will take place at 8am in the Meridian Room (First Class Passengers) and William Fawcett Room (Tourist Class Passengers). Please brig your Passport or other means of identification.

PASSENGERS FINALLAY LANDING Please present your orange Landing Card and Baggage Declaration form to the Customs Officer on the wharf.. As much baggage as possible should be packed ready and placed outside your cabin by 6pm Sunday, the remainder by 7.30am Monday. You are reminded that baggage takes some time to to land and arrange for Customs Inspection. You should not expect to disembark and pass through Customs immediately after arrival alongside.

PASSENGERS IN TRANSIT Orange U.S. Landing Cards must be produced at the gangway when proceeding ashore and returning on board. Those passengers who embarked in Port Everglades, Los Angeles and San Francisco are asked to produce their passage tickets.

FRESH FRUIT U.S. Quarantine Regulations prohibit the retention of fruit in cabins during the ship’s stay in port. In order to comply with this requirement cabin stewards have been instructed to collect all fruit from cabins on Sunday evening.

VISITORS will not be allowed on board until a clearance has been obtained from the Collector of Customs, which may be some hours after arrival. Passengers in transit may obtain passes for their friends from the Bureau. Under Customs Regulations it will not be possible for friends meeting passengers finally landing to come on board on arrival.

BRITSH AIR LETTER (AEROGRAMMES) may be posted up to one hour before arrival.

U.S. POSTAGE STAMPS are available at the post office on RICHARD and QUEEN STREETS.

MAIL BOXES will be cleared one hour before arrival. The boxes will re-open for posting of letters bearing U.S. stamps only, and these will close half an hour before departure Honolulu.

INCOMING LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS An announcement will be made shortly after arrival and mail will be distributed as follows:- First Class from the Stadium. Tourist Class (Initial A-L inclusive) from the Peacock Room. (Initials M-Z inclusive) from the Alice Springs Room.

SURGERY Open 9am to 9.30am

BUREAU Open in port

Please note before I continue with the Honolulu Port Notes that passenger liners had a Bureau, certainly P&O ships anyway. Shore side lingo used in hotels such as Reception was not used aboard passenger ships in those days.

LAUNDRY AND PERSONAL ACCOUNTS Passengers finally landing are asked to
pay these at the Bureau as soon as possible.

MEALS IN PORT

Children’s Breakfast……………………………………………………..7.15am
Breakfast………………………………………………………..8.00 and 8.45am
Children’s Dinner………………………………………………………..11.30am

Children on excursions who missed the 11030 am sitting will be accommodated with their parents on the adult sitting,

Luncheon………………………………………………………12.30 and 1.30pm
Afternoon Tea……………………………………………………………..4.00pm
Children’s Tea……………………………………………………………..5.30pm
Dinner…………………………………………………………….7.00 and 8.00pm


BARS Bars will be open at the usual hours with the exception of the Crows Nest, the Island Room and the Peacock Room. No visitors from ashore may be served at any time.

THE SHOP AND HAIRDRESSING SALONS To comply with Customs regulations, the Shop will be closed in port. The Hairdressing Salons will be open until noon.

BUDGET RENT-A-CAR The representative will be in attendance in the Bureau soon after arrival.

LIBRARY BOOKS Passengers finally disembarking are requested to return their Library books before leaving the ship.

CHILDREN’S PLAYROOM Open in port but we regret ship’s staff cannot be responsible for children while parents ashore.

QUIET ROOM For the comfort and convenience of through (transit) passengers , the Writing Room (First Class) and the Peacock Room (Tourist Class) will be reserved for their sole use, as a quiet room, during and after the period of embarkation when there maybe visitors on board.

CABIN KEYS Passengers finally disembarking are reminded that they should hand their cabin keys to the cabin steward before disembarking.

SECURITY Passengers are especially requested to keep their cabins locked in port and to take particular care of their valuables especially handbags when ashore.

AGENTS Davies Marine Agencies Inc.

We left Honolulu at 2300 for Auckland arriving on 26th September 1972. I always liked going back having lived there so always visuted friends, and the hospital where I worked. Leaving Auckland at 2300, we arrived at Sydney at 0700 on Friday 29th September leaving the same day for a 2 day cruise to knowhere. This cruise was a disaster, which I will explain in the next and last episode including a letter to all crew from the captain.

Therefore, if you are getting fed up with this series, the next will be the last. I have spent hours putting this together because it is pure nostalgia of an era sadly gone, and one that I hope will never be forgotten kept alive by those of us who were there.