The Maritime Commissary
Welcome to The Maritime Commissary's
Aquarama supplementary information page. Please feel free to send questions or comments to: rrcomm@sonic.net Relevant information, and credits, will be posted.
click here to visit the full catalog
The S. S. Aquarama was originally built in 1945 as the "Marine Star", a US military "Liberty Ship". It made but one Atlantic crossing before WW II ended. During 1954, it was converted to a Great Lakes auto ferry / cruise ship with a dramatic alteration in appearance, giving it a profile shared with no other ship before or since. It was re-launched in 1955 as the "S.S. Aquarama", intended to run from Detroit to Cleveland during the pleasant time of year. While it does seem to have been a popular diversion, its success tapered off, and it was laid up after the 1962 season. As of 2007, it still existed, having spent the last 45 years at anchor, ever waiting for one scheme or another to rescue her from the breakers, but sometime during the year (August or September), it was towed to Turkey and scrapped.
"Aquarama Script" pattern china was used from inauguration through about the first half of its Great Lakes cruising career, but was replaced by "Aquarama Seagull" during the latter half. Some that have visited the ship in storage report that, at the time (whenever it was), the shelves were still stocked with the "Aquarama Seagull" china. Whatever was there though, is surely gone now.
