| Photo Gallery |
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 As she looked in 1963 the "Southern Cross" (20204 tons) of the Shaw Saville Line. |
 As she looks now in 1998 the "SS Ocean Breeze" (21486 tons) of The Premier Ocean Breeze Cruises. |
 Before her current paint job. |
 Cruise Dates for 1963 |
 Menu Cover 1957 |
 Childrens Menu 1957 |
 Childrens Menu Cover 1957 |
 Concert Cover 1957 |
 Concert Programme 1957 |
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The Birth of the SS Southern Cross
The Southern Cross was the result of the entrepreneur brilliance of Shaw Saville chairman Basil Sanderson. Originally known as 'Ship number 1498' she was the first 'all passenger ship', Sanderson's idea was to have the engines aft to make more space available for passenger amenities. This radical design took considerable convincing of the decision-makers to make it a reality, but Sanderson was convinced his idea was a winner and overcame all resistance. On 16 July 1952 he received approval from his fellow directors to proceed with the project. Harland and Wolff of Belfast were to be the builders. The estimate of cost was 3,546,000 UK Pounds. The delivery was set to be between December 1954 and January 1955. The most significant factor was that the ship would be the first of this design - her engines would be aft and not amidships.
The design included a curved round bow, a cruiser stern and a bridge with a streamlined design located amidships. There were eight decks for passengers with a sports deck on top down to B Deck. In between lay the Sun, Lounge, Promenade, Main, Restaurant and A deck. Cabins for passengers were on six decks, cabins accommodating from 1 to 6 berths. The majority of public rooms were on the lounge deck - the forward lounge, the smoke room, the cinema lounge, the Tavern, the writing room and the library. Above them on the Sun deck were the children's recreation room and play area as well as the infant's play room and play deck. There were two restaurants, one forward accommodating 390 people and one aft for 192 with the kitchens in between. There would be plenty of space for 1160 passengers.
An important design factor was air conditioning for all passenger cabins, the dining rooms, the two small hospitals (one for men and one for women), the shop, the hairdressing saloons and the recreation rooms for the crew, and in some crew cabins. This meant that the ship had more air conditioning for her passengers than any ship afloat. The bridge and the navigating officers quarters were not air-conditioned.
It also included a wide central alleyway on every deck instead of one either side of the ship. This simplified access to the cabins and was also a safety feature freeing up access to muster stations in case of an emergency.
There were two swimming pools with dressing rooms; a medium sized one on the Sun deck, the other a larger one on the lower deck way down below.
Sanderson wrote to the Queen's secretary Sir Michael Adeane to see if Her majesty the Queen would consider launching the ship. No reigning Monarch had ever launched a merchant ship, only a warship. At the time Her Majesty and Prince Philip were on tour visiting Australia and New Zealand sailing in the Shaw Saville ship GOTHIC.Sir Michael replied from Australia stating that the Queen would be pleased to launch the new ship.
The name SOUTHERN CROSS the constellation that Australia and New Zealand incorporated in their National flags was selected. The date of launching was settled for 17 August 1954.
The Launching. Tuesday 17 August 1954
A dull grey morning, drizzling rain, which fell more heavily as the morning, wore on. The Queen was at Balmoral Castle and was to fly in a Viking of the Queens flight from Dyce to Aldergrove, fourteen mile from Queen's Island, where ship 1498 stood on number two slipway.
The weather was as bad in Scotland as it was in Ulster, take off was late and there was low cloud and rain. At Queen's Island the guests and dignitaries made their way to the stand facing the ship sheltering from the rain with umbrellas and the tarpaulin covering the launch stand.
The launching was scheduled for 1-15pm word was passed to Sanderson that the Queen would be as much as 30 minutes late. Just before 1pm James Colville, the assistant yard manager advised Sanderson that all the blocks holding the ship in position had been knocked away. It would not be safe to delay the launch for more than half an hour after the scheduled launch time. Sanderson realized that of the Queen had not arrived by 1-45pm the ship would have to be launched without her.
The Queen had already landed at Aldergrove and at the slipway visitors were dry under the tarpaulin. The Queen due at the slipway at 1pm left Aldergrove fifteen minutes behind schedule, Police cleared the road to the slipway as the chauffeur increased the speed of the car through the Belfast streets to arrive at the shipyard of Harland and Wolff on time having regained the lost fifteen minutes during the drive. The Queen stepped out of the car to the National Anthem played by the band of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Sanderson was impressed to note that the Queen was wearing a coat of almost the exact pale green of the ships super structure. With Sanderson on the Queen's left, they stood in front of the microphones with the great bow of the ship towering above them. The traditional phrase spoken by the Queen "I name this ship SOUTHERN CROSS...May God protect her and all who sail in her"....a bottle of wine smashed against the steel and a moment later the ship began to move and she was away to a burst of cheers and hooters.
And sadly we say goodbye to the SS SOUTHERN CROSS.
please click on this website for the most complete site on the story and demise of this fine ship:
www.ssmaritime.com/sthcross2.htm
www.ssmaritime.com/scrossobeached.htm
