The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1949-11-24
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
By Hazel Brannon
Aboard S. S. Monroe
November 8, 1949
Enroute to Honolulu

Enroute to Honolulu
The S. S. Monroe can hardly be
compared with the Cunard Lines
Queen Mary but it is a ship that
grows on you - and by the time
you're five days out Of San Fran
cisco and nearing the port Of
Honolulu it seems like Home
Sweet Home.
The Monroe has a passenger
capacity of SO and the waiting list
is endless. Some OF the passengers
aboard told me they had been
trying to get on the ship for the
round the world trip for two years
and more.
The ship has gross tonnage Of
o,255.86 and Of course the cargo
pays the freight. Passengers are
just incidental.
But for people who are just in
cidental we get an awful lot OF
consideration from everyone on
the ship--from the handsome
young captain on down to the bell
boys who are always on call for
errands. All of the officers are
congenial and friendly--and here
again CAM be compared to the
very stiff and formal atmosphere
on an English ship.
The Monroe was built at New
port News and delivered to its
owners in December, 1910. The
American President Lines was in
corporated in August OF 1929 UNI
der the original name Of Dollar
Steamship Lines. The change in
name was effected in November.
1898. During the war the ship
made splendid contribution be-
ing operated under the War Ship
ping Administration by American
President Lines personnel.
This company has already Sc
cured U. S. Maritime Commission
approval for the construction Of
three deluxe 19-knot passenger
cargo liners at total cost of ap-
proximately 500 million dollars.
Life on the Monroe, like on all
cruise ships, is relaxed. free and
easy. No one hurries to do any
thing-there's\ plenty Of time.
Then the first shing you know it's
the day before reaching the first
port Of call--and everyone goes
into frenzy of letter writing
and begins to anticipate letters
from home.
There are SO passengers aboard
now and Of this number only 80
are going to make the trip all the
way around the world. Others
will be stopping off at the various
ports of call and we will be pick
ing up other passengers enroute.
Usually on ship like this the
passengers are pretty old. mostly
retired men who have been wait
ing all their lives to take such
trip and now that they're taking
it too old to enjoy it :. and mid
die aged widows living on their
husbands money. But there are
quite a few young couples aboard
the Monroe - and the older peo-
pie aboard are happy lot. They
seem to have more fun than the
young ones.
This ship has large amount Of
deck space and there's plenty of
room to move around ina con-
siderable factor when you're go
ing to be living on it for three
months. There's a very nice tiled
swimming pool, two SWITCHBOARD
courts, space for other deck sports
including a large area for dane
ing. There is a large lounge, a
library, music room with piano,
and bar. just before this voyage
the APL installed three slot ma
chimes in the bar-which is just
off the lounge without partition
between. The first complaint that
] heard voiced on the ship was
that the noise of the slot machines
was disturbing the card players
in the lounge.
The food is good and the at
tractive dining room is air-con-
ditioned, the only room on the
ship that is. Breakfast is served
from 8:l5 on, lunch at 1890 and
dinner at tbs. It's possible to
have coffee earlier in the morning
but there's no food available until
8:15. Bouillon is served every
morning on deck at HOO and tea
with cookies every afternoon at
400.
Current motion pictures are
shown at regular intervals and
other entertainment provided at
night includes bingo games, horse
races, costume parties and dane
es. Last evening before reaching
Honolulu today we were given a
delightful Aloha dinner complete
with leis, colorful paper cups and
noisemakers with dancing out on
deck afterward under a truly
beautiful moonn.
The ships daily newspaper,
which the Purser has already
49, - :~xoror<aI l.,