SS Santa Paula ( 1932 ) SS " Santa Paula ( later SS " Akropolis ) was a passenger and cargo ocean liner built for the Grace Line . She was the second of four sister ships ( the others being , " Santa Lucia " and ) ordered in 1930 from the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Kearny , NJ . Her regular service route included inter - coastal service between the east coast and the west coast of the USA via the Caribbean and the Panama Canal . She later sailed on cruises from New York to the Caribbean and South America . She was the second of three vessels to bear the name " Santa Paula " for Grace Line service . ( The first Grace Line " Santa Paula " was a 1916 - built ship that was sold in 1925 and sunk in 1943 . ) Design and construction . Designed by Gibbs & Cox , " Santa Paula " and her sisters featured their signature winged funnel . The ships were exceptionally powerful and could achieve with only three boilers in use . The main engines were twin steam turbines , double reduction geared to twin screws . The screws turned inward , which made the ships awkward to maneuver . The dining room was on the promenade deck between the two funnels and had a retractable roof to let passengers dine under the tropical sky . All public rooms were on the promenade deck . The dining room formed an atrium stretching up two and a half decks to the retractable dome . Grace Line employed female dining room waitresses instead of male stewards . First class cabins were outside and had twin beds and private baths . Pre - war Grace Line service . " Santa Paula " started her maiden voyage on 30 January 1933 from Seattle , WA and made 12 port calls " en route " to New York " via " the Panama Canal . The new " Santas " offered 19 - day cruises every two weeks between Seattle , WA along the California , Mexico , Latin America , through the Panama Canal to Havana " en route " to New York . In the late 1930s until WWII " Santa Paula " made 16 - day cruises to the Caribbean and South America , and later 12 - day Caribbean cruises . World War II service . Caribbean services were cancelled on the United States ' entry into World War II , and " Santa Paula " was acquired by the US government for troop service . After conversion she carried approximately 2 , 200 troops . Single or double occupancy cabins were modified to hold six to nine officers while the enlisted men slept in bunks stacked four to six high . Designated USAT " Santa Paula " she began war service sailing to Australia through the Panama Canal . She next sailed from Charleston , SC to Freetown , Karachi , Capetown and then to New York . In November 1942 she sailed to Casablanca , Morocco in Operation Torch 1943 sailings saw trips to Oran , Gibraltar , Casablanca , Argentina , Liverpool , Cardiff , Belfast , Firth of Clyde Palermo and Portsmouth . Voyages of 1944 included a round trip from Boston to Swansea , New York to Cardiff and return to Boston , New York and Norfolk to Naples , New York to Cherbourg and the UK , New York to Leghorn and Naples , and Boston to Avonmouth with a return to New York . In early 1945 " Santa Paula " visited Naples , Oran , Port Said , Suez , Massaua , Bahrein , Abadan , Naples , and Marseille . From April to December 1945 she made five round trips between New York and Europe as well as a trip to Karachi via the Suez Canal . In her four years of war service she made 28 overseas trips from the United States . After the war " Santa Paula " transported war brides and their children from Europe to the US . " Santa Paula " and sister ship " Santa Rosa " survived the war and were returned to the Grace Line . " Santa Lucia " and " Santa Elena " were sunk during war service . Postwar Grace Line service . After her war service she underwent repair and refit prior to redelivery to the Grace Line . A post - war promotional brochure boasted , " . . . The [ " Santa Paula " and " Santa Rosa " ] have been completely redecorated , refurbished and modernized after their war service ; and provided with up - to - the - minute equipment to insure comfort , speed , efficiency and safety . They have the very latest type of moving - picture equipment , a public address system , a fine orchestra and varied facilities for deck games . Thus equipped , these twin liners offer you the comfort of an attractively furnished country home together with the diversions of your favorite club . " She resumed service on 2 May 1947 and now sailed from New York for the Caribbean and the east coast of South America . In 1958 " Santa Paula " was replaced by a larger Gibbs - designed liner of the same name . The older ship was laid up at Hoboken , NJ until 1961 when both she and her sister ship " Santa Rosa " were sold to Greek owners . Typaldos Lines service . " Santa Paula " was renamed SS " Akropolis " and began a new career as a cruise ship for the Typaldos Lines . She entered service for her new owners for voyages in the Mediterranean . A passenger recollection from August 1962 during a Greek Island cruise described the ship as " sweltering " as it was " air cooled " by ceiling air vents but not " air conditioned " . In 1965 she operated approximately every 10 days on a round trip from Zeebrugge to Funchal , Santa Curz , Tangier , and Lisbon . By 1966 however she did not appear in any scheduled sailings . In 1968 the Typaldos Lines owners were arrested and the company dissolved after the Greek government investigation of the incident found them guilty of manslaughter and negligence The company ' s ships were taken over and sold and the company dissolved . " Santa Paula / Akropolis " never returned to active service . In 1971 she was scrapped at Eleusis .