Description
Vintage postcard
Photochrome era, circa 1960s
Screw Steamer LURLINE
Length - 632 ft. Speed 22 knots - Gross Tonnage 18,655
Accommodations - 761 passengers, all in first class.
Named for the company founder's daughter
Top luxury ocean liner in the Matson fleet, she had a long career sailing to and from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu both before and after WWII.
Matson Line is credited with introducing mass tourism to Hawaii with its fleet of "white ships" offering service to and from LA, San Francisco and Honolulu. The opening of the historic Moana Hotel (now Moana Surfrider) and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki further helped the tourism industry.
Famous passenger
Famous aviator Amelia Earhart rode Lurline from Los Angeles to Honolulu with her Lockheed Vega airplane secured on deck during December 22–27, 1934. The voyage prepared her for the record-breaking Honolulu-to-Oakland solo flight she made in January 1935.
War duty
Lurline was half-way from Honolulu to San Francisco on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The ship's alleged reception of radio signals from the Japanese fleet became part of the Pearl Harbor advance-knowledge conspiracy theory. She made her destination safely, travelling at maximum speed, and soon returned to Hawaii with her Matson sisters Mariposa and Monterey in a convoy laden with troops and supplies.
During war she was a troop and supply ship often sailing from USA to Australia, even carrying the Australian prime minister on official business.
Opa, Aladdin Sane!
She continued working after the war as a first class passenger ship on the california to Hawaii route until 1963, when she was sold to the Chandris Line of Greece who renamed her Ellinis.
In 1973 singer David Bowie recorded his song Aladdin Sane from his album Aladdin Sane whilst onboard. This can be seen by the annotation in the vinyl pressings of this album.
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