At the ripe old age of 55, the remarkable 18,926 gross ton, 622 by 76 foot SS OCEAN EXPLORER 1 is being primed for a new career that will include a series of back-to-back world Cruises for the Canadian-based World Cruise Company, beginning in late 1999.

Laid down as the P2S2R2-type troop transport GENERAL R. M. BLATCHFORD (the ninth of eleven such ships, only two of which survive), she was completed by the Federal SB&DD Co. at Kearny, N.J. as the GENERAL W.P. RICHARDSON in October of 1944. She had a troop capacity of 5,200 and was fitted with De Laval geared turbines capable of 18,700 SHP to drive twin screws at a service speed of 19 knots.

After serving on US to England and Europe wartime duty, she was converted to a less austere dependents/war brides transport in 1946. In 1949, she was given a $5 million refit and chartered to American Export Lines, for Mediterranean service as the LAGUARDIA (named for the popular mayor of New York) until 1951. As LA GUARDIA, she could accommodate 157 first and 452 tourist class passengers. Following a Korean War charter to the Military Transportation Service, the ship was laid up in the James River in 1952.

She was next sold to Textron, Inc., and following a $4 million refit, emerged as the LEILANI in 1957 for California to Hawaii service under the banner of their newly-formed Hawaiian Steamship Company. LEILANI ("lovely flower") could carry 650 passengers in a single class. A dismal failure, she was laid up at San Francisco in 1959 and then sold to American President Lines in 1960.

A thorough rebuilding at Seattle into the ultra-modern PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT followed, and she joined APL’s transpacific fleet in 1962. She now sported deluxe accommodation for 456 passengers.

In 1970, the moderately successful liner was sold to Chandris Cruises and given her most extensive rebuilding to date. As their 1,092 passenger ATLANTIS, she made her first voyage to the Bahamas from New York in June of 1971. However, within a year, she was traded to Eastern Steamship Lines, becoming the EMERALD SEAS (after briefly being named ESMERALDA). The ship’s fuel-hungry engines were minimally utilized on Eastern’s program of 3 and 4 day cruises to the Bahamas from Florida, and the EMERALD SEAS settled into the most successful of all her incarnations.

Finally in 1992, Royal Caribbean had bought out Admiral Cruises (which had earlier incorporated Eastern Steamship Lines), and retired the veteran ship. She was in turn laid up and renamed FANTASTICA, FUNTASTICA, TERRIFICA, and SUN FIESTA until her new Cypriot owners settled on the more fitting SAPPHIRE SEAS. With side sponsons added for stability, she sailed to Europe for an Israeli charter of Cyprus-based cruises, but was eventually laid up at Limassol, and later Eleusis. She was renamed OCEAN EXPLORER 1 in early 1998.

Following a stint as a floating hotel at Lisbon for Expo 98, she was returned to Eleusis, where your reporter had the chance to visit her in December of 1998. It was a delight to see this liner in such immaculate condition, which is a great credit to her owners. Some work on her boilers was being done in preparation for her long-term charter, but all of her passenger facilities were beautifully maintained, from her spotless decks to spacious public rooms and generously-proportioned cabins.

She has since begun the first of her three scheduled world circumnavigations. For more information on her itineraries and pictures of interiors and decks, please go to the OCEAN EXPLORER 1 page.

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