Page two: CAMBODGE tour, continued

E Deck culminated aft with the large first class pool and lido. In the above image, the aft portion of F Deck and the CAMBODGE's funnel are shown. The funnel had air vents both forward and aft to help dispense exhaust well above the open decks in a popular aerodynamic design that was used throughout the 1950s on many French and Belgian combiliners as well as the Italian transatlantic liners ANDREA DORIA and CRISTOFORO COLOMBO.

D Deck began at the fo'c'sle head with navigation equipment, leading aft via the first three holds into an open air deck area reserved for the cabin class passengers. It was sheltered from wind by a curved bulwarks between hold no. 1 and hold no. 2. First class accommodation followed within the midships superstructure.

The most luxurious suite, Cabine de Luxe #5, was located on forward starboard D Deck. It had a separate bedroom area and a large sitting room with doors that opened onto a private balcony.

While most of the D Deck first class cabins had private balconies (years before this became a standard cruise ship feature), there were a handful of slightly larger cabins in the forward portion of the deck that did not. Instead, as with cabin #6 (shown above), there was more interior space and a large picture window that louvered open.

A number of "studio" cabins were rather narrow, with upper and lower berths instead of proper beds. Nonetheless, these still had their own private verandas, which must have been popular in the equatorial seas between France and Japan.

The aft portion of D Deck was devoted to a tourist class promenade where various deck activities were often held.

C Deck begins with cabin class accommodation in the forward portion of the hull just aft of the forepeak with a strip of dormitories on the starboard side and the very spartan dining room on the port side. This was the only enclosed common area given over to cabin class. A number of first class cabins followed, terminating at the first class stair tower.

The remainder of C Deck was given over to tourist class accommodation, which lacked private facilities. The first and tourist class shared an entrance hall slightly aft of midships.

Tourist class was a perfect median between the lavish first class and the spartan cabin class aboard CAMBODGE.

A sheltered promenade aft of the tourist accommodation led to the only designated public room for this category, the tourist class Saloon. The port side contained a small bar and was linked to the starboard side by a narrow gallery. A painting by Hambourg entitled "Pentecote de Honfleur" would serve as its main decorative fixture.

B Deck began with more cabin accommodation and the cabin class entrance. In the midships section, the glorious first class Dining Saloon spanned the width of the ship with its domed center ceiling and grand descent. Fluorescent lighting recreated daylight in this sheltered portion of the ship where a low and central setting in the hull was most appropriate in rough seas. Within its mirrored, double height were sculptor Guy Revol's Naides reliefs and Grau Sala's painting that evoked the spirit of Paris.

Aft of the galley and on the starboard side of B Deck, the tourist Dining Saloon was accessed by a ramp-like stair tower. Although not as ornate as the first class room, it was still quite handsome with its blond paneling, brass fixtures, and red leather chairs. It featured two interpretive paintings by Arthur Fages and doubled as a cinema.

A Deck housed more cabin accommodation and the luggage room, wrapping up the passenger quarters on board CAMBODGE. The rest of the spaces were devoted to crew, cargo, and machinery. The ship's original steam turbine power plant endures to this day, a testament to its construction and maintenance over the years.

Back to the top, the wheelhouse was unusual for its enclosed width. Only the smallest portion of either wing was exposed to the open air.

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