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This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
Grace Line
These pages are devoted to postcards and photographs of the Grace Lines fleet, which sailed from US ports to South America and the Caribbean between 1913-70. This page covers the post-WW2 fleet only, earlier vessels will be added later. Grace lines were acquired by Prudential Line in 1970, becoming Prudential-Grace Line, then plain Prudential Line in 1974. In 1978, their remaining passenger ships were sold to Delta Line.
Ships on this Page:-
Santa Ana (1)
(1919-28)
- later
Santa Cecilia
Santa Barbera (2)
(1928-40)
Santa Barbara (4)
(1946-68)
Santa Cecilia (1)
(1931-34)
- ex-
Santa Ana (1)
Santa Cecilia (2)
(1946-68)
Santa Clara (2)
(1930-42)
Santa Clara (3)
(1946-63)
Santa Elena (2)
(1932-42)
Santa Elisa (1)
(1920-34)
Santa Isabel (4)
(1946-68)
Santa Lucia (1)
(1932-42)
Santa Luisa (1)
(1920-28)
Santa Luisa (2)
(1946-68)
Santa Magdalena
(1963-78)
Santa Margarita (2)
(1946-68)
Santa Maria (2)
(1928-40)
Santa Maria (4)
(1946-68)
Santa Maria (5)
(1963-78)
Santa Mariana (2)
(1963-78)
Santa Mercedes (2)
(1963-78)
Santa Monica (3)
(1946-63)
Santa Paula (2)
(1932-58)
Santa Paula (2)
(1958-71)
Santa Rosa (2)
(1932-58)
Santa Rosa (3)
(1958-71)
Santa Sofia (1)
(1946-63)
Santa Teresa (1)
(1920-34)
Associated Pages:-
Louis Cruise Line
Regency Cruise Line
Thomson Cruise Line
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
US Ocean Liners
Ocean Liner Postcards For Sale
Simplon Postcards Home Page
References:-
Click on images for details
The Grace Ships:
William Kooiman
, published 1990 by Komar Publishing
American Passenger Ships - Ocean Lines and Liners:
Frederick E. Emmons
, published 1985 by University of Delaware Press
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Name
Other Names
Built
Santa Rosa
Regent Rainbow, Emerald
1958
Santa Ana (1) - Santa Cecilia (1)
(Grace Line: 1919-1934)
Santa Luisa (1) - Santa Ana (2)
(Grace Line: 1920-1928)
Santa Teresa (1)
(Grace Line: 1920-1934)
Santa Elisa (1)
(Grace Line: 1920-1934)
Grace Line built four sisters in 1918, all 360 feet long and around 4800 gross tons. All were initially taken over by the Navy as transports.
Santa Ana (1)
was returned to Grace Line in 1919 for the New York - Valparaiso service. She carried 110 passengers. She was transferred to the Panama Mail Line in 1928, and renamed
Guatemala
. When she returned to Grace Line in 1931, she became the
Santa Cecilia
, and was used on the New York - San Francisco coastal service.
Santa Cecilia
was laid up in 1934, and sold to Merchants & Miners in 1936 as the
Irwin
.
Santa Luisa
was returned to Grace Line in 1920 for the New York - Valparaiso service. She was transferred to the Panama Mail Line in 1928, and renamed
El Salvador
. When she returned to Grace Line in 1931, she became the
Santa Ana (2)
, and was used on the New York - San Francisco coastal service.
Santa Ana (2)
was laid up in 1934, and sold to the Alaska SS Co in 1936, renamed
Mount McKinley
.
Santa Teresa
was returned to Grace Line in 1920 for the New York - Valparaiso service. In 1931 she was transferred to the New York - San Francisco coastal service.
Santa Eliza
was laid up in 1934, , and sold to Merchants & Miners in 1936 as the
Kent
.
Santa Eliza
was returned to Grace Line in 1920 for the New York - Valparaiso service. In 1931 she was transferred to the New York - San Francisco coastal service.
Santa Eliza
was laid up in 1934, and sold to the Alaska SS Co in 1936, renamed
Baranof
.
Grace Line postcard of
Santa Teresa
.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Grace Line postcard of
Santa Elisa
.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Grace Line postcard of
Santa Luisa
.
A pre-war Grace Line passenger list and route map.
Santa Maria (2)
(Grace Line: 1928-40)
Santa Barbera (2)
(Grace Line: 1928-40)
Santa Clara (2)
(Grace Line: 1930-42)
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Santa Rosa (2)
(Grace Line: 1932-58)
Santa Paula (2)
(Grace Line: 1932-58)
Santa Lucia (1)
(Grace Line: 1932-42)
Santa Elena (2)
(Grace Line: 1932-42)
These four superb liners were designed by the Gibb brothers (who later designed the
SS America
) for the Grace Lines inter coastal service from New York to San Francisco and Seattle via the Panama Canal. They entered service in 1932, but the service was soon in trouble financially. In 1934, the
Santa Lucia
was transferred to the New York-South American route, and the Seattle extension was closed. In 1936, the inter coastal service was abandoned altogether, and the three ships on the service began sailings to Caribbean ports. Only the
Santa Rosa
and
Santa Paula
survived the war, and returned to the Caribbean route in 1947.
Santa Lucia
was torpedoed and sunk off Algiers in 1942, serving as
USS Leedstown
.
Santa Elena
was torpedoed in the Mediterranean in 1943, and sank whilst under tow. The two ships were replaced by two new ones with the same names in 1958.
Santa Rosa
became the
Athinai
for Typaldos Lines.
Pre-war postcard of
Santa Elena
.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Pre-war postcard of
Santa Rosa
.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Pre-war postcard of
Santa Lucia
.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Pre-war postcard of
Santa Paula
.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
A post-war Grace Lines card for the two surviving sisters
"These deluxe Grace Line ships maintaining regular cruises to the Caribbean and South America - were built especially for warm
weather cruising. They have all outside staterooms each with private bath; public rooms all on the promenade deck where there is
ample light and air; dining rooms with roll-back domes; clubs with orchestras; and outdoor tiled swimming pools and Beach Decks".
DEP postcard (Paris) serial number:17 of
Santa Rosa.
Postcard of
Santa Rosa
in the Gaillard Cut, Panama Canal.
Photographic postcard of
Santa Paula
.
Photographic postcard of
Santa Rosa
.
Official postcard of
Santa Paula
as
Acropolis
, often written as
Akropolis
Scan: Harold Jordan
Click to open larger image in new window
Official postcard of
Santa Paula
as
Acropolis
, often written as
Akropolis
Alternative scan of the card above
Official postcard of
Santa Rosa
as
Athinai
A Duncan photographic card of
Santa Rosa
as
Athinai
, when laid up in Eleusis Bay
Santa Rosa
as
Athinai
, when laid up in Eleusis Bay June 1986
Photo: © Albert Novelli
Click to open larger image in new window
Santa Barbara (4), Santa Cecilia (2), Santa Isabel (4)
Santa Luisa (2), Santa Margarita (2), Santa Maria (4)
Santa Monica (3), Santa Clara (3), Santa Sofia (1)
Nine cargo-passenger liners were built in 1946, using the uncompleted hulls of wartime C2 fast turbine freighters. They carried 52 passengers. The first six, as listed on the cards below, were used on a service from New York to the West Coast of South America via the Panama Canal. The other three ships ran between New York and Cartagena.
Santa Sofia, Santa Clara
and
Santa Monica
were sold in 1963, when the Santa Magdalena class entered service. The
Santa Barbara
was then renamed
Santa Monica
, and the
Santa Maria
was renamed
Santa Elena
, then
Santa Sofia
. The remaining six ships were sold in 1968, and all members of the class were broken up between 1968-1970.
Generic card for 1956 'Santas'.
"These cargo-passenger Grace Line "Santas" are in regular service between New York, Panama and the West Coast of South
America. Completely air-conditioned, carrying a maximum of 52 passengers in staterooms that are all outside with private baths,
they feature outdoor tiled swimming pools, wide windowed modernly appointed public rooms and intra-ship telephone service".
Santa Rosa (3)
(Grace Line: 1958-71)
Santa Paula (3)
(Grace Line: 1958-71)
Two new liners called
Santa Rosa
and
Santa Paula
entered service in 1958, replacing the pre-war ships of the same name. They were both transferred to Prudential-Grace Lines in 1970, and were laid up the following year.
Santa Paula
eventually became a hotel ship in Kuwait.
Santa Rosa
was laid up in the USA for 20 years, finally being towed to Greece for rebuilding as a cruise ship. She reappeared, barely recognisable, as the
Regent Rainbow
for
Regency Cruise Line
in 1992, although surprisingly she retained her steam turbine engines. Regency were declared bankrupt soon afterwards, but in 2000 the ships sails on as the
Emerald
for
Thomson Cruises
.
Grace Line postcard of
Santa Rosa
and
Santa Paula
"These ultramodern 20,000-ton luxury liners, air-conditioned throughout and stabilised for cruising comfort, were expressly
designed and built to serve the Caribbean. They sail from New York to colourful ports of the Caribbean, South America and
Florida. US Flag ships built and operated to strict US safety standards".
Later issues had the additional note:-
"SAFETY INFORMATION: These ships are registered in the United States of America and
meet international Safety Standards for new ships developed in 1960 and meet the 1966 fire safety requirements".
Grace Line postcard of
Santa Rosa.
Scan:
Rogerio Gouveia
Ensign plain-backed photographic postcard of
Santa Rosa.
Dexter Press postcard serial number:DT-99015-8 of
Santa Paula
in Aruba.
Photo: Larry Witt.