Home Line Postcards



This page is devoted to postcards of the Home Lines fleet. The table below gives links to complete postcard career histories of some of the ships. Below the table are official company and commercial cards of the Home Lines fleet. Ship heading dates refer to the time within the Home Lines fleet.

Home Lines began operations in 1946 by purchasing the Norwegian America liner Bergensfjord, which was renamed Argentina and used on services to South America from the company's base, Genoa. Home Lines ships were registered in Panama, the company chairman was Greek (Eugen Eugenides), and crews were Italian. There were connections with both Cosulich Lines, who were managers of the Argentina, and Swedish America Lines (Axel Johnson, manager of Swedish America, was also manager of South Atlantic Lines who initially managed the Brasil and Italia). Additional ships were acquired, and services successfully switched to the North Atlantic, and then cruising. Home Lines were one of the most highly regarded of cruise lines, with superb purpose-built ships, when they were purchased by Holland America Line in 1988.

Eugen Eugenides' adopted son, Vernicos Eugenides, also founded the Hamburg Atlantik Line, whose Hanseatic (2) later joined Home Lines as the Doric. Vernicos Eugenides was later president of both Hamburg Atlantik and Home Lines.


Ships on this Page:-
Argentina
Atlantic (1) - 1927
Atlantic (2) - 1981
Brasil
Doric
Homeland
Homeric (1) - 1931
Homeric (2) - 1985
Italia
Oceanic
Queen Frederica

Associated Pages:-
Holland America Line
Mediterranean Shipping Cruises
Norwegian America Line
Premier Cruise Line
Regency Cruises
Swedish America Line
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page

References:-
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Table of Ship Histories
Name Other Names Built Atlantic (1) Malolo, Matsonia, Queen Frederica 1927 Homeric (1) Mariposa 1931 Oceanic StarShip Oceanic, Big Red Boat I 1965 Doric Shalom, Hanseatic, Royal Odyssey, Regent Sun, Sun Venture 1964 Atlantic (2) StarShip Atlantic, Melody 1981 Homeric (2) Westerdam 1985 Home Lines Fleet List


Argentina
(Home Lines: 1947-1953)

Argentina was built as the Bergensfjord for Norwegian America Line in 1913. She was bought by Home Lines in 1946, and entered service on Genoa-South America routes the following year. She later switched to North Atlantic services and was sold to Zim in 1953, as their Jerusalem. I do not own any cards of Argentina - if you can help, please email: simplon@simplon.co.uk


Home Lines official of Argentina
Scan: Ralph O'Hara.



Home Lines official of Argentina
Scan: Ralph O'Hara.



Home Lines official of Argentina
Scan: Ralph O'Hara.



Postcard of Argentina
Scan: Ralph O'Hara.



Officers on Argentina (1948 or 1949)
Scan: Sergio de Luyk
Click to open larger image in new window






Brasil - Homeland
(Home Lines: 1948-1955)

Brasil was built in 1904 as the Allan Liner Virginian. She was sold in 1920 to become the Swedish American liner Drottningholm. Home Lines purchased her in 1948, and renamed her Brasil for their Genoa-South America services. In 1950 she was switched to a Genoa-Naples-Halifax-New York route. In 1951 she was renamed Homeland, and also operated services from Germany. She was sold for scrap in 1955.


An Allan Line official card for the sisters Victorian and Virginian.



A Swedish American card showing the Drottningholm, with black hull.



A second Swedish American card showing the Drottningholm, with white hull.



The following Home Lines card shows the Home Lines' Brasil.



Photograph of Brasil from Argentina
Photo: Captain Giuseppe de Luyk in 1948 - Scan: Sergio de Luyk
Click to open larger image in new window






Italia
(Home Lines: 1948-1964)

Italia was built in 1928 as the Swedish American Liner Kungsholm. She was renamed John Ericsson in 1942 and sold to Home Lines in 1948, who renamed her Italia for their Genoa-South America services. She soon switched to the North Atlantic, sailing to both Genoa and Germany. Home Lines had run winter cruises in the 1950s, but it 1963 decided to abandon their North Atlantic routes and go cruising full-time with a year-round route from New York to Nassau. Replaced soon afterwards by their Homeric, Italia was sold for use in Freeport as the floating hotel Imperial Bahama, but was sold for scrap shortly afterwards, arriving in Bilbao on September 8th 1965.


A Swedish American card of the Kungsholm of 1928.



Homes Lines official card of Italia, printed in Italy, are shown below; the bottom one advertises "7-day Sun-Way Cruises to Nassau in the Bahamas. Sailing from New York every Saturday".



Homes Lines official card of Italia, printed in Italy



Homes Lines official card of Italia, printed in Italy



Homes Lines official card of Italia, printed in Italy
Caption: "7-day Sun-Way Cruises to Nassau in the Bahamas. Sailing from New York every Saturday"



A superb Conwa real photograph card of Italia, at Hamburg (serial G113).



A real photographic card of Italia, on the River Elbe.



Italia at Cuxhaven, River Elbe.



Italia at Cuxhaven, River Elbe (variation on the card above).



Italia at Cuxhaven, River Elbe.



CT Postcards 005 of Italia, leaving Cuxhaven on July 14th 1958. The photo is by John Bloke.
Follow this link to a list of other cards published by CT.






Atlantic (1) - Queen Frederica (Home Lines: 1949-1954)
Built in 1927 as Malolo for Matson Lines. In 1937 she was renamed Matsonia. Home Lines bought her in 1948 and renamed her Atlantic. In 1954 she was transferred to National Hellenic American Line (a Home Lines subsidiary) and named Queen Frederica. She retained this name when the National Hellenic American Line was bought by Chandris Lines in 1965, who continued to use both company names on the postcards shown below. She was laid up in the River Dart in the early 1970s, but had a charter to Sun Cruises in 1973. She was then laid up in Greece until burnt out and then scrapped in 1978.
A complete history of this ship is shown on this link.
This is a Matson Lines card as Matsonia



Home Lines official card of Atlantic.



This is a Home Lines card as Atlantic.



Atlantic leaving Genoa, 1949
Photo: Captain Giuseppe de Luyk - Scan: Sergio de Luyk
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Atlantic in rough seas, 1949
Photo: Captain Giuseppe de Luyk - Scan: Sergio de Luyk
Click to open larger image in new window



National Hellenic American Lines card of Queen Frederica.



National Hellenic American Lines card of Queen Frederica.
Click to open larger image in new window
Homeric (1) (Home Lines: 1954-1973)
Built in 1931 as Mariposa for Matson Lines. She was "mothballed" from 1947-53. Home Lines bought her in 1953 and renamed her Homeric. She was introduced on their North Atlantic service in 1955, running cruises to the West Indies in the winter. In 1964 she began year-round cruising, replacing the Italia on the New York-Nassau run, though was soon replaced in turn by the magnificent new Oceanic, being reassigned to Caribbean cruising. She suffered a major galley and restaurant fire in 1973, followed by scrapping in 1974.

Three versions of the same painting are shown below. Note the changes to window arrangements on the second two cards, and the different cloud effects in the third card.












Spanjersberg of Rotterdam issued this photographic version of Homeric taken from a painting similar to those above.



Postcard of Homeric



Two T.Raynor photographic cards of Homeric.


Oceanic
(Home Lines: 1963-1986)

The Oceanic was completed in 1963 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone. She was Home Line first purpose-built ship, designed as a two-class liner to operate in summer on their Canadian route from Cuxhaven, le Havre and Southampton. By the time of her delivery, Home Lines had dropped the Atlantic liner voyages, and Oceanic ran 7-day cruises to Nassau from New York through the summer. In winter she ran longer trips to the Caribbean. She was sold to Premier in 1985, when replaced by the new Homeric (2). She was later renamed StarShip Oceanic, but was frequently marketed as the Big Red Boat. This dreadful title later became her official name. In 2001 she was acquired by Spanish tours company Pullmantur. Oceanic was sold to the Japanese Peace Boat organisation in 2009.

A complete history of this ship is shown on this link.



Advance official Home Lines card of Oceanic.
Caption: "The ship of the Future"
Click either image to open larger copy in new window



A later variation of the Home Lines card above.
Caption: "The largest ship ever designed for year round cruises - 39241 Tons"
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Official Home Lines photographic cards of Oceanic.
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Official Home Lines photographic cards of Oceanic.
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Official Home Lines photographic cards of Oceanic.
Variation on the card above
Click either image to open larger copy in new window



Official Home Lines photographic cards of Oceanic.
Click on either image to open larger copy in new window



Official Home Lines photographic cards of Oceanic.






Doric
(Home Lines: 1973-1980)

Home Lines needed to find a replacement for the fire-damaged Homeric(1) in 1973. They found a most suitable vessel in the shape of the Hanseatic, built as Zim Lines Shalom in 1964. She served with Home Lines as Doric until the new Atlantic was delivered in 1981, when she was sold to Royal Cruise Lines as their Royal Odyssey. She sank in 2001 on the way to the breakers.

A complete history of this ship is shown on this link.


An official Home Lines card.



An official Home Lines card.



An official Home Lines card.
Scan: Ken Murayama.



Lustrachrome card K101237 of Doric at Hamilton, Bermuda.
Photo by Bruce Miley.



This Schoning and Schmidt card of Doric in the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal looks as if it is a retouched version of a Hanseatic card.
I wondered whether Doric ever sailed through the Kiel Canal. Russell Hill writes:- "I don't know for sure, but it is quite possible. I remember
that when Home Lines purchased her from German Atlantic they had her refurbished (or at least renamed and repainted) in Germany. They
then ran a series of Baltic and Norwegian Fjords and further North cruises out of Germany (I thnk that was the only time Home Lines ran
cruises in Europe). I remember I was hoping to take one that ran right up to the Arctic Icefield North of Spitzbergen, but couldn't swing it."






Atlantic (2)
(Home Lines:1981-1988)

The Atlantic joined the Oceanic in 1981, replacing the Doric which had been owned since 1971. She was sold to Premier Cruises in 1988, shortly after Home Lines were bought by Holland America Line, joining her former running mate as the StarShip Atlantic. She was sold again in 1996, becoming the Melody for MSC.

A complete history of this ship is shown on this link.


This is the advance Home Lines official card of Atlantic.
" Proudly introducing MV Atlantic, now under construction in France, the crest of a new wave in cruising."



The same Home Lines official card of Atlantic with revised title after she entered service.
" the All-New m/v Atlantic, the crest of a new wave in cruising. Italian crew - Liberian registry."



Home Lines official photographic card of Atlantic.



Home Lines official photographic card of Atlantic.



Home Lines official photographic card of Atlantic.



Home Lines official photographic card of Atlantic.






Homeric (2)
(Home Lines: 1985-1988)

Homeric replaced the Oceanic in the Home Lines fleet. Soon afterwards, Home Lines were bought by Holland America, who in turn were bought by Carnival. She survives (2000) as the Westerdam.

A complete history of this ship is shown on this link.


This is the advance official Home Lines card of Homeric (2).
"Proudly Introducing MV Homeric. Now under construction. Italian crew - Panamanian Registry. About 34000 tons".



Official Home Lines photographic postcard of Homeric (2).
Scan: Ken Murayama.



Official Home Lines photographic postcard of Homeric (2).



Official Home Lines photographic postcard of Homeric (2).






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Name	Other Names	Built
Atlantic (1)	Malolo, Matsonia, Queen Frederica	1927
Homeric (1)	Mariposa	1931
Oceanic	StarShip Oceanic, Big Red Boat I	1965
Doric	Shalom, Hanseatic, Royal Odyssey, Regent Sun, Sun Venture	1964
Atlantic (2)	StarShip Atlantic, Melody	1981
Homeric (2)	Westerdam	1985