Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa - Regent Rainbow - Emerald

 

 

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of Grace Line's Santa Rosa, which was rebuilt to become The Regency Cruises' Regent Rainbow.

 

Two new liners called Santa Rosa and Santa Paula entered service for Grace Line 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 Cruises in 1992, although surprisingly she retained her steam turbine engines. Regency Cruises were declared bankrupt soon afterwards, but in 2001 the ships sails on as the Emerald for Thomson Cruises.

 

 

hip Names on this Page:-

Santa Rosa - Grace Line: 1958-71

Regent Rainbow - Regency Cruises: 1992-95

Emerald - Louis Cruises (Thomson charter) 1995-

 

Associated Pages:-

Grace Line

Louis Cruise Line

Regency Cruise Line

Thomson Cruise Line

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcards

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

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Santa Rosa

(Grace Line: 1958-1971)

 

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 Cruises in 1992, although surprisingly she retained her steam turbine engines. Regency Cruises were declared bankrupt soon afterwards, but in 2001 the ships sails on as the Emerald for Thomson Cruises.

 

 

"These ultramodern 20,000-ton luxury liners, air-conditioned throughout and stabilized 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".

 

 

 

Ensign plain-backed photographic postcard of Santa Rosa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regent Rainbow

(Regency: 1992-95)

 

Regent Rainbow was built as the Grace Line Santa Rosa in 1957 for their New York-Central America service. She was laid up for 20 years before sale to the Lelakis group in 1990. Following a substantial rebuilding (although keeping her steam turbines), she returned to service in 1992 named Regent Rainbow in the Regency Cruises fleet. Since the Regency Cruises bankruptcy she served as Emerald under charter to Thomson Cruises, which she continues in 2001, although now owned by Louis Cruise Lines.

 

 

Regency official postcard (serial number P81673) of Regent Rainbow.

 

 

 

Simplon Postcards serial number sc2044 (issued November 1993) of Regent Rainbow. Photo by Mike Ralph at Tampa, Florida, before maiden voyage as Regent Rainbow in January 1993. Follow this link to see a list of all Simplon cruise ship postcards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emerald

(Thomson Charter: 1995- )

 

Thomson's fourth charter was the Emerald, originally the Grace Line's Santa Rosa, but substantially rebuilt to become the Regent Rainbow in 1992, retained her steam turbine engines. She remains with Thomson for 2003, charterd from owners Louis Cruise Lines.

 

 

Official Thomson postcard.

 

 

 

Official Thomson postcard.

 

 

 

Official Thomson postcard.

 

 

 

Simplon Postcards sc2149, released in May 2000, of Emerald.

Photo by Tony Davies, at Guadaloupe.

Follow this link to see a list of all Simplon cruise ship postcards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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