OCEAN LINER RMS TRANSVAAL CASTLE "THE FRIENDLY SHIP" PROMOTIONAL FILM74392

[@margaretthornton764]

My husband worked on board the Vaal as he did on many other Union Castle ships. I met him on the Eddy. I was married to him for 52 yrs.

[@Croydonjohnny]

Sweet

[@dreamdiction]

margaret thornton I suppose "the Eddy" is the Edinburgh Castle. Please tell us the nicknames for the other ships?

[@boataxe4605]

And today a crew member would be fired for hitting on/picking up a passenger. My father was a Captain and he met my mother when she was a passenger aboard his boat ( and they were married for 30 years till his death)) nowadays I wouldn’t exist.

[@richardnevillewalker672]

Thank you for sharing. Nobody can take the memories away!

[@johnmiller9024]

@@dreamdiction the Eddy would be Edinburgh Castle

[@brianspiller8726]

Great ship.I was a lowly 3rd Officer on her in 1967. Fond memories

[@gordonthoy4329]

Did you by any chance remember or work with a Dale Adamson who would have been a barman/steward?

[@michaelmarch2367]

My family and I were on the maiden voyage from Durban via Cape Town to Southampton, I still have the "Crossing the line" certificate dated 22 February 1962

[@noodlebike]

Came back from Durban to Southampton as a 6 year old on her when she was the SA Vaal. I'm 52 now. Fascinating watching this.

[@LadyMorgana75]

Wow! I did that same trip in 1977 aged 2 :) with my family, obviously.

[@paullewis2413]

I think the liner they pass at 10:35 is Union Castle's "Edinburgh Castle" The 60's was the last era before mass travel when ships were a genuine sea going experience unlike the floating shopping malls/condos of today complete with junk food outlets. Spent 5 weeks on board P&O's Chusan, Southampton to Sydney via Cape Town and enjoyed every single minute - I was 19 at the time and never got bored, so many intelligent and interesting passengers.

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

This was a wonderful ship. I sailed on it in 1979 when it was the TSS Festivale. I was 16 and had the time of my life. What great memories. It was a sad day when I discovered she had been scrapped in Alang.

[@werksdesign]

I prefer the elegance of these ships to the floating condos and shopping malls of today.

[@tylerchristensen7434]

werksdesign Yes there was definitely something elegant about them wasn't there? However I prefer cruise ship designs of today over the ones that are coming up! We'll miss Ocean liners and cruise ships of the past dearly!

[@Sennmut]

Yes, they do seem more on a Human scale, than the glorified malls we see now.

[@vanessadillon3421]

Now they're highrise Hotels on a barge. I went thru a typhoon in 1967 With 100' seas on the Pacific. A lot of us were injured but we didn't sink and we all Survived. One of the Ships of today would Just rollover and sink So quickly that all souls would perish.

[@Inpri]

Such an elegant, civilized way to travel from Point A to Point B. I've been fortunate enough to have crossed the Atlantic three times by ocean liner (once on the QE2 and twice on the QM2).

[@hsmedsvik]

This was an Ocean Liner, not to be confused and compared with a Cruise Ship. With the advent of large passenger jet aircraft in the 1960s, intercontinental travelers switched from ships to planes sending the ocean liner trade into a terminal decline. Certain characteristics of older ocean liners made them unsuitable for cruising duties, such as high fuel consumption, deep draught preventing them from entering shallow ports, and cabins (often windowless) designed to maximize passenger numbers rather than comfort.

[@rapman5791]

Well said

[@adrianlarkins7259]

I travelled in her as the SA Vaal twice. Does anyone out there remember "Jacks bar" AKA The Cellar bar? Jack was the barman who sported a huge handlebar moustache. She was a wonderful ship. The food excellent. She was meant to be classless but in reality depending on the grade of cabin, so you were treated accordingly.

[@CJODell12]

John Brown & Company was every bit as good as Harland & Wolff at building amazing liners.

[@vdc4431]

I like pink and flowers, but that cabin had A LOT of pink and flowers.

[@CarlySmith001]

Just a few

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Smashing film! Thank you so much for posting it. Glad to see any others you may have.

[@robrichards6979]

I served on Union Castle ships for six years in the 1960s. Starting with the Stirling Castle (captain Cambridge) followed by the Capetown Castle, then the Athlone Castle, one trip only on that one. Not a happy ship. Then the Pretoria Castle, She wasa good ship. And finally the Transvaal Castle, Captain Lloyd (Logger) That was a wonderful ship, I was serving on her when she was sold to Safmarine. And became the SA Vaal, Remember Sailing into Southampton in 1966, and seeing dozens of ships tied up three abreast. The bloody seamans strike Had started. That was a miserable time.

[@numbersix100]

Three generations of my family served as Chief Engineers with the Union castle line for almost !00 years. It started with; Thomas Stewart, qualified as chief on 1/5/1911. Hugh Morrison Stewart, qualified as chief on 15/8/1931. Ticket number 71731. Hugh served the company for over 50 years. He eventually was made superintendent engineer for the line supervising construction of the ships. And most recently my uncle; Andrew Morrison stewart, qualified as chief on 17/10/1968. Ticket number 116268. Andrew met and married a Durban lady called Mary and emigrated to South Africa where he worked for the South African harbour service. I was brought up with stories from Andrew and Hugh about their times with UCL. Sad they’re not here now to enjoy these posts on KZbin

[@psychedelicminefield]

Sailed on this in 74 had the award for best (& cleanest) galley in the british merchant fleet had great fun

[@steveclarkson100]

I remember her well when I travelled on her on her voyage 22 from Capetown to Southampton in 1965, the year before she was sold. I was 18 years old.

[@charlesm.9858]

Stephen Clarkson wow! Very COOL to know!

[@faithmoore3243]

Stephen Clarkson how was it back then ? The food ? Did they have midnight buffets, room service? Was the drinks free? Was the excursions free? As supposed to being entertained, It appeared to be families or people many interacting with one another .

[@ChrisLove713]

amazing -- what a trip back in time! I wish I could time travel and take that cruise.

[@anthonypike8838]

Sailed on the SA Vaal Southampton to Cape Town in 1966....beautiful ship

[@brianmorrison9168]

My late father was with Union Castle for many years and made it to Chief Engineer. As a child I fancied that life too, eating with the passengers and parading around deck with my white uniform, peaked cap and stripes. When told I would have to start in the actual engine room, I decided that life wasn't for me after all .. I would have gotten my white shorts dirty

[@gavinchoyce2161]

I travelled northbound on the SA Vaal in 1975 and 1976. Isn't the junior purser in the film talking to the hotel manager dear old Derek Wickenden who later became a Chief purser?

[@vall9823]

I was on the Bloemfontein Castle from Southampton to Cape Town. Arriving in Cape Town in January 1957. As young as I was, a voyage never forgotten. What a great time we had. Good memories. I saw that she was sold in 1959 to Greece and was used as a cargo ship. I wonder if she still cruising the seas?.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Sold to Pakistani breakers in 1987. Razor blades.

[@richardnevillewalker672]

She was sold to the Greeks, but remained a passenger ship - on the Europe to Australia migrant run for many years as Patris. Later still she was used as a ferry in the Mediterranean.

[@overlandworkshop]

Thats a rare treat! Thanks for posting.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Absolutely fabulous!!!

[@stephenbritton9297]

Scrapped in Alang, 2003/4. Last served as the tacky "Big Red Boat III" running cheap cruises in the Gulf of Mexico until Premier Cruise Lines went belly up...

[@brianhollenbeck8633]

Beautiful ship.😇👑🌎🌍🌏

[@galoon]

Very nice, comfortable ship--I sailed on her as the Carnival Cruise Line's Festivale, on a cruise from San Juan to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Barbados, and Martinique back in 1988. The interiors had been totally redone from what I'm seeing in this video (Carnival had that done in Japan when they acquired her in 1977), but her outward appearance was substantially the same. The weather was pleasant, so I spent a lot of time outside on her decks--and in the pool!

[@reinhardsiegel7533]

This brings back memories of the time I came to South Africa with my mother on the Pretoria Castle in April 1952. I received a certificate for having crossed the Equator. Unfortunately the certificate got mislaid over the years. Subsequently I have been on the SA Vaal (Transvaal Castle), Windsor Castle and Pendennis Castle.

[@jeffmorse645]

I would have loved to have taken that trip.

[@seeyouinmist3924]

i knew a ex-chef who worked on this chef, said that the crew were "at it" non stop......

[@leaturk11]

well.. it was the 60's

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

I can believe that! Take a look at the ladies serving dinner, they did not look happy, probably overworked and stressed.

[@SamSung-sr9ut]

They were magic ships to sail in I sailed on the Windsor castle, two very good friends were on the Vaal. We were engineers so had a grand time beautiful machines and the coastal’s were always great. Bygone days all the staff were British all the way down to the steam queens. You will never see such camaraderie at sea now.

[@lowiepete]

oh, and we almost got paid, but notalot... My memory is the day the Kennedy was shot. I was a 16 years old and a callender boy in the laundry on my 2nd trip; Voyage 13 from recollection. The ship was in very rough seas and I was walking past one of the pantries on the working alleyway when there was a resounding metal crash. Several trays of sole fillets, prepared on stainless steel trays ready for the steamer, had slid off the end of the counter, emptying their contents as they toppled and hit the deck. For some reason, passengers from the Cape would go mad for fish in the ships' restaurants. Transvaal was a bit more modern than her sisters, with bulkheads and doors in crew areas covered in pale blue composite materials that would chip easily. Most crew were housed in 2 or 4 bunk cabins. The ship was hard work, we worked a 50 hour week (9 hours Mon to Fri and 5 hours on Sat for a whole £16 a month!). We didn't even get a day off in S.A. (4 days in Capetown on return leg) so getting to the top of Table Mountain would wait until a trip on a different ship. In the tropics the air conditioning was useless in the laundry and the ship's doctor would bring us boys salt tablets and a case of beer each day. It was happy enough on board, not as haughty as the flagship Windsor crew, yet nowhere near as friendly and settled as the Pretoria. The ships with the best reputations were the Pretoria & Capetown. There wasn't much time for crew entertainment and us lads were not allowed in the "pig", other than on nights such as crossing the line. My favourite spot on the ship was leaning on the port side oval shaped hatch of the poop deck. On the warm nights, it provided a fresh breeze with regular relaxing glimpses of flying-fish getting reflected in the lights from the portholes. The film is a bit short on facts, the first port of call outbound was a few hours' stop at Funchal, Madeira. Some ships called at St Helena, others at Walvis Bay. Las Palmas was usually visited on the return leg. Interesting also how the language changes. Stewardesses suddenly become Stewardettes?

[@christineking6460]

I was fortunate enough to be invited to dinner with the then Captain Patey ? I was just 17 and it was a freezing January day I think... can anyone confirm the actual date in 1962 it sailed from Southampton. I have memories of making my own suit at school for O levels, and it split up the inverted pleat at the back as we stepped over the entrance to the ship .. hahah...

[@faithmoore3243]

Christine King Stephen Clarkson how was it back then ? The food ? Did they have midnight buffets, room service? Was the drinks free? Was the excursions free? As supposed to being entertained, It appeared to be families or people many interacting with one another .

[@yuzik7932]

Красивые кадры, из прошлой жизни... Интересно!... 😊🔥👍

[@alexmchugh9385]

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of this promo film ,as my dad used to work on these castle ships,he would love to see this

[@DustinTheNinja]

You can download it through a KZbin grabber

[@ralphkeeney]

What happened to the silver service you once got when i worked on Capetown and Pendennis Castles?? Looks like plate service here.

[@leaturk11]

@ 0:30 its Stephen Fry on the bridge!

[@atomsmash100]

Her original owners did not keep her very long. Surprising considering the cost to build. This must have been a long voyage at 6000 miles.

[@TheVaughan5]

I remember seeing this ship at Southampton in the 60's when I was very young. Far more elegant lines than today's toads but she looks a bit cheap and poor inside and very dated.

[@1940limited]

I'd still be happy to sail on it.

[@robertbrawley5048]

Yes no elegance in the interior decoration . Looked akin the inexpensive stage setting. Every much like the 1960s on land and afloat

[@werksdesign]

At 0:26 is the SS United States or the SS America in the background.

[@leaturk11]

well spotted sir

[@paullewis2413]

I'd say it was the America, doesn't look big enough for the United States. However if this film was made after 1964 it couldn't be the America as she was sold by then to Chandris Lines.

[@atomsmash100]

Good observation!

[@oceanlinerhub5765]

Paul Lewis Nope that’s The United States I know that Look from Anywhere! :)

[@shibolinemress8913]

When I was about 6 months old my family moved from the U.S. to Luxembourg, and we sailed on the United States. It was 1963. A few years later we sailed back on the SS France.

[@mikeoas]

She was beautiful

[@vladimirkolovrat2846]

Complete absence of boogers on board... what a joy. How SA has deteriorated!

[@MichaelBreen.]

Found the racist pig!

[@richardnevillewalker672]

Narrator sounds like the late Peter Wyngarde (aka Jason King)

[@hrxy1]

No he does not

[@boataxe4605]

After the Morrow castle and Yarmoth castle I would never sail on a ship named after a castle.

[@MD-82_B717_TFSFan]

1:36 Horn

[@Mariadelcable]

It was much better before the monster ships and the massification nowadays....

[@rskb1957]

Oh dear, there I was enjoying this and then the section on the Canary Islands. As the narrator starts rattling on about the many canaries the traveller will see there, what do they show? Budgerigars! Not canaries and not even Spanish! Oh well, ignorance is not the preserve of the modern age is it.

[@alanwann9318]

Compare this way of travel to today,s flying experience?

[@peterbradshaw8018]

Which one of them was the porthole murder done on.

[@coolenergygamingvlogs36]

I see the ss United States or ss America

[@drewwakelin7149]

looks like a ship not a livestock transporter

[@drgustaf2450]

Makes it look like there are no windows in any of the public rooms ... Just tacky paintings and oppressive floral prints 😣

[@matthewlips2228]

I'd still rather do a world cruise on her than one of today's floating monsters. You want to see scenery, go outside on deck.

[@rexpositor6741]

Peel a peach? Huh?

[@hesgaming4966]

Around 1:11 did he said Fortnite?

[@hrxy1]

No he said fortnight

[@MD-82_B717_TFSFan]

10:31

[@misterwizz5690]

and not a black face amongst them...........................

[@shantolion1576]

That seemed so wired not to see any other races no Asians or blacks or Indian all white...i was surprised thay let the dark cannery Islanders on board but that ok because thay came to dance for the white folks😂😳

[@kkkk9802]

The ugly ship

[@oceanlinerhub5765]

Ugly?! That thing Is a Beauty!

[@PeoplesChoiceofficial]

TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE !!! Design tragic .... even service restarant wearing this terrible shop like pink uniforms