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ss Evangeline

Some Notable Early Cruise Ships from Miami

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5,002 tons; length 379 ft., width 56 ft., draft 20 ft., 18 knots; 186 cabins; 365 passengers; steam turbines, twin screw; built 1927, sunk 1965

ss EvangelineGo to ss Evangeline brochure



ss Evangeline 7-day cruises from Miami to Jamaica, Haiti & Nassau brochure effective June 1, 1962
Click cover for full brochure
Evangeline shared a similar early history with its sister-ship Yarmouth, frequently assigned to the Boston-Yarmouth route. After World War II, Evangeline was converted to a cruise ship and in 1954 it was also sold to Eastern Shipping Corporation, and based in Miami. The neat little ship was given an aft swimming pool, air-conditioning was installed in all public areas and 50% of cabins, and capacity was limited to 350 guests. Of the 186 staterooms, 74 included some kind of private bathroom facilities. Evangeline offered mainly 4, 7, 10 and 14-day cruises from Miami to Cuba and the Caribbean. Being a great success, it was completely air-conditioned in 1957.

3 and 4 Day Cruises to Nassau Both at the Same Low Minimum $54.00 All Expense
Lv. MiamiMon. & Fri.5:00 PM
Ar. NassauTue. & Sat.9:00 AM
Lv. NassauThu. & Sun.5:00 PM
Ar. MiamiFri. & Mon.9:00 AM

Cover of brochure for ss Evangeline 7, 10 & 14 day cruises from Miami to the  West Indies, Caribbean and South America After a brief layup, Eastern sold the Evangeline in 1963 to the same company as Yarmouth, who then renamed it Yarmouth Castle. First it was chartered for cruises from New York to Nassau in 1964, but it was unable to satisfy the terms of the charter. For a few years the sisters operated in tandem, with sailings from Miami to Nassau and Freeport every Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. But it all came to a horrible end on the morning of November 13, 1965 as the Yarmouth Castle was about 10 miles northwest of Great Stirrup Cay while enroute from Miami to Nassau.

Cover of ss Yarmouth Castle brochure for 7-day cruises from New York to Nassau A fire that started in unoccupied cabin #610 went undetected until it was too late. The bridge burned before an alarm could be given, and the Captain left on the first boat. Chaos prevailed. The paint that had been layered on the ropes and davits over the years made it difficult for the poorly-prepared crew to launch lifeboats. In the end 90 lives were lost when the Yarmouth Castle burned and sank.

Following the disaster, there was little that could be done to counter the concerns of the public over fire safety, so its sister-ship Yarmouth was sold and Yarmouth Cruise Lines went out of business.

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