I had never heard of the TS Bremen, but when I saw a schedule for a 1970 cruise to the Caribbean, I quickly picked it up. Cruises are still big business, and I was curious about whether they had changed much in nearly 50 years.
I went on a Mediterranean cruise with friends last October, and every minute was planned to keep us occupied aboard that fancy hotel on water. We could eat at any time we wanted, partake of daily and nightly entertainment, or just enjoy the Mediterranean.
So, had it changed much from then to now, I wondered.
Opening the schedule for the last day of this April 1970 cruise, I found my answer. It was chock full of activities, but it offered more than merely things to do. It was an historical peek into the pastimes of the day: trap shooting (with clay pigeons), card games (replaced by casinos), tea time, glee club and “ham in crust” for a late-night meal.
Early risers could get a cup of coffee (on the veranda) before the 7:30 start of breakfast on this grand ship, and erase all of those calories afterward with calisthenics (described as “easy gymnastics”).
The activities kept you busy, entertained and occupied: a quiz titled “Jumbled Cities and Where Are You,” with prizes; dance class; a brass band performance; card games; lunch in the dining room; bingo; musical tea time; Mass; trap shooting and cocktail hour.
The movie “At Any Price” with Walter Pidgeon was showing in the early afternoon and “The Games” with Ryan O’Neal and Michael Crawford was on the screen that night.
This was the last night of the 1 1/2-week Caribbean cruise (April 6-16), and dress was formal.
The captain was holding a farewell champagne dinner, followed by a ship auction of the cruise chart and a presentation of prizes won during the cruise. You could pick from a variety of music at various spots on the ship, including a concert by the TS Bremen Men’s Glee Club, and dance and song in the tavern. Or you could go to the Pine Room Bar to see Pernel the magician, who might drop by your table to do card tricks. I believe this was a magician whose real name was Joe Geistwhite.
You could end the night with a cold buffet on the promenade deck, featuring “Ham in Crust and Side Dishes.”
The daily schedule also announced winners for a costume party: artistic (Hawaiian Honeymooners and Queen of Araby); original (Indian Dancer and the Dolly Sisters); humorous (Before and After the Cruise and Madcap Maharani). Special awards went to the Clown and Hula Girls.
This cruise also featured the ship crew taking your official photograph, which you could purchase.
The TS Bremen was said to be one of the most popular ocean liners crossing the Atlantic. It began as a ship called the SS Pasteur (named after the famous scientist Louis Pasteur), a passenger and freight vessel built in the 1930s in France. During World War II, the Pasteur was passed to Great Britain after the defeat of France by the Germans and was used as a troop transport ship. After the war, it was returned to its original owners.
It was then acquired by a German company, renamed TS Bremen in 1957 and refitted. Three years later, it crossed the Atlantic Ocean with 28,000 people from Europe to the United States. The ship began offering cruises to the Caribbean and South America that same year. The Bremen spent most of the time in the 1970s as an ocean liner after air travel became more popular.
The TS Bremen made her final voyage in 1971, a few years after its original owner merged with another shipping company. The ship was again refitted and sailed under the name TSS Regina.
