By Esther Myers Wenzel |
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Bon Voyage note
Watching a tournament aboard ship
Fellow Passengers |
Introduction In 1996, Larksfield resident Esther Myers Wenzel was interviewed as part of the I, Witness to History Oral History Program in Retirement Communities. The audiotape was archived at the Ablah Library at Wichita State University after a transcript was prepared. Since then, the Resource Learning Center at Larksfield has helped her develop these web pages about two specific events of popular and historical interest in her life that took place in 1936:
Esther Myers was 20 at the time of her cruise and she saved all of her bon voyage cards, notes and menus. Some of that memorabilia is presented here for your enjoyment, along with selected photos. Terryl Asla
We were to sail at midnight from New York City, so about 6:30 that evening we left by taxi for the pier. There were 1600 passengers on the Berengaria and a crew of 750 making a total of 2350 people aboard. As we left our taxi, we became a part of the surging mass of people entering the huge sailing dock. Peddlers cried out, "Flowers for your friends-- buy your gardenias here."
I had invited a dear college friend who was studying in New York that summer to come down to the pier and see me off. Little did I know about such mobs. Of course we never found one another. Throngs of people pushed their way off the ship as the warning gongs sounded. Right on the dot, sailors loosened the ropes and the gangplanks were pulled over onto the pier. As the Berengaria pulled away, the crowd of 25,000 cheered wildly and waved goodbye. We watched the magnificent skyline of Manhattan pass by and the lights of Brooklyn, Coney, and Jersey were aglow. Lady Liberty bade us a fond farewell.
My traveling companions and I were students. We traveled second and third class as most students did in those days. This meant that there were 2 to 4 people in each cabin. Our accommodations were comfortable but not luxurious by any means. We were housed in a lower level of the ship with our own lounges and dining rooms. In fact, all ships at that time were divided into distinct classes and a higher class part of the ship was strictly off limits for lower class passengers. Only if you were invited to accompany a passenger who had a cabin in a "higher class," you could go into that part of the ship to see an entertainment, eat in the dining room, or dance in the ballroom, etc. We were fortunate to meet people who invited us to those first class events, and we enjoyed the lovely parts of the ship. Sixty years ago in 1936, the Exercise Age had not yet arrived . For 65 cents, the ship traveler rented a deck chair and blanket for the duration of the trip. You rented a chair on the south side of the ship, of course, to catch any possible sun. You were prepared to spend the time enjoying the sea air and a good book. This advice came from those who made the trip often, but occasionally one walked the deck. Exercise Rooms were unheard of at that time. However, there were numerous indoor games, movies, a library, and many kinds of entertainments to please the travelers. First Class dining was formal on all nights except the first and last, as they are on liners today. Other class passengers were very informal. Sunday church services were conducted for Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic passengers. The Queen Mary liner was the marvel of 1936. When she passed close to us traveling to New York, we sent "ocean letters" via the Queen home to relatives. We knew the messages would arrive several days ahead of any we could send from our ship. The leisurely style of travel aboard ship was restful and relaxing. One could prepare for the busy days ahead, and there was no such thing as jet lag. On the sixth day, we were up before dawn and out on the deck to see land! In the gray mist of morning, there lay France. The lights of Cherbourg twinkled faintly. The gently rolling hills stretched away from the coast where trees and patches of green hills could be seen. A lighthouse and ten forts built at the time of Napoleon came into view. Slowly, as the light grew brighter we could see the spires of the buildings of Cherbourg. Several tenders guided our huge ship up to the customs building and finally we were in France. We could savor every bit of this exciting experience. It was very different from arriving at an airport, where one is often tired and feeling jet lagged. A journey by ship gives one a chance to prepare for the sights and sounds of another world, to savor the change in customs, to bid goodbye to a familiar lifestyle and to embrace another lifestyle. I have been privileged to travel to Europe twice by ship and have flown back and forth several times since. I think if time permits, an ocean voyage is the perfect way to "get there." What a shame Americans are always in such a hurry, because an ocean voyage is half the fun.
Copyright
© 1996, 2000, Esther Wenzel. "I, Witness to History" and
logo are trademarks of Wesley Retirement Communities, Inc., d/b/a
Larksfield Place. All rights reserved. |
They say getting there is half the fun. And so it was. In those
days traveling to Europe was only possible by ship. In 1936, when I made the trip to do
graduate study for two months and to see the 
We were told that 12,000 people paid 10
cents each to get on the ship and visit their friends until sailing time. Many a thousand
didn’t get on, but stood out on the pier. 
