This site is dedicated to the ships and services of the
Ward Line, officially known as the New York and
Cuba Mail Steamship Company.

For 115 years, the Ward Line provided freight and
passenger service to Nassau, Havana, and Mexican
Gulf Ports. The company was a critical link between
these ports and the New York City, and its ships played
a major role in the history of the nations they served.

Many people know the Ward Line only through the
Morro Castle of 1930, the liner whose tragic loss by fire
in September 1934 changed Safety of Life at Sea laws
forever. This site goes beyond the tragic loss of this ship
(the single worst loss of life in U.S. history in peacetime)
to explore the larger company history through images
and memorabilia.

As you look through these pages, keep in mind that
Ward Line ships were not transatlantic giants. They did
not offer the luster of the White Star Line, the style of the
French Line, or the speed of HAPAG and NDL. But they
were critical links for U.S. interests in Cuba, Mexico, and
the Bahamas, and they served a cross-section of the
American public for nearly twelve decades.

This line weathered the storms of revolution, war, poor
profits, fickle subsidies, tragic losses, and changing
technology to serve the U.S. Merchant Marine from
1840 until 1955... the oldest U.S. shipping company at
the time of its liquidation.

If you or a family member sailed or worked on a
Ward Line ship, please email the researcher at
thewardline@yahoo.com.

Your story is a part of this history!