From the start, the Ward Line was concerned with keeping on schedule, keeping its mail subsidies, and keeping its freight contracts fulfilled. Its passenger service was a secondary but important consideration, and the Ward Line is best remembered by the many families whose ancestors traveled on Ward liners as tourists, immigrants, and crew. How the Ward Line marketed itself as a passenger line changed greatly between 1877 and 1942, the last year of standard passenger service.

Initially, the Ward Line steamers were simply a means of getting from one point to another. On the Niagara and Saratoga of 1877, for example, speed was the most important consideration. Public rooms were ornate but utilitarian, and staterooms (shared by two or more passengers) were quite spartan by today's standards.

This changed after the Spanish American War in 1898, when the line’s new ships were built to showcase both speed and comfort. The Morro Castle of 1900 is the first true example of this—a Ward liner that was designed to cater to a traveling public that was savvier and demanded new innovations.

After 1925, with the refurbishment of the Orizaba and Siboney, and most especially with the construction of the luxury liners Morro Castle and Oriente of 1930, the emphasis had dramatically shifted toward the shipboard experience. It was not just speed that mattered—passengers expected to be fed, coddled, and entertained. Ships became hotels at sea.

These images reflect the changing times and technology of life at sea, as modern cruising was coming into its own.

 

All images are from the collection of the researcher, Michael Alderson. Please do not copy or replicate without permission. Thanks!

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