Ship History

	History


RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE RMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA 1932
In 1919 Furness Bermuda Line was awarded the mail contract for the New York to Bermuda service. This service reached its zenith in the years just before the Second World War when Furness Bermuda Line ordered two magnificent luxury liners - the Monarch of Bermuda and the Queen of Bermuda. They were both built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Walker on Tyne, England, UK. With these two ships the Bermuda run from New York enjoyed the ultimate in luxury and they became known as "the millionaires ships". The two sister ships sailed on 3 week cruises from New York to Bermuda for Furness-Bermuda Line. They were beautifully proportioned vessels with 3 funnels, and they were amongst the elite ships of their day and had private facilities in their cabins. The run between New York and Bermuda took only 40 hours in each direction and that allowed 4 days to be spent on the Island. The ships were very popular with honeymooners. This was the luxurious heyday of travel between New York and Bermuda. Furness Bermuda Line era (1932 - 1939): She was built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Walker on Tyne, England, UK. The Queen of Bermuda was launched in 1932 and entered service on Furness Withy's New York to Bermuda service in 1933. She served on this route from 1932 to 1939. War Service (1939 - 1947): On the 30th August 1939 the Queen of Bermuda was requisitioned by the British Government as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. Her conversion was completed on the 29th October 1939, as part of this conversion one of her three funnels was removed so she only had two funnels left. In April 1943 she was converted to serve as a troopship and served in that role for the remainder of the war. At the end of the Second World War the Queen of Bermuda was refitted for passenger service and returned to the Bermuda run. Postwar Furness Bermuda Line era (1947 - 1966): Fortunately the Queen of Bermuda did return to the Bermuda service after the war in 1947. Later in 1961 she was completely modernised and rebuilt in Belfast with just one funnel. But by this time the heyday of Furness Bermuda Line was over and by 1966 the company decided to withdrawn from the New York to Bermuda run. As a result the Queen of Bermuda was retired from service and scrapped at Faslane on the River Clyde where she arrived on the 6th December 1966. It was the end of a glorious era of luxury travel between New York and Bermuda.