Resorts at Sea: Malolo | Queen Frederica

Several of the ships in Resorts at Sea ended their days under foreign ownership. Among the first vessels examined, Matson’s Malolo, built in 1927, lasted until the late 1970s. Most of that time was spent under the moniker Queen Frederica for National Hellenic Lines, and later for Chandris.

As cruise ships today seem to have theme room after theme room, before the mid to late 1930s, American ships had a similar pattern: Georgian lounge, Tudor library; a hodgepodge of dated styles designed to keep the traveler’s mind off the sea outside. Post World War II, a unified “modern” look took hold, with each seafaring nation putting their own stamp on things via artworks and furnishings. Currently, I’m of the opinion that American ships embraced the sea and a seafaring heritage more than other nations.

(One of the better quotes I’ve found addressing this switch includes the phrase “decorative claptrap.” And you can find the source yourself; I’m not going to give it all away.)

I have two Queen Frederica brochures. Neither are dated. (Dang it.) The smaller one, page wise, on the left, is probably after 1955, but before a 1960 refit; the latter, and larger of the two, is after the refit.

When Malolo was originally built, stained woodwork, and lots of it, was the rule. Oddly, given the California to Hawaii route, and later South Pacific cruises, dark wood wasn’t given a second thought. Dark tones absorb heat, and this was before the days of air-conditioning. Whatever the ventilation, it must have been stifling, and the dark, oppressive woodwork would not have helped. A refit that raised the lifeboats up a deck and added several Lanai suites also resulted in a name change, to Matsonia. The original interior décor was not altered. Here’s a shot of the smoking room …

After the war, under foreign ownership, Matsonia’s woodwork was painted. Ordinarily, I would disapprove. White was the predominant color, but depending upon the room, gold, grey, or green was used as an accent. Coupled with colorful art and modern furniture, it works. Case in point …

This shot of the foyer between the lounge and Crystal Club is from the older brochure. Get a load of that mural! (Unfortunately, no idea who did it.) Note the grey columns, cross beams, and selected panels, as well as the slate blue baseboard. Not a fan of the pink and green floor, but that’s why they make rugs.

The first class dining room underwent a change, too. Odds are the décor on the upper level are mere stencils, but they do add to the overall scheme of things. (Not that I’m part of the “something is better than nothing” crowd, but if a space needs to be broken up, there are worse ways to go about it.) Note the two fans towards the back of the image, a holdover from the Matson days? The flooring may well be Malolo original, too, from the Pennsylvania Flooring and Woodoleum Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia.

One more room caught my eye, the children’s playroom. I do believe there are some well-known Disney characters on the left. One couldn’t get away with that today without paying hefty licensing fees.

Overall, these looks are a prototype for what is considered today’s luxe design. Take a look at any high-end magazine, like Architectural Digest, for land-based versions, or sticking to the seas: Oceania Cruises and Crystal Cruises, to name two.

Something to ponder ... A bit outside the realm of possibility, but had it been feasible, do you think a non-British operator, doing a France/Norway-type conversion, would've painted over Queen Mary's opulent veneers, culled from over 50 types of trees from all corners of the globe?