RML Cruising: Atlantis years


..	In 1930 yet another liner underwent a major conversion and reconditioning, emerging as the Company's new full-time cruise liner, with the name Atlantis.

	he 1930s was the decade of the Atlantis. More than any of her predecessors, her name became practically a household word. There were various reasons for that, both operational and marketing, but the achievement was particularly notable as the ship's operations spanned the collapse of RMSP and the subsequent formation of Royal Mail Lines to replace it. Atlantis took the "Northern Capitals" and Arctic waters cruise concept to new heights. There might be three days, for instance, cruising around Spitzbergen and Bear Island, with landings made at some spots. Iceland was added to the itineraries. The 1931 schedule included a 7-day cruise to Bergen and five fjord destinations for a price as low as 11 guineas. At the other end of the scale was a 22-day cruise to the Baltic with prices as high as 300 guineas. Thus the Atlantis catered for all pockets.
	Her reputation spread beyond those who actually travelled in her, for as the 1930s progressed the promotional material produced for her was astronomical. Brochures, booklets, postcards and posters were issued in profusion. A vital part of the Atlantis image came from the partnership between Royal Mail and artist Kenneth Shoesmith. The art deco style of Shoesmith was so distinctive, and its use for the Atlantis so extensive, that it went a long way to creating the ship's very individual character.
	That, of course, was in conjunction with the ship herself; her finely-detailed fittings and appointments made her still a thing of splendour when she was like a graceful old dowager duchess with a quarter of a century of service under her belt.
	So experienced was Royal Mail in the cruise scene now that the annual programmes by the Atlantis proceeded with little fuss - the summer northern cruises, with Mediterranean and West Indies itineraries at other times. The big Winter Cruise concept continued; there were always people who managed to find the money to escape the northern winter. These didn't regain the magnitude of Asturias's Second Great African Cruise, but they were not voyages to be sneezed at. In 1938, for instance, the voyage was around Africa for 58 days, minimum fare 120 guineas. With visits being made to spots like the Seychelles, Mauritius and St Helena, in addition to more traditional African ports, it was a tempting menu.