T/N Andrea Doria Maiden Arrival in the Port of New York

A Photo Essay by John McFarlane

andrea doria

Italian Line's luxury liner ANDREA DORIA arriving off Pier 84NR January 23, 1953.

Fifty years ago this month, on January 23, 1953, the new Italian Line flagship ANDREA DORIA completed her maiden Atlantic crossing and arrived in New York City for the first time. ANDREA DORIA was the first new Italian flag liner to arrive in the Port of New York since before World War II. Establishing Italian Line's new "Express Service" to North America, she sailed from Genoa on January 14 calling at Naples, Cannes and Gibraltar enroute to New York. During this voyage she had experienced one of the stormiest maiden crossings on record. The new liner encountered Force 9 conditions during part of the crossing and at one point a sudden 28-degree roll injured 20 passengers and created a certain amount of havoc on board.

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The new flagship using "the knuckle" of Pier 84NR.

Built by Ansaldo SpA, Genoa, ANDREA DORIA measured 29,083 gross tons, had an overall length of 700 feet and width of 90 feet. Her service speed was 23 knots; driven by steam turbines and twin screws. Passenger capacity was 1,241 (218 First Class, 320 Cabin Class and 703 Tourist Class). On her maiden crossing she arrived with 794 passengers (152 First, 157 Cabin and 485 Tourist), four dogs and 440 tons of cargo. She averaged 22.97 knots on her first crossing.

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ANDREA DORIA at Pier 84NR just before the gangways were lowered.

ANDREA DORIA was escorted into New York by USS OSBERG and the official delegation
was headed by New York's Mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri. She docked at Pier 84NR at 10:00 am.

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Even on a cold January morning the interested crowds appear to see Italia's newest ship.

The new liner stayed in the port until January 30, when she sailed on Italia's first post-war Caribbean cruise. The cruise ended back in New York on February 16 and ANDREA DORIA sailed for Genoa on her maiden eastbound crossing two days later. She was joined on this new "Express Service" the following year by her sistership CRISTOFORO COLMOMBO.

It is unfortunate that this beautiful liner was to have a very short lifespan. On July 25, 1956, as she was approaching New York, off Nantucket, she was rammed by the Swedish-American liner STOCKHOLM.

ANDREA DORIA rolled over and sank the next morning with the loss of over 50 lives.

But on that overcast January morning fifty years ago there was nothing but a feeling of great anticipation in the air. It was not so many years after the end of the war and it was the re-establishment of a great maritime tradition on a very popular ocean route.

(Thanks to Peter C. Kohler for the source material in the text.)
(Statistical sources: "North Atlantic Seaway" by N.R.P.Bonsor and "Fifty Famous Liners" by Frank O. Braynard and William H. Miller)
(Photographs by John McFarlane)