Commodore Cruise Line, Miami, FL $1 Regular House
Obsolete
Denom: $1
Last Update: 2019-09-08
Color: Gray
Mold: Plain
Mftr: Chipco
Collected By: A. J. Giametta
Commodore Cruise Line, Wet Chips
Type: Cruise Ship
Status: Closed
Open: 1968, Close: 2001
History 1966—1981 Commodore Cruise Line was founded in 1966—the same year that Norwegian Caribbean Line begun operations—by Sanford Chobol and Edwin Stephan. Chobol, a Florida hotelier, had previously operated the Brazilian ocean liner Princess Leopoldina on a series of cruises out of Florida in 1962. In order to operate a ship that could successfully compete against NCL’s, Commodore reached an agreement with the Sweden-based Wallenius Lines, who acquired the build contract of a half-complete ferry under construction at Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Finland. The ship in question had been ordered by the Sweden-based Lion Ferry as a combined ferry/cruise ship, but Lion Ferry had subsequently canceled the order. Wallenius Lines named the incomplete ship and had her completed as cruise ship. Following delivery the Bohème was chartered to Commodore, and she set on her first cruise from Miami to Saint Thomas on 7 December 1968.
