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The arrival of a ship in French Polynesia has always been a big event for our fenua (land). On the one hand it triggers dreams of exoticism for the crew and passengers, and on the other hand it gives rise to an upsurge of curiosities
and activities for the local population and merchants.
The "Queen Elizabeth 2", the famous Anglo-Canadian liner of the Cunard Line Company, was christened by Queen Elisabeth II on 20 September 1967 and had her inaugural voyage on 02 May 1969. With a length of 293.50 m, a weight of 50,000 tonnes and displacing 70,327
tonnes, she was powered by 9 engines rating more than 10,000 kW each. Her first call at Tahiti was on 5 February 1978. She came back on 8 February 1983 and 1 February 1985. After a dozen of calls in French Polynesia, the famous liner stopped sailing the seas in November 2008.
The "France", the famous French liner of Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, was launched on 11 May 1960 in the presence of the General de Gaulle and had her inaugural voyage on 11 January 1962. She reached the Polynesian waters on 8 February 1972 at 6.00 AM coming from Easter Island and took to the sea again on 9 February at 6.00 AM bound for the Fiji Islands for its first round-the-world cruise commemorating the centennial of Phileas Fogg’s journey. The world’s largest liner (315.70
m in length) dropped anchor in the bay of Vairao. On her second call, on 5 February 1974 arriving from Callao (Peru), fireworks were shot from the deck before she headed for Auckland. It was her last round-the-world tour
called "The ultimate odyssey". For those two calls, the French Polynesian Post Office issued a commemorative postmark, which is much sought-after by collectors.
The "City of New York" is an American three-masted wooden ship fitted with an auxiliary engine, which is 45 m long and displaces 520 tonnes. This sail ship, which was originally Norwegian and was named the "Samson", was built in 1885, and was in the middle of a controversy
when the RMS Titanic sank, as she helplessly witnessed the disaster. She is well known mainly because of famous American explorer Richard Byrd whom she carried to the Antarctic during his first expedition (1928-1930) when
he flew over the White Continent and set up the Little America base. The expedition left New York on 25 August 1928 bound for New Zealand via the Panama Canal and Tahiti. On 01 November, the ship called at Tahiti, and on
26 November, she was in Dunedin, New Zealand, before heading to the Antarctic. She called at Tahiti on the way back from the Antarctic on 22 April 1930. The expedition of the "City of New York" was a resounding success, and granted Richard Byrd the title of youngest admiral in the history of the US Navy.
The Post and Telecommunications Office pays tribute to these ships which are like a window open onto the world and make it possible to discover the richness and beauty of our islands. So let us wish fair seas and following seas to philately.
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