Few ships have as complicated a history as the Moore-McCormack liners Argentina and Brasil,
the last ocean liners built in the United States.

S.S. Brasil was completed in 1958 and sailed the New York - South America routes for eleven
years. Unprofitable, both ships were laid up in 1969.

Holland-America bought both ships in 1972, and Brasil was renamed Volendam. They remained
unprofitable, and Holland-America them within two years. Volendam became Monarch Sun for Monarch
Cruise Line, and was suddenly profitable. So Holland America bought MCL in 1978, and once
again the Monarch Sun became Volendam.

Holland-America sold them for good in 1984. Volendam became Liberte for American Hawaii,
then Queen of Bermuda for Bermuda Star Line (shown above). BSL merged with Commodore in
1989, and she was renamed Enchanted Seas (her sister becoming Enchanted Isle).

In 1995 she was sailing as a seagoing classroom, renamed Universe Explorer. She was retired
and sailed for Hong Kong in 2004, and scrapped at Alang soon after.

Entered service 1958 | 15,257 Gross Tons | 618 feet long