SS Santa Paula (1958)

The SS Santa Paula was a passenger/cargo ship built for the Grace Line South American service in 1958, later sailing on Caribbean cruises out of New York.

She was christened by Pat Nixon, the then-Second Lady of the United States[2] and set sail on her maiden voyage from New York City on October 11, 1958, just one day after preparations for service were completed.

In the early 1960s Grace abandoned their South American route and put the Santa Paula and her sister on Caribbean cruising service permanently.

On November 25, 1964, while the Santa Paula was returning to New York from the Caribbean, the Israeli passenger ship SS Shalom collided with the tanker MV Stolt Dagali, slicing its stern section off.

[5] During the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990 many buildings were bombed or shelled, including the Ramada al Salaam, which was set afire.