For the history buffs on your list, pick up a couple of tickets for the 2012 Titanic memorial sailing, which will trace the exact route of the doomed ship on the 100th anniversary of its sinking. This chartered voyage aboard Fred. Olsen's Balmoral, presented by Miles Morgan Travel, is scheduled to sail from Southampton to New York and will include a stop at the site of the sinking.
--by Ashley Kosciolek, Copy Editor
Cruise Ship Postage Stamp ($19)
You don't need to be an avid stamp collector to give or receive this vintage cruise postage stamp. Ideal for any cruise lover, it's a great collector's item and a great addition to any cruise memorabilia collection. Best of all, it's tiny and makes a great stocking stuffer.
--by Ashley Kosciolek, Copy Editor
Ship Phone ($95)
What better way to keep the memories of retired ships alive than to adopt a piece of cruise history? These vintage phones, rescued from Windsor Castle, are circa 1960 and are still in very decent condition -- a perfect choice for anyone who appreciates a throwback.
--by Ashley Kosciolek, Copy Editor
Delta Queen Keepsake Box ($25)
Since its inception in 1926, the Delta Queen steamboat has captured the hearts of many passengers. Bid her majesty farewell with this special keepsake collector's box from Cafe Press. Measuring 5.5" x 5.5" x 2.25", it comes in red or black and displays a tile bearing a photo of Delta Queen. Lined with velvet, it makes for perfect storage of jewelry and other mementos.
--by Ashley Kosciolek, Copy Editor
QE2 Bon Voyage Pin ($10)
Fans of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2, which sailed its final voyage last year, can honor the "most famous ship in the world" with this hard enamel Bon Voyage Pin, finished in silver. It's a perfect way to keep QE2 close to their hearts.
--by Ashley Kosciolek, Copy Editor
Pulitzer Chairs from MV Victoria ($200)
Among the many items rescued by Peter Knego from ships broken up in India, I'm especially partial to these spindle-legged chairs from the 1959 refit that turned the dowdy pre-war British ocean liner Dunnotar Castle into the stylish Italian cruise ship Victoria. They were designed by the renowned Italian architect Gustavo Pulitzer and originally occupied cabins aboard the Victoria.
--by Doug Newman, Contributor
Cassandre "New Statendam" Print ($60)
Ocean liner advertising posters continue to be some of the most iconic pieces of 20th-century graphic design. One of my favorites is this 1920's poster by the renowned French artist Adolphe Cassandre, advertising "For Real Comfort -- New Statendam -- Spring 1929 -- Holland America Line." Originals are extraordinarily expensive, but this 19.5-inch by 27.5-inch print gives the same look for a fraction of the price.
--by Doug Newman, Contributor
Stephen Card Queen Mary 2 Print ($40)
Fans of Cunard's Queen Mary 2, the first (and so far, only) ocean liner of the 21st century, would undoubtedly be proud to own a print of the ship sailing beneath the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge by one of the world's best maritime artists, Capt. Stephen Card. (The original painting is aboard the Queen herself.) The print is 22.5 inches by 16 inches and is hand-signed by the artist. If you don't like QM2, a wide variety of other card prints are available from the same source at similar prices.
--by Doug Newman, Contributor
Union-Castle Line Blanket ($45)
For the collector who has "everything" and needs something really different (or who is just a big fan of the unusual), how about linens from an old ocean liner? Wool blankets like this one must be some of the most unusual items rescued from scrapped ships in India by Peter Knego (see above). This particular style is light blue with darker blue "Union-Castle Line" embroidery. This is definitely one of the more unique ship collectibles you'll find!
--by Doug Newman, Contributor
Peter Knego's "On the Road to Alang" DVD ($30)
If you can't buy your favorite ship enthusiast a piece of a classic cruise ship rescued by ocean liner historian Peter Knego (see below), this DVD is the next best thing. It shows passenger ships being broken up at Alang, India; the sales yards where their fittings are sold; and it then follows some of those fittings to Knego's home in California where some will enter his private collection and others will be sold to other collectors.
--by Doug Newman, Contributor
QM2 Ship Model ($3,500)
The ultimate gift for that special Cunard fan is an exquisite 38.8-inch-long 1:350-scale model of Queen Mary 2. Made from brass and fiberglass, the model shows the ship in extraordinary detail and sits on brass pedestals atop a wooden base. It comes with a plaque bearing pertinent statistics of the ship -- which can also be personalized since each model is made to order. Of course, if the only thing wrong with this model is what ship it depicts, the model-makers will be glad to build you a model of another ship instead.
