We recently acquired a set of 15 LLOYD ZIGARETTEN trading cards depicting ships of the world in the early 1930's.  Weigh anchor!
Off the coast of Portugal, perhaps; a pleasant day.
Freight steamer  SS AUGUST SCHULTZE

Oldenburg-Portug Line; built Norddeutscher Werft Wesermunde 1921.  Registered-Germany

2,452 gross tons / 11 knots / 1650 SHP

Capacity 3,870 To. / Freight volume 4425 cbm (cubic meters)

Running between Hamburg, Bremen, Mediterranean ports and the Canary Islands.
Heading out to sea on a calm morning
Liner  SS BELGENLAND

Red Star Line, Antwerp; built Harland & Wolff, Belfast Ireland 1917.  Registered-stated as "various countries!"

27,132 gross tons / 17.5 knots / 22,000 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 17,300 To.

Passengers 1st cl. 453, Tourist cl. 638, 3rd cl. 970

Running between Antwerp and New York.
Night falls over Java and diesel-powered SS DEMPO.
Passenger-Freight-Mail motorship SS DEMPO

Rotterdam Lloyd Line, Rotterdam; built 1930.  Registered Holland.

16,979 gross tons / 18 knots / 14,000 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 8,627 To. / Freight volume 11,000 cbm

Passengers - 1st cl. 234, 2nd cl. 280, 3rd cl. 70, 4th cl. 48

Running between Holland and Java.
ESPANA at sea, but not so far out there aren't sailboats and birds
Passenger-Freight steamer SS ESPANA

Hamburg-South American, Hamburg; built Howaldstwerke, Kiel 1921.  Registered Germany.

7,418 gross tons / 12 knots / 3,800 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 8,895 To. / Freight volume 10,572 cbm

Passengers - 3rd cl. 870

Running between Hamburg and South American East Coast
A very stately looking ship; I like the busy lit-up appearance in this view
Passenger-Freight steamer SS GELRIA

Holland Lloyd Line, Amsterdam.  Built A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow 1913.  Registered "various lands."

13,868 gross tons / 15 knots / 12,000 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 9,855 To / Freight volume 10,000 cbm

Passengers 1st cl. 235, 2nd cl. 342, 3rd cl. 702

Running with Norddeutscher Lloyd to South America (East coast.)
GENERAL VON STEUBEN
Passenger-Freight steamship SS GENERAL VON STEUBEN

North German Lloyd Line, Bremen.  Vulcan-Werke Stettin / Weser, Bremen 1922.

14,690 gross tons / 16 knots / 10,540 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 9,310 To. / Freight volume 7,910 cbm

Passengers 2nd cl. 215 Tourist cl. 360 3rd cl. 290

Running Bremen to New York.
Diesel-powered HIGHLAND PATRIOT at sea
Passenger-Freight Motorship SS HIGHLAND PATRIOT

Nelson Steam Navigation Co. London; built Harland & Wolff, Belfast 1932.  Registered England.

14,137 gross tons / 15 knots / 9,600 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 6,100 To. / Freight volume 15,800 cbm

Passengers 1st cl. 135, Tourist cl. 66, 3rd cl. 600

Running between England and South America, East Coast.
Originally North German Lloyd's COLUMBUS; war reparation to England.
Liner SS HOMERIC

White Star Line, England.  Built Schichau, Danzig; completed 1922.

34,350 gross tons / 20 knots / 30,000 SHP

Capacity 12,500 To. / Freight volume 525 cbm

Passengers 1st cl. 450, Tourist cl. 420, 3rd cl. 250

Running between Liverpool and New York.
Out at sea, with spray over the bow.
Passenger-Freight steamer SS MUNSTER

North German Lloyd Line, Bremen; Furness Shipbuilding Eng. 1921.

4,565 gross tons / 12 knots / 3000 SHP

Capacity (cargo) 7,040 To. / Freight volume 8,065 cbm

Passengers Cabin-class 22

Running from Bremen to northern Brazilian ports.
SS Orford - great image of a stately liner at sea
Liner SS ORFORD

Orient Steam Navigation Co. England; built Vickers-Armstrongs 1928

19,941 gross tons / 20 knots / 20,000 SHP

Capacity 19,000 To. / Freight volume 8,320 cbm

Passengers 1st cl. 520 3rd cl. 1160

Running to Mediterranean, Tenerife and Norway.
HOOVER would run aground in the Far East in 1937; sister COOLIDGE sunk by mine 1942.
Liner SS PRESIDENT HOOVER

Dollar Steamship Line, USA: built Newport SB 1930

21,936 gross tons / 21.5 knots / 26,500 SHP

Capacity 12,000 To. / Freight volume 15,750 cbm

Passengers 1st cl. 307 Cabin cl. 133 3rd cl. 170 Tweendeck 378

Running US West Coast to the West Indies.
Beautiful, elegant three-stacker built 1914 and owned by several lines prior to this view
Liner SS RELIANCE

Hamburg-Amerika Line, Germany; built J.C. Tecklenberg Wesermunde 1914

19,821 gross tons / 16.5 knots / 13,600 SHP

Capacity 7,700 To. / Freight volume 2,954 cbm

Passengers 1st cl. 490, Tourist cl. 230, 3rd cl. 250

Running Hamburg, Germany to New York.
Is there a more relaxing sea scene on this page than this one?
Freight / Passenger motorship SS TRAVE

Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen; built Vulcan-Werke Stettin 1927

7,956 gross tons / 13 knots / 4,600 SHP

Capacity 11,654 tons / Freight volume 16,865 cbm

Passengers  Kajuten-Klasse 10

Running Bremen, Hamburg to East Asia.
The diminutive ship seen with a lighter alongside.
Freighter SS VESTA

Neptun Steamship Line, Bremen; built Weser, Bremen 1920

1,620 gross tons / 10.5 knots / 1,000 SHP

Capacity 2,055 To. / Freight volume 2,552 cbm

Running between Bremen, Hamburg and other freight ports
SS WESER heading out to sea, with lighthouse visible astern
Passenger / Freight steamer SS WESER

Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen; built Weser, Bremen 1922

9,444 gross tons / 12.5 knots / 4,200 SHP

Capacity 9,350 To. / Freight volume 13,061 cbm

Passengers Middle cl. 140 3rd cl. 820

Running from Bremen to South America's Eastern ports
NOTES:  Figures on this page are as given on the cards.  Gross Tons is the registered tonnage calculated by archaic formula that figures internal volume.  Capacity in Tons and Freight Volume are as given on cards; figures were probably officially registered.  Traveling information regarding ports served may only have been accurate at issuance of the cards.  Numerous card series were issued and these cards are from a wide variety so all were not issued simultaneously.  Images enlarged and fixed for visibility on the internet.  TERMS in classification of ships translated from cards; term "Liner" used interchangeably with "Express Steamship."  Term "Motor" in classification implies use of diesel engines for propulsion.  Other ships propelled by steam, either with coal or oil fired boilers.