Japan's Celebrated "Queen of the Pacific."
Launched in 1929, the Japanese liner Hikawa Maru represented ocean travel at its most luxurious. The "Queen of the Pacific" was as famous for her exquisite art deco interiors and four-star cuisine as she was for celebrity passengers like Charlie Chaplin. During WWII, the Hikawa Maru served as a hospital ship. By 1961, she had become a floating museum ship. She was fully restored to her former glory in 2007.