Due to the high demand for passenger service to Hawaii, the laid-up Monterey, the sister ship of the Lurline, offered the best opportunity for a liner to be placed in the service in the least amount of time. Renamed the Matsonia, the vessel had space for 761 passengers, all in first class, with one-way fares ranging from $145 to $1,275. The initial voyage to Honolulu sailed from Los Angeles in June 1957.
