Moore McCormack Line's SS ARGENTINA was the last true American built ocean liner when she was delivered on 9 December 1958, following her twin sister, BRASIL, which was delivered on 5 September.

The 14,984 gt ARGENTINA and BRASIL were designed for the New York to Buenos Aires run but were also built with an eye toward off season cruising. As originally designed, they were distinguished by a midships dummy funnel structure that sported the company's black, yellow, and green colors. Wings jutted out from either side offering panoramic views, while the uppermost level had a nude sunbathing deck. In a style reminiscent of the Holland America liner ROTTERDAM of 1959, their actual funnels were twin uptakes located far aft. This design was actually credited to American marine architect George Sharp, who first devised it on the 1940 conversion of the Great Lakes cruise ship JUNIATA into the streamlined ferry MILWAUKEE CLIPPER.

​

When the ships were rebuilt in 1963 to increase their passenger capacity from 437 to 557 and tonnage to 15,257 gt, the dummy funnels were streamlined and closed off to passengers. There was now an extensive observation deck located atop the bridge to offer panoramic views, although what became of the nude sunbathing remains somewhat unclear. Even with their increased capacities, the Moore McCormack twins were hard pressed to make a profit during their relatively short careers. Rising American labor costs and their fuel guzzling powerplants found the ships struggling by the mid to late 1960s, although their reputations for fine food and service seem to have been untainted all the way until their final cruises in 1969, when they were subsequently laid up at Baltimore.

​

Holland America Line bought both sisters and refitted them for cruise service in 1971. When they debuted in 1973 to replace the dowager 1938-built SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM, the ARGENTINA was renamed VEENDAM and the BRASIL became VOLENDAM. More modifications included the extension of portions of the aft superstructure and a new capacity of 671. Mainly due to different measurement standards, their gt increased significantly to 23,372.

​

The VEENDAM became BRASIL in 1974 for a brief charter, then VEENDAM again in 1975. In 1976, she became MONARCH STAR for Holland America's subsidiary, Monarch Cruise Lines. In 1978, she was renamed VEENDAM again. In 1984, she was sold to Bahama Cruise Line and renamed BERMUDA STAR. In 1990, she went to Commodore Cruise Lines, who renamed her ENCHANTED ISLE. In 2001, she was laid up at Violet, Louisiana following the bankruptcy of Commodore. In late 2003, she was renamed NEW ORLEANS and sailed to Alang, India for scrapping.