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All text and photographs (unless stated otherwise) ©  Paul Timmerman

Munster as well as her sister Leinster were built for the British & Irish Steam Packet Company in 1948 by Harland & Wolff. Munster followed the design of her namesake which was sunk in 1940, then only three years old.

When launched in 1947 in Belfast, she sustained some minor damage. Then, in January, she was handed over to B&I. Apart from her passenger carrying capacity of 1500 in 197 cabins in first class and in small dormitories (third class), she had three holds and was able to carry cattle which was quite common on the Irish routes.

Munster and her sister Leinster sailed on the Liverpool-Dublin route. Now, as the new ships could make an extra roundtrip each week, B&I could maintain this service with just two ships. Up till now they had used three ferries on this route.

In 1965 both sisters were refitted and partly redecorated.

                                                         Cabins on board Orpheus

Years passed by, but in 1967 it became clear that Munster (and her sister’s) service as an old-fashioned ferry wouldn’t last very much longer. Airliners and more modern ships (with ro/ro facilities when Munster still hoisted cars aboard by crane) were taking over their trade.

The following year Munster was put up for sale. In April 1968 she arrived in Piraeus, as she had been sold to Epirotiki Lines of Greece. For a year she became known as Theseus, but later this was changed in Orpheus.

It took Epirotiki two years to rebuild the Orpheus and change her from a somewhat spartan ferry to a cruise ship. Her well deck disappeared, her large mast was removed and replaced by a small one on top of the wheelhouse. But more important, she received a swimming pool and her passenger accommodations were completely rebuilt. She could now carry 372 passengers in 155 cabins, all with private facilities.

                              Clockwise: Dionysos dining room, Argonaut Lounge, Pool and Lounge of the Muses

She was sent to America and cruised to Alaska, Mexico and Panama in 1970/1971. She then returned to Greece and stayed in the Mediterranean almost permanently.

In 1974 she was chartered by Swan Hellenic, a firm that had operated cruises for 20 years. These cruises were known for their cultural aspects: lectures onboard and very well organized shore excursions were Swan’s trademark (and still are by the way). This charter was to last for 22 years!

The sturdy little vessel always stayed in the Mediterranean, apart from 1980, 1981 and 1982 when she made several Round Britain cruises.

                                                                            Apollo Deck aft

Despite her growing age she remained immensely popular with British passengers over the years, but finally she began to show her age. Swan Hellenic started looking around for another vessel and found one: the Minerva, originally built as a research ship for the Soviets. She has recently been replaced by one of the former Renaissance-vessels, which now sails as Minerva II.

Epirotiki, having merged with Sun Line into a new company called Royal Olympic Cruises, operated the Orpheus for another few years. In 1998 she was laid up and finally in October 2000 was sold to the breakers.

It was said to see her go, this little ship which had managed to have a loyal following during more than half a century of service in spite of her small size and simple interiors.

                                                      Orpheus laid up in Eleusis Bay, Greece in 2000

End