The Azur
Built 1971. Festival Cruises. She currently sails as Knyas Vladimir for Black Sea Cruises, Russia. 15 photographs (2001 ship visit in Barcelona). She seems to be laid up at the moment (spring 2023).
June 24, 2023
Superstar Virgo
Built 1999. Star Cruises, Singapore 127 photographs (2007 cruise from Singapore to Malaysia/ Thailand). She was later operated by Dream Cruises as Explorer Dream. Dream Cruises, owned by now-defunct Genting Hong Kong (owners Lim-family) ended operations in 2020 and she was put up for sale. The Lim family started a new cruise line Resorts World Cruises and …
Sun Bay
Built-in 2001, Sun Bay Cruises currently sails as Xpedition for Celebrity Cruises 36 photographs (ship visit 2001 in Amsterdam)
Topaz (1956 – 2008) Peaceboat Organisation
21,406 GRT, loa 185m, 929 passengers. Built in 1956, in her first career as the Empress transatlantic liner Empress of Britain sailing on the Europe – Canada service she crossed the Atlantic 123 times. Her owners, Canadian Pacific Steamship sold her in 1965 to the Greek Line. Renamed Queen Anna Maria, she continued sailing the …
Stefan Batory (1952 – 2000) Polish Ocean Lines
15,024 GRT, loa 153m, 779 passengers Built in 1952 Maasdam was one of the so called economy twins (carrying almost exclusively tourist class passengers and just a handful of first class passengers), sailing on the transatlantic run for the Holland America Line together with sister Rijndam. In 1968 she was sold to Polish Ocean Lines …
Regina Maris (1966 – present) Reederei Deilmann
5,813 GRT, loa 118m, 276 passengers. Lubeck Line’s Regina Maris was built in 1966 especially for cruising in remote areas. She quickly established a very high reputation for her cruises in Northern Europe. In 1976 she was sold to a Canadian firm and renamed Mercator One, but spent most of her time in lay up. …
Romanza (1939 – 1979) – Chandris Cruises
7,538 GRT, loa 149m, 500passengers. She was built in 1939, at the Blohm & Voss shipyards in Hamburg for the Hamburg Amerika Line and started her career as Huascaran, carrying both freight and only about 30 passengers. During the war she served as a submarine depot and supply vessel for the Germans. After WW2 she …
Princesa Marissa (1964 – 2008) Louis Cruises
21,406 GRT, loa 185m, 929 passengers. Finnhansa wa launched in 1964, but due to two fires during her fitting out phase, it took another two years to complete her. At the time she was the largest ferry in the Baltic where she was employed in ferry service for owner Finnlines. In 1977, after delivery of …
Princess Danae (1955 – 2015) Arcalia Shipping
Danae and Daphne were originally built in 1955 as the fast cargo liners Port Melbourne and Port Sydney for Port Line’s UK-Australia express service. Being fast ships, they were suitable for conversion to passenger ferries and in 1972 they were sold to Greek shipowner John Karras for conversion to car ferries, as Akrotiri Express and …
Oriana (1960 – 2005) P&O Cruises
Oriana 41915 GRT, loa 245m, 1700 passengers. Ordered in 1959 by British Orient Lines, she was the fastest ship on the Australian run. In 1965 Orient Lines merged with P&O Lines and she became a fleetmate of Canberra (see above). During the latter part of her career, she was used as a cruise ship, based …