Date photographed: A rather poor and distant photo taken September, 1990, during a spell of typical British Columbian weather, of the cruise ship terminal, Vancouver, with DAPHNE berthed alongside.

Year built / Builder: 1955, Swan Hunter, Wallsend

Details: 15,833 gt; 563 ft x 69.9 ft. Propulsion machinery: Doxford diesels driving twin screws for a service speed of 17 knots. Accommodation for 420 passengers.

History: Originally built as the Port Line refrigerated cargo liner, PORT SYDNEY for the London to Australia and New Zealand service with accommodation for 12 passengers. Like many cargo liners of her day, she became surplus to requirements during the early 70s as containerization gained a firm foothold. However, unlike many of her contempories, she escaped the breakers and was sold to the Greek shipping magnate, J. C. Carras, in 1972 for conversion to a ferry as the THERISSOS EXPRESS, along with her running mate the PORT MELBOURNE. Plans changed and instead she was converted into the deluxe passenger ship DAPHNE, entering service for the Carras Cruise Line in 1974. She was chartered to the Lauro Line in 1978 and then to the Italian Costa Cruise Line in 1979, being sold outright to this concern in 1984. A joint venture between Costa and Sovcomflot, as Prestige Cruises, saw another change in ownership in 1990. She was sold yet again to Leisure Cruises of Panama in 1996 as the SWITZERLAND, whom she served until a refit at Piraeus, February, 2002, from which she emerged as the OCEAN MONARCH for Majestic International of Athens - chartered to the British travel company, Page and Moy. Now operated by Hansa Kreuzfahrten of Bremen without name change.

___________________________________

Date photographed: September, 1999, departing Halifax for New York.

Year built / Builder: 1958, Ansaldo Yard, Genoa

Details: 15,412 gt; 631 ft x 79 ft. Propulsion machinery: geared steam turbines, 28,600 shp, driving twin screws for a service speed of 21 knots. Passenger accommodation (as built) for 243 - first class, 300 - second class and 736 - third class.

History: Completed as FEDERICO C, she was Costa's first purpose-built passenger ship for the Genoa to Buenos Aires service and off-season cruising. She was remodelled in 1968 altering her accommodation to 186 first class and 1,450 in tourist class (1,259 for one-class cruising). With a decline in line service, she was again altered in 1970 with a one-class cruising capacity of 700. Sold to the newly-formed Premier Cruise Lines in 1983, she was renamed ROYALE for cruises out of Port Canaveral for the Bahamas, becoming the STARSHIP ROYALE in 1986. In 1989 she was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line and was renamed SEA BREEZE I, then the SEABREEZE I when Dolphin amalgamated with Premier in 1997. After that she had a succession of problems with worn out boilers, but was kept going until Premier's assets were seized by creditors in September, 2000, which left her stranded in Halifax. Ownership passed to the New York Merchant Bankers, Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette and she eventually sailed in December, 2000, only to founder off Cape Charles, Virginia on the 17th December. The skeleton crew of 34 were rescued by helicopters of the US Coast Guard.

___________________________________

Date photographed: June 21, 2000, departing Halifax for New York.

Year built / Builder: 1959, Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, Rotterdam

Details: 37,783 gt; 749 ft x 93.8 ft. Propulsion machinery: geared De Schelde steam turbines, 38,500 shp, driving twin screws for a service speed of 21.5 knots. Passenger accommodation (as built) for 665 - first class, 801 - tourist class.

History: The last great Dutch "ship of state" when she was completed as the ROTTERDAM in 1959 for Holland America Line's Rotterdam to New York liner service and still, arguably, the "Grande Dame" of vintage ocean liners remaining in existence today. She was switched to full-time cruising in 1969 and continued in HAL service until purchased by Premier Cruises in 1997 when renamed REMBRANDT (1,114 passenger capacity). She was also a victim of the collapse of Premier Cruises in September, 2000, but was permitted to sail from Halifax, arriving at Freeport, Bahamas, later that month for lay-up, where she remains. She was purchased in 2003 by her builders, the Rotterdam Dry Dock Company, who intend to return her to Rotterdam for preservation.

___________________________________

Date photographed: July, 1995, arriving at Halifax.

Year built / Builder: 1964, Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St Nazaire, France.

Details: 25,338 gt, 628 ft x 81.4 ft. Main engines: Four Parsons-Chantiers turbines producing 25,000 shp driving twin screws for a service speed of 20 knots. Cruising accommodation for 816 passengers (as originally built, 72 first class and 1018 tourist class passengers).

History: Completed as the SHALOM for Zim Israel Line's Haifa to New York service. Sold to German Atlantic Line in 1970 for Hamburg to New York service as the HANSEATIC. Sold again to Home Lines in 1973 when renamed DORIC. Returned to service after a major rebuild in 1974, cruising from New York to the Caribbean. Sold to Royal Cruise Line, renamed ROYAL ODYSSEY in 1981 and given another refit. Sold to Regency Cruises in 1988 with the above name. Laid up at Tampa later in 1995 when Regency collapsed. Moved to Grand Bahama in 1997 but plans to convert her into a floating resort fell through and she was moved to Freeport sold first to Tony Travel & Agency as the SUN and then to International Shipping Partners as SUN II during 1998. Left Freeport June 7, 2001 as the SUN under tow to breakers in India. Reported to be taking on water and to have a list of 34 degrees when off Cape St. Francis, South Africa on July 25, 2001; sank at 7.05 pm local time.

___________________________________

Date photographed: September, 1995, departing Halifax. She definitely ranks high on my list of favourites! Well worth a second view!

Year built / Builder: 1965, Forges & Chantiers de la Mediterranee, La Seyne, France.

Details: 24,002 gt, 620 ft x 80.4 ft. Main engines: Sulzer diesels producing 24,000 bhp driving twin screws for a service speed of 20 knots. Cruising accommodation for 509 passengers (as originally built, 85 first class and 704 tourist class passengers).

History: SAGAFJORD was built for the Norwegian America Line for their Oslo to New York service and off-season cruising. Her transatlantic schedule was terminated in 1972 at which time her accommodation was modified to a capacity of 502 for full-time cruising. Prefabricated suites were added in 1980 which increased her to 24,108 GT. Cunard bought the then Norwegian America Cruises in 1983, acquiring the SAGAFJORD and her younger fleetmate, VISTAFJORD. Following a disabling engine room fire off Manila in 1996, she was repaired and chartered to Transocean Tours, Germany, and re-named GRIPSHOLM for cruising in 1996/7. Sold to Saga Holidays in 1997, for whom she continues to operate, renamed SAGA ROSE.

___________________________________

Date photographed: July, 2000, arriving Halifax just in time for TallShips 2000.

Year built / Builder: 1966, Cantieri, Italy.

Details: 30,567 gt, 714 ft x 96.1 ft. Main engines: two DeLaval - Cantieri turbines producing 55,000 shp (as built) driving twin screws for a service speed of 27 knots. Cruising accommodation for 1,603 passengers (as originally built, 214 first class, 374 tourist class "A" and 1,071 in tourist class "B").

History: Built as EUGENIO C for Costa Line's Genoa to Buenos Aires service. Refitted for full-time cruising in 1987 when a prefabricated aft superstructure unit was added which raised her tonnage to 32,753 GT. Renamed EUGENIO COSTA in 1988 and in 1989 her machinery rating was reduced to 39,000 shp for a more economical cruising speed of 22 knots. Refitted again in 1994 in La Spezia and subsequently told to the Bremer Vulkan Shipyard to be chartered back to Costa until the end of 1996. Laid up in Genoa until sold to Lowline in 1997 and renamed EDINBURGH CASTLE for charter to Direct Cruises (UK). She then made a brief appearance in New York for a series of overnight casino cruises. Mechanical problems caused her to be laid up at Southampton for repairs. She was arrested in February, 1999, and sold to Cammell Lairds where she was refitted for charter to Premier Cruises under her above name. Together with SEABREEZE I and REMBRANDT, she was in Halifax when Premier Cruises collapsed in September, 2000. She sailed back to New York with her passengers September 14 and on to the Navy Homeport, Staten Island for charter to the U.S Department of Defense for a brief security exercise, sailing to Jacksonville, Florida.

UPDATE: Laid up at Freeport, Bahamas, until sold to the Alang breakers. Arrived Alang June 7, 2005, the day after the MAGARITA L (ex-WINDSOR CASTLE).

___________________________________

Date photographed: An intermittent visitor to Halifax, this photo was taken in July, 1995. Her most recent arrival was April 25 of this year. I have also photographed her in Bermuda.

Year built / Builder: 1969, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Hamburg.

Details: 25,022 gt, 639 ft x 87.3 ft. Main engines: AEG geared turbines producing 22,660 shp driving twin screws for a service speed of 22 knots. Accommodation for 600 passengers.

History: Very recognizable with her distinctive cowl top to the funnel, she was completed as German Atlantic Line's HAMBURG for Hamburg - New York service and cruising. Like so many of her predecessors and contempories, her intended liner service was curtailed by the increasing popularity of air travel. She was briefly renamed HANSEATIC in 1973, but shortly thereafter, when GAL ran into financial difficulties, she was laid up awaiting a buyer. In 1974 she was sold to the Black Sea Shipping Company and renamed MAXIM GORKIY. She later "starred" in the Hollywood movie "Juggernaut" and also played host to Presidents Bush and Gorbachev at the Malta Summit. She spends her time on charter to Phoenix Seereisen catering for the German Cruise market.

___________________________________

Date photographed: September, 1995, departing Halifax. Her ROYAL VIKING sisters (SKY and STAR) have also visited Halifax under various names.

Year built / Builder: 1973, Oy Wartsila Ab, Helsingfors, Finland.

Details: 28,078 gt, 673.9 ft x 88.6 ft. Main engines: 4, Sulzer-Wartsila 9ZH40/48 diesels producing 17,993 bhp driving twin screws for a service speed of 21 knots. Cruising accommodation for 862 passengers.

History: Completed November, 1973, for Royal Viking Line of Oslo as the ROYAL VIKING SEA. Lengthened by 90 feet in 1983 by Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven. Transferred to Kloster Cruise of Nassau and renamed ROYAL ODYSSEY for the Royal Cruise Line. Sold 1997 to Actinor Cruise, Nassau, becoming the NORWEGIAN STAR. Chartered to Norwegian Cruise Lines for service from Houston. Repositioned to Australasia from 1999 to 2001, returning to Actinor in October, 2001, cruising for Capricorn Holidays - renamed NORWEGIAN STAR I. Chartered to Crown Investments as the CROWN for casino cruises from Shanghai to Cheju Island. Arrested for a time in Shanghai and laid-up. Chartered to Phoenix Reisen, Germany, in 2004, renamed ALBATROS to replace the ex-Cunard liner (SYLVANIA) of that name.

___________________________________

Date photographed: Sometime during the summer of 1974 when laid up for a year in Barrow docks following completion.

Year built / Builder: 1974, Vickers Ltd. Barrow-in-Furness - the last passenger ship to be built in Barrow.

Details: 13,758 gt, no other details known.

History: I assume that Nordline was unable to complete the financial transaction with Vickers at completion, hence the long lay up in Barrow. She was finally sold in 1975 to BLASCO (Black Sea Shipping Company and became the ODESSA. She was up for auction in Naples with a reserve price of $8 million in May, 2001, after being laid up at the entrance to the harbour for several years. She evidently didn't sell and was towed back to an undisclosed location in the Ukraine in September, 2002.

UPDATE: Reported to be undergoing refurbishment at Odessa, summer 2005 - owner: Bowline Maritime, Odessa.

___________________________________