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OCEAN
LINERS PORTAL
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~ Your Gateway to Historic Ocean Liners of the World ~ |
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HOMEPAGE
THE OCEAN LINERS |
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The S.S. Great Britain was built in 1843 in the Great Western Dockyard in Bristol and she was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. She was launched by HRH Prince Albert, The Prince Consort. She is notable as the world's first iron hulled, steam powered ocean liner. Indeed she is the forerunner of all modern ships. She was built for the transatlantic service to New York. In 1970 she was rescued by the SS Great Britain Trust from an uncertain future as a Crown Wreck in the Falkland Islands and repatriated home to the UK and her birthplace. Today she is preserved in the dock where she was built in Bristol, England, UK as a tourist attraction. She exemplifies the industry and inventiveness of the Victorian era and symbolises the birth of international passenger travel and world communications. She is the world's first ocean liner and lives on to inspire present and future generations. Website: www.ssgreatbritain.org Enjoy England www.enjoyengland.com Visit Britain www.visitbritain.com
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S.S.
GREAT BRITAIN (1843)
~ The Forerunner of All Modern Ships ~ BRISTOL, ENGLAND, UK
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S.S. LA PALMA (1912)  ~ The Last Canary Islands Inter-Island Steamship ~ TENERIFE, THE CANARY ISLANDS |
The La Palma was built in 1912 by W.
Harkerss & Son Ltd., Míddlesborough in England for the Canaries
Inter-Insular Mail Steamship Company and their inter-island liner
service. She is a last reminder of the ships from the period of the ill
fated Titanic and indeed the diminutive La Palma was built in the same
year as the Titanic. She is truly a unique and historic survivor. She is now preserved by the Canaries Steamship La Palma Foundation who are working to restore her to full operational condition so she can be a roving historical attraction. Once restored she will be based in Tenerife and house a Museum of Canary Islands Navigation & Nautical Library as well as cultural facilities, restaurant and cafe. Thus she will live on as a living museum and reminder of the Canary Island steamships. Website: http://www.correillolapalma.com/ Canary Islands Tourism Board http://www.turismodecanarias.com/en/main.php Spain Tourism http://www.spain.info/ |
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The
Doulos was originally built by the Newport News Shipbuilding &
Drydock Company in 1914 for the Mallory Steamship Company as the cargo
ship S.S. Medina. Indeed she was the first ever merchant ship built at
the yard. After serving in two world wars she was sold to an Italian
company and rebuilt as an emigrant ship as Roma in 1948. In 1953 she
was sold again to Costa Line and rebuilt as the luxury liner Franca C
and refitted with diesel engines. She sailed on their service from
Genoa via Naples, Barcelona, Funchal, Las Palmas, Curacao, Fort de
France, Pointe de Pitre and La Guaira. After 1959 she was used
increasingly for cruising. In 1979 she was sold to GBA Ships and became
the missionary ship Doulos. In this capacity she became famous as the
world's oldest ocean going passenger ship before her final retirement
in 2009.
On
the 18th March 2010 she was sold to Mr Eric Saw and is now preserved in
Singapore as a museum, bookshop, restaurant, cafe and function ship.
Thus she lives on and will continue to tell her long and remarkable
history to present and future generations.
Singapore Tourism Board www.yoursingapore.com COMING SOON
LIKELY TO OPEN IN 2010/2011
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M.S. DOULOS (1914) (NOW KNOWN AS M.S. DOULOS PHOS)  ~ The Oldest Ocean Going Passenger Ship in the World ~ SINGAPORE |
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M.S.
HIKAWA MARU
(1929)
~ The Queen of the Pacific ~ YOKOHAMA,
JAPAN
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The Hikawa Maru was built in 1929 at the Yokohama Dock Company for NYK Line and served on their trans-pacific service from Japan to the USA via Hawaii. Service combined with superb food and her beautiful art deco interiors saw her become a much sought after ship and passengers gave her the nickname “Queen of the Pacific.” She served during the Second World War as a hospital ship and returned to passenger service with NYK Line in 1954. She was retired from service in 1961 and became a tourist attraction in Yokohama. She is the last surviving Japanese ocean liner and the only one to survive the Second World War. In 2006 with the liquidation of her owners and closed to the public. However she was then entrusted in March 2007 into the ownership of NYK Line - her original owners. After refurbishment the Hikawa Maru reopened as a museum and tourist attraction on the 25th April 2008 as NYK Hikawamaru and so will live on and continue to inspire present and future generations. Website: http://www.nyk.com/rekishi/e/ Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) www.jnto.go.jp NYK Maritime Museum, Yokohama http://www.nyk.com/rekishi/e/ NYK Line http://www.nyk.com/english/index.htm |
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The Moonta was built in 1931 by the Burmeister & Wain shipyard, Copenhagen, Denmark for the Adelaide Steamship Company and their Australian coastal liner service. She was retired from service in 1955 and sold to Hellenic Maritime Lines. She was renamed Lydia and sailed on the Marseilles to Egypt via Italy and Greece service. In 1966 she was retired from service and laid up in Piraeus, Greece. However
she would not be scrapped as the Lydia was acquired by a French
organisation and taken to Marseilles. There her engines and propeller
screw were removed and she was converted for use as a casino and
restaurant ship. She was installed in her new home at Le Barcares in
the Langedoc-Rousillion region of France on the Mediterranean coast.
There a special basin was cut into the sand for her and when she was in
place the basin was filled with sand thus making her now landlocked.
Today she is a feature of this Mediterranean resort as the Casino Le
Lydia and is owned by the Partouche Group. So remarkably this is the
sole survivor of the Australian coastal liners and she lives on and
will continue to inspire present and future generations on a beach in
southern France!
Website:
www.partouche.com
(Click on "casino", then "tous nos casinos", then
click French flag, select "Langedoc-Rousillion region" on map, then
"Port Barcares - Le Lydia")
France
Tourism
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M.S. MOONTA (1931) (NOW KNOWN AS LYDIA)
~ The Last of the Australian Coastal Liners ~ LE BARCARES, LANGEDOC-ROUSILLION REGION, FRANCE |
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R.M.S.
QUEEN MARY (1934)
~ The British Art Deco Masterpiece ~ LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, USA |
The RMS Queen Mary has had a
most illustrious career through war and peace. In the 1930s she had a
celebrated rivalry with the great S/S Normandie in a legendary race
between the
two ships to capture the coveted Blue Riband. She served In the postwar period she operated Cunard
Line’s coveted
two-ship Atlantic Ferry service from Southampton to Today the legendary Queen Mary lives on as
a tourist attraction and hotel in Long Beach, California, USA and
continues to inspire present and future generations.
California Travel & Tourism Commission
Discover America |
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The Charlesville was built in 1950 by Cockrill-Ougree of Hoboken, Belgium as the last of a class of five sister ships. She was built as a cargo-passenger liner for the Compagnie Maritime Belge's service from Antwerp to Matadi in the Belgian Congo. She was eventually sold to a German shipping company in 1967 and was renamed Georg Buchner. In 1974 she was transferred to another German shipping company. Finally she was preserved in Rostock in Germany in 1977 as the Georg Buchner. Initially she served as a maritime training school. In 1997 she was transferred to the ownership of the City of Rostock. There she serves as a youth hostel, hotel and training facility. Today she remains a rare survivor of a cargo-passenger combi liner. Website: www.ms-georg-buechner.m-vp.de Germany Tourism www.germany-tourism.de |
M.S. CHARLESVILLE (1951) (NOW KNOWN AS M.S.
GEORG BUCHNER)
~ The Last of the
Congo-boats ~
ROSTOCK, GERMANY
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M.S. AUGUSTUS (1952)
(NOW KNOWN AS M.S.
PHILIPPINES)
 MANILA,
THE PHILIPPINES
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The M.S. Augustus was built in 1952 by Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico, Monfalcone, Trieste for Italia Line and their service from Italy to South America. She also deputised on the transatlantic service to New York at times. She and her sister ship Giulio Cesare were very stylish and elegant liners. Their successful design went on to influence the entire postwar generation of Italian liners including Cristoforo Colombo, Andrea Doria, Leonardo di Vinci, and the incomparable Michelangelo and Raffaello. The postwar generation of Italian liners were perhaps the most stylish and elegant liners sailing the oceans of the world at that time. The Augustus is the last survivor of the incorparably stylish and elegant liners of Italia Line and deserves to be saved for present and future generations. In January 1976 Italia Line retired the Augustus from service. She was sold to Hong Kong interests and from then on led a rather obscure and mysterious existance in the Far East. Eventually in 1999 she was acquired by the Manila Hotel and has a dedicated berth behind the Manila Hotel. She remains there today as M.S. Philippines and until recently was used as a restaurant ship and conference centre. However her future is in doubt and she is currently for sale. The Manila Hotel http://www.manila-hotel.com.ph/ Department of Tourism - WOW Philippines http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/ |
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The Brazil Maru is
the last surviving Japanese passenger / cargo ocean liner. She was
built in 1954 for the Japan to South America liner service of OSK
Line. It was
preserved in 1974 at Toba in Japan but due to poor visitor numbers
eventually closed in
the 1990s and was apparently sold for scrapping in Guangzhou, China in
1996.
However
in February 2008 it was discovered that she, in fact,
had not been scrapped but instead became a floating tourist attraction
in Zhanjiang,
Guangdong Province, China. So a classic ocean liner long thought lost
has reappeared and in fact remains in preservation today for present
and future generations to enjoy.
China
National Tourism
Administration
http://en.cnta.gov.cn/lyen/index.asp |
M.S. BRAZIL MARU (1954) (NOW KNOWN AS M.S. PEARL MARU)  ZHANJIANG, GUANGDONG
PROVINCE, CHINA
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M.S. AKDENIZ (1955)
 ISTANBUL, TURKEY
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The
M.S. Akdeniz was built in 1955 by W.G. Weser Shipyards in
Bremen / Bremerhaven in Germany for Turkish Maritime Lines. She
served on their services from Istanbul to the North and South
Mediterranean. Before 1960 she was used on the Istanbul to Izmir
service and the Black Sea express service. After 1960 she was
transferred to sail on a 25-day Istanbul to Barcelona service via
Piraeus, Naples, Genoa and Marseilles including occasional calls from
time to time at Beirut and Alexandria. In the 1980s she switched to
operating cruises out of Istanbul. In 1997 she was retired from service
and sold to the Istanbul Technical University for use by their ITU
Maritime Faculty as a training ship and student accommodation. Today she
remains
a rare survivor of a cargo-passenger combi liner. ITU Maritime Faculty http://maritime.itu.edu.tr/ Istanbul Technical University (ITU) http://www.itu.edu.tr/en/ Turkey Tourism http://www.goturkey.com/ |
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The
M.S. Jadran was built in 1956 by Brodogradiliste
Uljanik, Pula,
Croatia (formerly Yugoslavia) for Jadranska
Linijiska Plovidba (Jadrolinja). She served on their Adriatic liner
service from
Venice to Piraeus via Split and Dubrovnik. She was retired from service
in 1976 and sold to Canadian owners.
Today she lives on preserved as a restaurant ship in Toronto, Canada berthed at Queens West Dock and continues to inspire present and future generations. Today she is known as Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant and Banquet Facilities. Website: www.captainjohns.ca
Canada Tourism Commission www.canadatourism.com |
M.S. JADRAN (1956)  QUEENS WEST DOCK TORONTO, CANADA |
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S.S.
ROTTERDAM (1958)
~
The Pride of the Netherlands ~
ROTTERDAM, THE
NETHERLANDS
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The
Rotterdam was built in 1958 by the Rotterdam Drydock Co. for Holland
America Line. She was the last true ocean liner built
for the shipping company. She was the largest
passenger liner ever built in the Netherlands. She served on the
transatlantic
service until 1971 and later on cruises. She had a most progressive
design and soon became known as one of the most
luxurious and beautiful liners on the oceans. In 2003 the ship was
retired from service and acquired for the City of Rotterdam as a
tourist attraction and hotel. After refurbishment she returned to her
former homeport of Rotterdam and opened to the public in February 2010.
Today
the
famous S.S.
Rotterdam lives on as a tourist attraction and hotel in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands and continues to inspire present and future generations.
Website: www.derotterdam.com Steamship Rotterdam Foundation www.ssrotterdam.net Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions
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nuclear ship Savannah was built in 1959 by the New York Shipbuilding
Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, USA for the U.S. Maritime
Administration. She was a product of President Eisenhower's famous
"Atoms for Peace" initiative and was designed as a passenger
cargo combi liner. She served as a roving goodwill ship as well as
demonstrating the application of nuclear propulsion to commercial
shipping. She was indeed the world's first nuclear powered merchant
ship.
She was retired from service in 1971 and for a while was preserved at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in South Carolina. In 1982 she was designated on the National Register of Historic Places. But in 1994 she was returned to the US Maritime Administration and stored in the James River Reserve Fleet. Today she is in protective storage in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and undergoing decommissioning of her nuclear reactor. After that it is likely that the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) will offer the ship for preservation. Thus she will live on for present and future generations as a lasting symbol of President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" initiative and as a platform for debating the merits of nuclear energy. Website: http://www.marad.dot.gov/ Nuclear Ship Savannah http://www.nssavannah.net/ N.S. Savannah Association Inc. http://www.ns-savannah.org/ Discover America www.discoveramerica.com COMING SOON |
N.S. SAVANNAH (1959)
 ~ The World's First Nuclear Powered Merchant Ship ~ BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA |
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M.S. CAP SAN DIEGO (1961)  ~ The White Swan of the South Atlantic ~ HAMBURG, GERMANY |
The Cap San Diego was built by Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft in Hamburg for the Hamburg Sud shipping company and their service from Hamburg to South America. She was the last of the "Cap-San" class of 6 sister ships to be built. However in 1981 with the increasing move to container ships, she was sold by Hamburg Sud to a Spanish shipping company. She was finally withdrawn from service in 1986 and sold for scrap. However the City of Hamburg stepped in and saved her as a maritime monument and her ownership was transferred to the Hamburger Admiralitat foundation in 1987. She is operated by the Cap San Diego Betriebsgesellschaft mbH. Today she lives on her home port city of Hamburg as a historical maritime monument, museum ship and tourist attraction. Uniquely she is still maintained in operational condition. The Cap San Diego is a lasting legacy of Germany's maritime shipbuilding traditions. She is one of the last surviving cargo-passenger combi liners and is a symbol of the great port city of Hamburg. Website: www.capsandiego.de Germany Tourism www.germany-tourism.de |
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The
Ancerville was built by Chantiers
de l'Atlantique, St Nazaire, France for the Compagnie de Navigation
Paquet in 1962. She was launched on the 5th April 1962 by President
Charles de Gaulle. She served on the route from Marseilles to Dakar,
Senegal via Casablanca (Morocco) and the Canary Islands. In 1970 her
ownership transferred to the Nouvelle Compagnie de Paquebots,
Marseilles. In 1973 she was sold to the Peoples Republic of China and
renamed Minghua. She was placed on the China to East Africa service.
After 1981 she operated cruises from Australia.
In 1983 she was retired from service and berthed at Shekou, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. This area is located on the Pearl River delta across from Hong Kong. There she was renamed Sea World by Deng Xiaoping and became a hotel and entertainment complex as part of the Sea World Plaza in the Shekou Industrial Zone then being developed by the China Merchants Group. Over time the berth around the ship eventually was filled in as new development took place until the ship became totally land locked. Today Shekou is a popular expat residential community. In 1998 the ship closed due to management difficulties and after a fire. However after refurbishment between 2001 and 2004 the complex reopened in December 2004. Today she remains a popular hotel, restaurant and entertainment complex in the expat Shekou area of Shenzhen near Hong Kong. China National Tourism Administration http://en.cnta.gov.cn/lyen/index.asp Discover Hong Kong www.discoverhongkong.com |
M.S. ANCERVILLE (1962) (NOW KNOWN AS M.S. MINGHUA SEA WORLD)  SHEKOU, SHENZHEN GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA |
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M.S.
KUNGSHOLM (1965)
~
The Last of the White Vikings ~
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN
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The Kungsholm was the last passenger ship built for the Swedish American Line. She was built by John Brown & Co. (Clydebank) Ltd who also built many other famous ships including the Royal Yacht Britannia and three of the legendary Cunard Queens. She was also the largest ship built for the shipping company. She served on the transatlantic service and on cruises. She soon became known as one of the most luxurious and beautiful liners on the oceans. In September 2008 the ship was retired from service and it is hoped will be acquired by Swedish entrepreneur Lars Hallgren (Top Industri A.B.) for the City of Gothenburg as a tourist attraction and hotel. After refurbishment to her original external condition with two funnels it is hoped that she will return to her former homeport of Gothenburg in Sweden and is likely to open to the public in 2010/2011. Thus the famous M.S. Kungsholm will live on as a tourist attraction and hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden and continue to inspire present and future generations. Sweden.Se - The Gateway to Sweden www.sweden.se COMING SOON
LIKELY TO OPEN IN 2010/2011 |
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The QE2 is the last ocean liner built on the River Clyde and was built by John Brown & Co. (Clydebank) Ltd. This famous shipyard had also built other famous ships such as the previous Cunard Queens (Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth) and the Royal Yacht Britannia. The QE2 was launched in 1967 by HM Queen Elizabeth II. She is Cunard Line's longest serving ship and was in service for over 40 years. She even single handedly continued the tradition of the transatlantic service between Southampton and New York for 30 years until 2004 and the arrival of the new RMS Queen Mary 2. She was also legendary for her World Cruises and completed 26 in her long career. In 1982 she was called up and served as a troopship during the Falklands War. She is truly one of the most iconic ocean liners ever built and certainly deserves the title of “The Most Famous Ocean Liner in the World”. In November 2008 the QE2 was retired from service by Cunard Line. She has been acquired by Dubai World (via their Istithmar investment holding company). They have passed the management of the ship to Nakheel (another subsidiary of Dubai World) and she will be preserved at The Palm Jumeirah as a hotel, restaurant, heritage attraction and entertainment complex. Thus the world famous QE2 will live on to inspire present and future generations. Dubai World www.dubaiworld.ae Nakheel www.nakheel.com The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai www.thepalm.ae Dubai Government: Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing www.dubaitourism.ae COMING SOON
LIKELY TO OPEN IN 2010/11
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R.M.S.
QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 (1967)
~
The Most Famous Ocean Liner in the World ~
THE
PALM JUMEIRAH, DUBAI,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
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