History


       
RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE                                                                                                                                                                                                                    S/S OLYMPIA 1953


 
The S/S Olympia, the first and last newbuild ocean liner built for Greek Line. She was also the largest ocean liner built for Greek interests at the time. She was built in 1953 by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was designed to operate regular transatlantic voyages from Piraeus to New York, although later from 1961 she became a seasonal cruise ship.

Design and Construction (1953):

The Olympia was a product of the Alexander Stephen and Sons, Ltd. Shipyard at Glasgow, Scotland. While not as well known as John Brown or even Cammell Laird, they had produced a number of fine intermediate sized post war passenger ships including BI's Karanja and Kampala, Elder & Fyffes' Camito and Golfito, and Elder Dempster Lines' yacht-like Aureol. There were many rumors that hull number 636 was originally to have been an aircraft carrier (or perhaps another type of military ship) that was partially under way when the order was canceled. Although there is no known official verification, this is sometimes cited as a reason for the Olympia's particularly sturdy hull and deep draft of 28 feet 1 inch.

Not only was the Olympia the first ship to be built for the Greek Line, but she was also the first major passenger ship to be ordered for any Greek-owned shipping company. Until that time, all Greek liners were secondhand ships. Her owners, the Goulandris Group, had intended to name her after Queen Frederica, but prior to her completion, a financial dispute with the government led to the ship's realised name and her registry in Monrovia.

The Olympia was built to accommodate between 50 and 196 First Class passengers and 1,160 to 1,306 Tourist Class passengers. She had a number of interchangeable cabins for 146 passengers. The reason she was built as a predominantly Tourist Class ship was in response to the demand for cheaper travel in the postwar years. Her Pametrada geared turbines were capable of 25,000 shaft horsepower to drive twin screws at a respectable service speed of 21 knots. She was fully air-conditioned and fitted with Flume type stabilizers.

She was launched on the 16th April 1953 although not named. She was only named on the 12th October 1953 when she entered service with Greek Line. She then departed on a 7-night shakedown cruise from Glasgow.

Greek Line era (1953 – 1974):

Olympia was initially used for the North Atlantic run between New York, Halifax, Cobh, Cherbourg, Southampton, and Bremerhaven, although her two outdoor pools and lido areas would indicate she was ultimately intended for the warmer southern route from New York to the Mediterranean and Greece. During the winter season, Olympia would be employed in cruise service.

After her maiden voyage on the 20th October 1953 from Southampton to New York, Olympia remained in North Atlantic service until early 1955, when she was assigned to the Mediterranean route from New York or Boston to Halifax, Lisbon, Naples, Messina, and Piraeus. In 1961, her service was extended to include Limassol and Haifa. As the demand for North Atlantic sea travel peaked in the late 1950s and began its decline in the 1960s, Olympia and ships of her generation gradually undertook more cruise service. Fortunately, Olympia was designed with warm weather voyages in mind, so she was well equipped for cruise service. Full air conditioning, plenty of outdoor deck space, and two passenger pools had already been serving her cruise passengers well when she alternated from the transatlantic run. By 1968, when Olympia was finally registered in Greece, it was time for the ship's first major facelift and she was converted from part-time to full-time cruising. Sadly in 1974 Greek Line collapsed and ceased operations and the Olympia and the other ships in the Greek Line fleet were laid up at Piraeus.

Greek Government ownership and the Wilderness Years (1974 - 1981):

Within a year, Greek Line's assets were seized by the government but the Olympia remained laid up awaiting a new role. 

Sally Line / Commodore Cruise Line era (1981 - 1993):

In 1981, as "The Love Boat" television series and a new attitude about cruising created increasing demand, the Finland-based Sally Line purchased Olympia for use as a floating hotel. In 1982 after difficulties with their other cruise ship, Sally Line decided to reactivate the Olympia for cruising. She was renamed Caribe and she underwent a massive overhaul at Piraeus where her accommodation and public areas were spruced up and restyled for permanent Caribbean cruise service. Her forward bulwarks were cut down, her tripod mast replaced with a modern radio mast, and her kingposts and funnel removed. In early 1983, with a slightly revised name of Caribe I, she was towed to Hamburg where her turbines were replaced with Klockner-Humbolt-Deutz diesels (capable of 20,270 BHP for a service speed of 18 knots) and a new grilled funnel was installed aft of where the original streamlined funnel once sat. A new paint scheme gave Olympia's graceful hull and superstructure a more modern look.

So in her new look she entered service on the Caribbean cruise service from Miami and began to develop a loyal following. In May 1988 she was sent to Norfolk, Virginia for a refit and her unusual funnel was replaced by a more traditional funnel. She soon became a very popular cruise ship on the Caribbean despite strong competition from the cruise giants such as Royal Caribbean, NCL and Carnival Cruises. In 1993 Sally Line (Commodore Cruise Line) sold the Caribe I.  

Regal Cruise Line era (1993 – 1991):

The Caribe I was acquired by the newly formed Regal Cruise Line in 1993 and they renamed her Regal Empress. She was deployed on short cruises from New York and Port Manatee (near Tampa, Florida).

On the 19th August 1994, as the ship was returning to New York from a cruise, a small fire erupted in the funnel insulation. With the blaze confined, she berthed and safely disembarked her entire complement of 1,000 passengers. The ship returned to service on the 27th August having cancelled only two short cruises in the interim.

In 1997, Regal Empress sailed to Mobile, Alabama for a refit that would bring her up to the latest international S.O.L.A.S. (Safety Of Life At Sea) standards that entailed special fireproof stairwell and lobby enclosures and lighting. In 2004 Regal Cruise Line collapsed and the Regal Empress was laid up.

She was acquired at auction by Imperial Majesty Cruise Lines to replace the Ocean Breeze (former Southern Cross) and operated Caribbean cruises from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. She became very successful and a most popular ship.

Imperial Majesty Cruise Line era (2004 - Present):

She was acquired at auction in 2004 by Imperial Majesty Cruise Lines to replace the Ocean Breeze (former Southern Cross) and operated Caribbean cruises from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. She became very successful and a most popular ship. Today she is still in service and remains a wonderfully elegant classic cruise liner recalling the golden age of ocean liners.

Preservation era (2010 - ):

However her longer term future also looks more secure as well. There is interest from the Greek Government to acquire her as a museum ship at Piraeus once she is retired from active service in 2010. Alternatively she could be used as a hotel ship in London. So hopefully she will be preserved and thus continue to inspire present and future generations for many years to come as the only Greek ocean liner.













(c) The AJN Transport Britain Collection 2007                                                                                                                                                                                 A Edward Elliott