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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » Oldest Ship?

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Topic: Oldest Ship?

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 08-15-1999 01:12 PM

Any idea which are the oldest cruise ships ships still in regular service?

I just read that Thompson's 'Topaz' (formerly 'empress of Britain') is 43 yearts old - can this be beaten?

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago!

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 08-15-1999 02:13 PM

For example Nina Cruises´ ITALIA PRIMA (soon the VALTUR PRIMA) was build in 1948 as the STOCKHOLM. Well, it was reconstructed in 1994 but anway, the hull is still from 1948. That means it´s 51 years old.
The probably oldest ship still in service is Louis Cruise Line´s PRINCESA VICTORIA which was build in 1936. With an age of 63 years, this ship has been very well maintained during its life. It was sailing a very long time for Chandris Cruises as the THE VICTORIA.
As well Chandris Cruises´ BRITANIS is very old, from 1932, so 67 years old. But this ship is currently laied up in Tampa / Florida waiting to be used as a floating hotel probably.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98

Vaccaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 465

posted 08-15-1999 03:48 PM

Yes, and don't forget SEA CLOUD (1931 as HUSSAR) and REGINA MARIS (1929, ex ARGONAUT, ex ORION, ex VIXEN, ex ORION).
Please, Patrick or Joe, tell me if these ships are still in service because my informations regarding them are three years old. Thanks.
Bye.

Posts: 1193 | From: France ...where the greatest liners ever are born, ...by far! | Registered: Feb 99

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 08-15-1999 08:50 PM

Isn't the SS DOLPHIN close to 50
yrs. old now? And it used to sail
as a ZION OR ZIM LINER as the
SS ITHACA? I have a card of it when it was the SS ITHACA.

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99

TomS
First Class Passenger
Member # 453

posted 08-15-1999 09:16 PM

I think the REGINA MARIS is the oldest,it was built in 1929! The ITALIA PRIMA was rebuilt into a beautiful ship! The OCEAN VOYAGER(ex EMERALD SEAS)dates from 1944 as
WW II toopship the GENERAL RICHARDSON. It has been rebuilt/refurbished more times than I can remember! I think she is still a nice looking ship! If you look at her she looks like she was built in the early 70's. That was the last time she was rebuilt by Chandris as the ATLANTIS! I fear many of these ships days are numbered!

Posts: 94 | From: San Antonio,Texas 78219 | Registered: Jul 99

jake14
First Class Passenger
Member # 602

posted 08-20-1999 03:37 AM

malcolm i think it is delta queen steamboat companys ship there ship the delta queen was build in 1926 and it is still running
look at there fleet ok

[This message has been edited by jake14 (edited 08-20-99).]

Posts: 136 | From: susanville ca us | Registered: May 99

Vaccaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 465

posted 08-20-1999 08:37 AM

Hello,
Maybe the oldest passengers ship still afloat (and sailing): The DOULOS.
She was launched in...1914 (!) as the MEDINA (a fruit carrier for Mallory Line), be renamed ROMA (1948), FRANCA C (1952) and DOULOS (1977). Her last reffiting took place at Cape Town in 1993 mainly for cruises in East Africa so maybe she's still sailing after more than eighty years!!
If anyone knows, please tell us!
Bye.

Posts: 1193 | From: France ...where the greatest liners ever are born, ...by far! | Registered: Feb 99

Joe at PwC
First Class Passenger
Member # 225

posted 08-20-1999 10:34 AM

Wow! Now THAT'S an old ship.

Posts: 385 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 08-20-1999 12:54 PM

Vaccaro, the REGINA MARIS is still in service. The ship is cruising in the Red Sea, it´s owned and managed by Memnon Cruises, Cairo and under long term charter to Phoenix Seereisen. That means the REGINA MARIS is sailing mainly for German-speaking passengers.
Simular situation for the SEA CLOUD. This beautiful sailship is owned by Sea Cloud Cruises and is under charter to Hanseatic Tours. It´s sailing all around the world for mainly German passengers too.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98

jal33406
First Class Passenger
Member # 603

posted 08-23-1999 09:43 PM

One of the ships I sailed on that was about as old as I is the SS BRITANIS. That was in 1992.
Will never forget the polished brass window frames on Promenade Deck.
For a very complete history with pictures then and now go to:
maritimematters.com/britanis
Has links to the group that wants to bring her back to SF.

Posts: 35 | From: West Palm Beach FL USA | Registered: Aug 99

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 08-30-1999 06:07 PM

For Patrick -
just found this site for information on the old Britanis -
http://www.varsity-nj.com/liners/britanis.htm#1
Hope you find it interesting

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99

blf49
First Class Passenger
Member # 502

posted 09-13-1999 11:25 PM

Dambrosi...I think the Dolphin IV was the Theo. Herzl and sailed for ZIM.

Posts: 56 | From: Seattle, WA, US | Registered: Jul 99

vulcania
First Class Passenger
Member # 822

posted 09-14-1999 11:45 AM

The DOLPHIN IV was built in Germany in 1956 as part of German reparations to Israel. Her name was ZION, a sister of the ISRAEL. These handsome 10,000 tonners (actually just UNDER 10,000grt) carried up to 313 passengers in two classes. First class had 25 permanent beds and another 15 could be berthed in interchangeable cabins. They ran the passenger and cargo route between Israel and New York via Greece, Italy and Portugal. Nice ships... They were sold in 1965/66 to two different Portuguese companies; the ISRAEL went to Empresa Insulana de Navageacao and was renamed ANGRA DO HEROISMO while the ZION became the AMELIA do MELLO of the Sociedade Geral de Comercio e Industria. The ANGRA worked with the FUNCHAL between Lisbon and Madeira (occasionally Azores) and the AMELIA do MELLO ran mostly between Lisbon and Portuguese Guinea. The ANGRA got scrapped, the do MELLO was sold to Vlassopoulos and rebuilt as a cheap cruise ship for the UK market and was renamed ITHACA. (I sailed in her on a great itinerary in 1977 and for months after my companion and I used to say I have to make an ITHACA to describe a short upcoming absence to take care of bodily function).
When she was chartered to Paquet for short cruises from Miami to the Bahamas, she was renamed DOLPHIN IV, a name that has stuck. She is now 43 years old...

Posts: 182 | From: Baltimore, MD USA | Registered: Sep 99

Davilance
First Class Passenger
Member # 12332

posted 12-18-2007 02:05 PM

The Ithaca, later the Dolphin IV (among other names) is now ( December 2007) sailing as the Imperial Majesty, doing 2 day Bahamas runs out of Fort Lauderdale. I haven't sailed on her ( yet ) but have loved this ship for years and hope to do so before she retires in 2010.

Posts: 20 | From: Roland, Iowa | Registered: Dec 2007 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 12-18-2007 02:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Davilance:
The Ithaca, later the Dolphin IV (among other names) is now ( December 2007) sailing as the Imperial Majesty, doing 2 day Bahamas runs out of Fort Lauderdale. I haven't sailed on her ( yet ) but have loved this ship for years and hope to do so before she retires in 2010.

This ship was scrapped at Alang in 2003, at the age of 46, although she had been laid up for the last few years. Her last operation was with Port Canaveral Cruise Line in the late 1990s.

Rich

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 12-18-2007 06:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Linerrich:
This ship was scrapped at Alang in 2003, at the age of 46, although she had been laid up for the last few years. Her last operation was with Port Canaveral Cruise Line in the late 1990s.
Rich

I believe there is a close-up pic of her on the beach in Alang on the Maritime Matters site.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 12-19-2007 02:10 AM

As already mentioned Doulos is the oldest albeit she is not really in service.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Vaccaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 465

posted 12-19-2007 07:34 AM

Talk about resurrecting an old topic... more than 8 years without activity! (too bad for Joe's recent instructions about that

)
All informations about ships were not easily available then, as they're now.

... and that does not make us younger as well...

(Edit: and with a lot of delay, thank you Patrick for your reply to my question! Better late than never... )

[ 12-19-2007: Message edited by: Vaccaro ]

Posts: 1193 | From: France ...where the greatest liners ever are born, ...by far! | Registered: Feb 99 | IP: Logged

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