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Alang-ward Trio
November 12: The 1965-built MV S OCEAN (former APHRODITE, STELLA OCEANIS) departed Eleusis today on her final voyage to the breakers' beach at Alang, India. She has spent the past few years in layup along with the 1961-built SS APOLLO (former EMPRESS OF CANADA, MARDI GRAS, STAR OF TEXAS, LUCKY STAR, OLYMPIC 2004, APOLLON) and SS S SOLAR (ex CAMBODGE, STELLA V, STELLA SOLARIS). The APOLLO is due to leave today and the S SOLAR is due to leave tomorrow, according to the latest reports from Piraeus. The three handsome ships were last owned by Royal Olympic Cruises and after several years on the market were recently sold for a lump sum of $5.7 million USD to scrap merchants who will deliver them to India.

Alang's Trimmed Down BIG BOAT
November 11: The 1961-built BIG BOAT has had most of her forward superstructure removed along with parts of the forward portion of her hull. She now looks remarkably as built (TRANSVAAL CASTLE) with the Carnival additions gone. Cutting into her sides has also taken place with only portions of the outer Promenade Deck remaining. Her demoliton seems to be going at a steady but slow pace and workers are even staying aboard in her aft quarters.

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[ 11-18-2003: Message edited by: Keitaro ]

Bye Stella - Cambodge...

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Originally posted by gohaze:
If the Greeks have decided that those two can no longer be operated economically, then I suggest that they are in pretty poor shape.

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STELLA SOLARIS was almost surely at the end of her useful life simply because nobody would be willing to operate such an expensive steam turbine vessel. On the other hand I personally think APOLLON might have made a fantastic candidate for static use, as she had wonderfully original interiors (acres of wood etc.). Indeed of all the old British ships out there she would probably make the best candidate for preservation simply because WINDSOR CASTLE would almost surely require a lot more work.

LLoyds will not let her sail the North Atlantic in the winter months.

She lacks a gym, cabin TV's, theatre, disco, and shows are done in a makeshift ballroom. Her 16:1 passenger ton ratio means crowding.

CruiseNY fuel costs of old liners are offset by the purchase price. $500,000,000 and $5-30,000,000 is a large difference.

The 1970's cruiseships work better since they are planned as one class ships and designed for warm weather albiet the lack of fine woods and brass.

[ 11-18-2003: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

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Originally posted by desirod7:
fuel costs of old liners are offset by the purchase price.

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As I said, from what shipbrokers themselves have been telling me... Potential buyers almost universally say "no steamships" immediately. They're not going to be doing that out of personal preference - it MUST have to do with money.

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The 1970's cruiseships work better since they are planned as one class ships

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Besides this a ship like STELLA SOLARIS, design-wise, IS a 1970s ship, planned as a one-class ship, and was a superb cruise ship by everyone's account. She's as much of an old liner as COSTA MARINA is a container ship. Her downfall has been her turbines, unless there is something about her condition that hasn't come out. And even if there was, her turbines would probably be a death sentence anyhow.

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Aussie1 posted:
Pacific Sky ...burns around 180 tons of fuel per day I believe. The similar sized Royal Princess uses about 120 tons per day to do a similar speed...The Apollon and Stella Solaris would use around 100 tons per day.

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Originally posted by anthemius:
&her tired and dated interiors she isn't no more competitive in the Mediterranean. Italian

. Her decoration is entirely early 70s, but in decent shades and high quality. Cabins are quite modern. I don't think it's her interiors that broke her neck.

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Stella Solaris and Stella Oceanis were designed by Gustavo Pulitzer Finale who's claims to fame are the Conte de Savoia, Augustus, and Gulio Cesare.

Mark Goldberg rightly noted the Stella Oceanis was so well done that it looked good till the last day and only needed minor changes over the years.

In 1969, my wife and I were on a return voyage on “Cambodge” from Japan to Bangkok, when she suffered a major turbine failure on approach to Hong Kong. For those who knew the port at that time, it was immediately adjacent to the long runway at the airport. While we patiently waited, we watched the planes take off and land on what, I am sure, was a real white-knuckle operation.

After many hours, we limped to the Ocean Terminal, with more tugs than usual, and debarked.

We expected a two-night stay.

Those who may remember such, might be familiar with the edge-lighted plexiglass announcement boards, used with coilored "chalk" in many French cafes. On “Cambodge” it presented the plan of the day, and sailing information. As one day slid into another, the Board was constantly changed to read “le paquebot ‘Cambodge’ [ ‘will’ I forget my french] depart pour Bangkok on le.....”( and then followed a series of sequentially erased dates for five days.

In the meanwhile we remained tied up at the Ocean Terminal, with its multitudes of shops, and enjoyed meals and lodging aboard our lovely ship, including table wines, of course, at no extra charge...but the bar tab built up...significantly!

Finally the board read “Le Paquebot ‘Cambodge’will depart pour Singapour” on the next date. The MM Lines, bless ‘em, had to skip the port call at Bangkok, but arranged for a mid-harbor transfer of the Bangkok-bound passengers to “Laos,” her sistership in Singapore. It was an interesting lightering operation and we made it.

En route, I was told that “Cambodge” had suffered a critical turbine failure and was to return to Marseilles “on one engine.” I was also told that there was much corporate negotiation between MM and Lloyds so that they could do this, with passengers.

And the Suez was closed at the time, during one of the Mid-east dustups on the ‘60s , so “Cambodge” had to return via Durban, and the Cape. Yes on one turbine!

She apparently made it OK, but I was interested to note later, that of the “three sisters”, “Laos,” “Cambodge,” and “Vietnam,” Cambodge was the ship sold for modernization for the Europe Cruise trade. I thought that the others were in better shape, but they went to third-world operations where they both burned within a few years.

I wonder if the turbine that failed recently was the same one, or its twin.

A great ship, I wish I could have sailed on her in her second life. Remember, as a French ship, with great food and wines, we always noted that "there is no English word for 'ambiance!"

[ 11-21-2003: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

[ 11-25-2003: Message edited by: Cambodge ]