Athena in Helsinki, 6 July 2012

For once - admittedly by accident - my entry for the day will have some relevance with current events, as we will be looking at Classic International Cruises' Athena which was arrested in Marseille last Saturday together with her fleetmate Princess Danae due to unpaid crew wages and fuel bills. I sincerely hope this is just a false alarm, as CIC operate some of the most interesting old ships around... such as the Athena. Be warned that this is a text-heavy entry for a change.

Athena

IMO 5383304
Name history: Stockholm, Völkerfreundschaft, Volker, Fridtjof Nansen, Italia I, Italia Prima, Valtur Prima, Caribe, Athena
Built 1948, Götaverken Gothenburg,Sweden
Tonnage 16 144 GT
Length 160,08 m
Width 21,04 m
Draught 7,90 m
650 passengers
2 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 10 664 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16,5 knots

The Athena was built way back in 1948 for Svenska Amerika Linjen (Swedish American Line, SAL) for their Gothenburg-New York -service as the Stockholm. The ship took her name from a previous Stockholm, completed in 1941 by an Italian shipyard but never entered service for SAL due to the war. Whereas the 1941 Stockholm was luxurious to the entreme, the post-war Stockholm was originally a rather austere people-carrier not at all in keeping with SAL's pre-war luxury image. It was not the SAL's intention to turn into a second-rate operator however, as during the same year the Stockholm entered service, plans for a new ship, larger and more luxurious from the Stockholm were being put in motion.

After the new, much more luxurious Kungsholm entered service in 1953, the Stockholm was given a large-scale refit in order to get her to match the quality of her newer fleetmate. In 1956 she was given another refit, when Dennt Brown -type stabilisers were installed to help the combat the ship's pronounced rolling. Soon afterwards the ship was involved in an collision that would make her famous forever. Due to a navigational error, the Stockholm rammed the larger Italian Line liner Andrea Doria in fog outside of Nantucket. The Stockholm's bow was demolished but she stayed afloat. The Andrea Doria was not so lucky and sunk 11 hours later. Fortunately, only 46 people onboard the Andrea Doria and five people onboard the Stockholm perished in the accident.

The Stockholm's bow was later repaired and she resumed sailings. Her SAL career was already coming to an end however. The company's new flagship Gripsholm, an improved version of the Kungsholm, was already under construction in Italy. SAL wanted to sell the Stockholm immediately but could not find a buyer. Evnetually it was only 1959 that a buyer was found, in the form of the state-owned East German operator VEB Deutsche Seereederei, with delivery in 1960.

Under the East German flag the ship was renamed Völkerfreundschaft for further cruising. From 1966 onwards the Völkerfreundschaft spent several winters under chater to Stena Line, who used on cruises out of Gothenburg as far as the Caribbean. She remained in service for the East Germans until 1985, when she was sold to Neptunus Rex Enterprises, Panama, following the delivery of the newer Arkona (later known as the Saga Pearl II and currently as the Quest for Adventure). The Völkerfreundschaft was renamed Volker and laid up. In 1986 she was renamed Fridtjof Nansen for use as an accommodation ship in Oslo.

Three years later the aged Fridtjof Nansen got a new lease of life when sold to StarLauro (the future MSC Cruises) to be radically rebuilt into a cruise ship in Genoa, potentially to be renamed Surriento after a previous Lauro liner. However, it was not until 1992 that the rebuilding actually started. A year later the ship was renamed Italia I, later amended into Italia Prima. In 1994 the ship was delivered to Nina Cia. di Navigazione (StarLauro having resold her) and entered service on Mediterranean cruises. In 1995 the Italia Prima was chartered for five years to Neckermann Seereisen of Germany and used for Caribbean cruising. Neckermann got into financial difficulties in early 1998 and the ship was laid up.

In late 1998 the Italia Prima was chartered to another German tour operator, Valtur Tourist, as the Valtur Prima for further Caribbean cruising. In 2001 the Valtur Prima war laid up in Havana, Cuba. The next year the ship was sold to Festival Cruises and renamed Caribe for planned Caribbean cruising out of Havana, but this never took place and the ship remained laid up for three more years.

In 2005 the Caribe was finally reactivated. She was sold to the Portugal-based Classic International Cruises, specilising in the operation of older tonnage. CIC renamed the ship Athena and used her for around-the-world cruising. Interestingly, she cruised winter seasons for the Australian market. In 2009 the ship was briefly chartered to Phoenix Reisen after they had trouble taking the delivery of their new Alexander von Humboldt.

In September 2012 the Athena was arrested in Marseille alongside her fleetmate Princess Danae, due to alledged unpaid crew wages and fuel bills. This news followed swift on the heels of reports of fnancial difficulties for the company and troubles refitting their first ship Funchal to correspond with SOLAS 2010 rules. At the time of writing the future of CIC and the Athena remains a mystery.

The photographs below, however, show the Athena still in full swing, departing Helsinki three months ago, photographed from Suomenlinna and the ferry to the island (not sure which one). Click on the images to see them in larger size.

At the Katajanokka cruise quay. In the original full-size image you could see the riveted hull, a farly notable difference from the welded 90s-built superstructure.

It doesn't really look 64 years old, but that's radical rebuilds for you...

Peeking behind Lonna.

Foreground crap inspired my then-recent trip with Bruce Peter.

More foreground crap.

Entering the Kustaanmiekka strait, now minus the foreground crap.

Next time (probably): Queen Victoria

Princess Danae in Helsinki, 30 June 2011

Princess Danae

IMO 5282483
Previous names: Port Melbourne, Therisos Express, Danae, Anar, Starlight Express, Baltica
Built: 1955, Harland & Wolff Belfast, United Kingdom
Rebuilt as a cruise ship: 1976, Chalkis, Greece
Tonnage 16 531 GT
Length 162,31 m
Width 21,34 m
Draugth 7,69 m
707 passengers
2 Harland & Wolff diesels, combined 9 709 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 17 knots

The Princess Danae, in addition to being a fascinating older cruise ship, also bears a personal importance for me. In the mid-1990s when she was sailing as the Baltica for (the now-defunct) Baltic Line, she was the first real cruise ship I knew existed. Baltic Line delightfully included detailed deck plans and all sorts of other information in their brochures and thanks to these the ship left a lasting impression on the mind of a budding ship enthustiast. For years I had hoped for a chance to photograph her and this summer I finally happened to be in the right place at the right time.

But before we get to the photographs, it's perhaps a good idea to look at the history of this ship. A read through the history of her sister Princess Daphne is also recommended.

The Princess Danae was originally built in 1955 as the reefer Port Melbourne for Port Line's UK-Australia-New Zealand service. She and her sister Port Sydney plied the route for seventeen years, until sold to the Greek shipping magnate John C. Carras. The Port Melbourne was renamed Therisos Express with the conversion to a car-passenger ferry in mind. However, Carras soon abandoned that plan and instead the Therisos Express and her sister (that had in the meantime been renamed Akirotiri Express) were converted into the luxury cruise ships Danae and Daphne. The rebuildings were completed in 1975-1976 and the sisters then proceeded to sail on varied iteneraries from the Amazon river to East Asia. During this time the Danae became the first western cruise ship to call in the People's Republic of China.

The Carras Cruises venture failed to find popularity despite their impressive iteneraries (the hard competition in the luxury cruise segment from the longer-established Norwegian America Line and Royal Viking Line probably didn't help) . In 1979 Carras Cruises ceased trading and the Daphne and Danae were chartered to Costa Cruises. Following the end of the five-year charter period in 1984 Costa bought out the ships outright. In 1990 the Danae and Daphne were transferred to Prestige Cruises, a new joint venture between Costa and the Soviet Union's state shipping company Sovcomflot. The Danae sailed for Prestige Cruises for less than two years when in 1991 she caught fire while being drydocked in Genoa. After the fire she was declared a total loss and was subsequently sold for scrap.

Yet she wasn't scrapped. The Danae was sold to Harbor Maritime, renamed Anar and towed to Keratsini in Greece for restoration into a cruise ship, including a slight expansion of her forward superstructure. She was subsequently renamed Starlight Express, but re-entered service in 1994 as the Baltica. By this time she was owned by Flax International but operated, as said, by Baltic Line. During this time she made cruises from Gothenburg to the Norwegian fjords during the summer and cruised around the Canary Islands during the winter. According to William H. Miller's book Greek Passenger Liners she also ran German cruise charter during this time.

Her career as the Baltica proved short however, as by late 1995 Baltic Line was in financial trouble and the ship was arrested in Skaramanga, Greece. In early 1996 she was sold to Arcalia Shipping Company, aka Classic International Cruises, and was renamed Princess Danae. Since then she has remained in CIC service but also doing charters to other operators. In 2007 Classic International Cruises also acquired the Princess Danae's sister, that was subsequently renamed Princess Daphne.

The photographs below show the Princess Danae in and departing from Helsinki on 30 June 2011. Photographed from one of the HSL ferries to Suomenlinna (so either Suokki, Suomenlinna II or Tor) and from the breakwater of the Suomenlinna marina. Click on the individual images to see in larger size.

At Katajanokka cruise quay.

More of the same. I'm a big fan of the Daphne and Danae's funnel. It's got a deflector plate and all kinds of groovy things.

Assisted by the tug Atlas during departure.

On Kruunuvuorenselkä.

And sailing towards the Kustaanmiekka strait.

Princess Daphne, 17 May 2009

Princess Daphne

IMO 5282627
Name history: Port Sydney, Akirotiri Express, Daphne, Switzerland, Ocean Monarch, Princess Daphne
Built 1955, Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Newcastle, United Kingdom
Tonnage 15 833 GT
Length 162,37 m
Width 21,34 m
Draught 7,80 m
592 passengers
2 Doxford-Wallsend diesels, combined 9 709 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

Princess Daphne is a classic-looking ship with a diverse history. She was originally built in 1955 as the refridgerated cargo ship Port Sydney for Port Line's UK-New Zealand-Australia service. A sister ship, Port Melbourne, followed later the same year.

In 1972 the Port Sydney and Port Melbourne were sold to the Greenk shipping tycoon John C. Carras (alternatively spelled as "Karras", but the former appears to be the preferred English translitteration) with the original intention of being converted into car/passenger ferries. With this in mind the Port Sydney was renamed Akirotiri Express while her sister became the Therisos Express. Plans changed however, and when the ships sailed to the Chalkis shipayrd in Greece it was with the intention of being rebuilt into luxurious cruise ships for approximately 400 passengers.

When the ships re-emerged from the shipyard in 1975-1976 they were completely transformed from their original unattractive freighter looks into sleek, well-rounded cruise ships. Only the shape of their hulls with the pronounced sheer betrayed their origins from 20 years past. The Akirotiri Express, now renamed Daphne was the first to be completed in 1975. Her sister followed as the Danae the following year. Under the banner of Carras Cruises the sisters sailed to varying destinations around the world, including the Mediterranean, South America, the Amazon River and East Asia. In the latter area the Danae became the first western cruise ship to call in the People's Republic of China in 1977. The Daphne meanwhile was to cruise from the United States to Cuba, but this plan had to be scrapped due to the difficult political situation and a bomb threat directed at the ship.

While Carras Cruises offered interesting iteneraries, they failed to make themselves known to the wider travelling public. An additional problem was the fierce competition from Royal Viking Line with their newer, purpose-built ships. In 1978 the Daphne was chartered to Lauro Lines (the predecessor of todays MSC Cruises) for year. Following the end of the charter to Lauro she was chartered to Costa Cruises for five year from 1979 onwards. Later in 1979, after just four year of operation, Carras Cruises closed down and the Danae was also chartered to Costa.

The sisters retained their names while sailing with Costa, and they stayed with the company for 11 years (Costa purchased the sisters at the end of the original charter agreements in 1984). In 1990 Costa founded a joint subsidiary, Prestige Cruises, with the Soviet Union's Sovcomflot and the Daphne and Danae were transferred to this company—still without a change in name. The Danae was badly damaged during a shipyard fire in 1991 and she was declared a total loss. Although sold for scrap she was eventually sold and repaired by her new owners.

Daphne meanwhile continued sailing for Prestige Cruises for the time being. Sometime between 1993 and 1996 Sovcomflot pulled out of the Prestige Cruises arrangement and the Daphne returned to Costa Cruises. In 1997 the Daphne was sold to Swiss owners and renamed Switzerland for service with Leisure Cruises. In 2001 the Switzerland was laid up at Marseille. In 2002 she was sold to Majestic International Cruises, renamed Ocean Monarch and chartered variously to Page & Moy, Hansa Kreuzfahrten and Golden Sun Cruises. In 2005 she was also used as a hospital ship in Sri Lanka following the Boxing Day Tsunami. In 2007 the Ocean Monarch cruised for Majestic International's subsidiary Monarch Classic Cruises.

In 2007 the Ocean Monarch was sold to the Portugal-based Classic International Cruises. Classic International had bought the ex-Danae (by that time known as Baltica) in 1996 and had renamed her Princess Danae. To match the name of her sister and again-fleetmate the Ocean Monarch was renamed Princess Daphne in 2008. Between 2008 and 2010 the Princess Daphne spent the winter seasons cruising with her owners in the Far East, while for the summers she was chartered to Hansa Kreuzfahrten for European cruising.

[The following segment was added on 3 June 2014:] Classic International Cruises ceased trading in late 2012 and the Princess Daphne, alongside the rest of the company fleet, was laid up. While the rest of the former CIC fleet was sold to Rui Alegre, who formed Portuscale Cruises to operate them, the Princess Daphne was returned to CIC's owners, the brothers Aleksandros and Emilios Potamianos. Probably the Potamianos brothers had ambitions to return the Princess Daphne to cruise service—possibly even using the CIC name. This did not come to pass, and in May 2014 the Princess Daphne left layup for one last voyage to the shipbreakers of Alang.

Photographs below are of the Princess Daphne in Helsinki on 17 May 2009 during one of her charters to Hansa Kreuzfahrten. Click on the individual images to view full size.

At the cruise quay in Katajanokka.

Another photo from the Katajanokka cruise quay.

In the Kustaanmiekka strait, following the train of her Hansa Kreuzfahrten fleetmate Delphin that was also in Helsinki on the same day.

Heading south to the Bay of Finland, with Harmaja lighthouse visible in the background.