RMS Empress of Britain (1955)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 78.115.87.202 (talk) at 17:31, 2 December 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

SS Topaz sailing as the Peaceboat (2003-2008).
History
Namelist error: <br /> list (help)
1955-1965: RMS Empress of Britain
1965-1975: SS Queen Anna Maria
1975-1993: SS Carnivale
1993-1994: SS Festa Marina
1995-1997: SS Olympic
1997-2008: SS Topaz
Ownerlist error: <br /> list (help)
1956-1963: Canadian Pacific Steamships
1964-1975: Greek Line
1975-1994: Carnival Corporation & plc
1995-1997: Epirotiki
1997-2003: TUI Travel plc
2003-2008: Topaz International
Operatorlist error: <br /> list (help)
1956-1965: Canadian Pacific
1965-1975: Greek Lines
1975-1993: Carnival Cruise Lines
1993-1994: Fiesta Marina Cruise (CCL)
1995-1996: Epirotiki
1996-1997: Royal Olympic
1998-2003: Thompson Cruises
2003-2008: Peace Boat
Port of registrylist error: <br /> list (help)
1956-1965: Canada
1965-1975: Greece
1975-1994: Panama
1995-1997: Greece
1998-2008: Cyprus
BuilderFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering,Govan, Scotland
Yard number731
LaunchedJune 22, 1955
Completed1956
Maiden voyageApril 20, 1956
In service1955-2008
Out of serviceApril 2008
FateSold for scrap in 2008.
StatusBeached in Alang, India
General characteristics
Class and typeOcean liner
Tonnage25,516 GRT
Length640 ft.
Beam85.2 ft.
Draught29 ft.
Propulsion6 Steam Turbine
Speed20 knots
Capacity160 1st-class & 984 tourist-class passengers

RMS Empress of Britain was a transatlantic ocean liner built by Fairfield Shipbuilding at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland in 1955-1956[1] for Canadian Pacific Steamship (CP). This ship -- the third of three CP vessels to be named Empress of Britain[2] -- regularly traversed the trans-Atlantic route between Canada and Europe until 1964, completing 123 voyages under the Canadian Pacific flag. This Empress was distinguished by the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) prefix in front of her name because the British government and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) had decades earlier reached agreement on a contract for subsidized trans-oceanic mail service. When not carrying mail, the ship would have been identified as SS Empress of Britain.[3]

History

Empress of Britain

The Empress of Britain was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding in Govan near Glasgow, Scotland.[4] She was launched on June 22, 1955 by HM Queen Elizabeth II, nearly fifty years after the first CP Empress of Britain was launched from Govan in November 1905. Eleven months later, she set out on a maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montreal, departing Liverpool on April 20, 1956.[3]

The 25,516-ton vessel had a length of 640 feet, and her beam was 85.2 feet. The ship had one funnel, one masts, twin screws and an average speed of 20-knots. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 160 first-class passengers and for 984 tourist-class passengers.[3]

Queen Anna Maria

In November 1964, this former CP Empress was sold to the Greek Line; and the ship was re-named SS Queen Anna Maria. This Queen re-built to 21,716 gross tons with accommodation for 168 first-class passengers and for 1,145 tourist-class passengers. She sailed on on the Piraeus to Naples to New York route. Later, she provided service on the Haifa to New York route. In 1975, she was laid up at Piraeus for a time.[3]

Carnivale

In 1976, this former Greek Queen was sold to Carnival Cruise Lines; and the ship was re-named yet again -- this time as the SS Carnivale. As Carnival's market expanded and the company was able to afford buying new ships, the ship transferred in to a Latin market subsidiary cruise line.[3]

Fiesta Marina

In 1993, Carnival Cruise Lines transferred registration of the Carnivale to a subsidiary cruise line, Fiesta Marine; and the ship was re-named SS Fiesta Marina. She became something of a test ship in a cruise-line expansion venture which proved ultimately to be unsuccessful.[3]

Olympic

In 1994, Fiesta Marine sold the former FiestaMarina to Epirotiki; and the ship was re-named the Olympic. In 1996, she was transferred to Royal Olympic Cruises operating under the same name.[3]

Topaz

In 1997, the former Olympic was sold to Cyprus-based Thomson Holidays; and the ship was re-named Topaz.[3]

In 2003, the vessel was chartered, and then later sold to Topaz International to sail for Peace Boat operating under the name Peace Boat. In April 2008, she was retired from the Peace Boat organization.[5]

After Retirement

After the Topaz was retired in April, she was laid up. On June 15, while she was anchored, she was struck by the tanker CHAMPION BRALI. The collision severed off part of her bow.[6] During her lay up, she was sold to the breakers. In the late summer of 2008, the Topaz was beached in Alang, India to be scrapped. She was placed not too far away from where the remains of the SS France / SS Norway are located.[7] However as of November, 2008 no work had started as scrap prices have dropped significantly.

Notes

  1. ^ The disambiguation date used in this article's title is the year in which the hull is launched, not the year of the vessel's sea trial or maiden voyage.
  2. ^ The second of three ships named SS Empress of Britain (1931) was built for CP; and the first SS Empress of Britain (1906) was also built for CP some years earlier.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Ship List: Description of Empress of Britain Cite error: The named reference "sl1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ Johnston, Ian. "Govan Shipyard" in Ships Monthly. June 1985.
  5. ^ Topaz news
  6. ^ Cruise ship news, shipping reports at MARITIME MATTERS
  7. ^ http://www.finnjetweb.com/alang/Outside/slides/CIMG3339.html

References

See also

External links