During the past thirty years cruising has become a popular form of holiday
for an increasing number of Australians. The first cruise from Australia was
operated by P&O liner 'Strathaird', which departed Sydney on 23 December 1932
for five nights to Brisbane and Norfolk Island. Up to 1939 P7O and Orient Line
vessels operated occasional cruises between line voyages from Britain, but these
ceased in that year.
It was not until the mid 1950s that the cruises began operating again, but
these were still on a very occasional basis. Things began to change in the early
1970s, when the advent of the Boeing 747 transformed international travel.
Instead of spending four weeks or more at sea, Australians could now fly to
Britain and Europe in one day, and this spelled doom for the long-haul passenger
liner. Many of these vessels ended up in the scrapyard, but some wer refitted to
full-time cruise ships, and thus began the cruise boom.
The first liners to be engaged in full-time cruising from Australia were all
converted. These ships introduced many thousands of Australians to the delights
of cruising, the numbers making a cruise have steadily increased over the past
three decades.
This book provides details of many of the ships that cruised out of Australian
ports from the early 1970s up to 2000, and all the cruise ships to have been
seen in local waters since 2001. The author writes "it is my hope that turning
the pages of this book will bring back many happy memories to cruise travellers,
and hopefully inspire those who have not yet ventured out to sea to take the
plunge and discover the joy of cruising".
The ships are listed in the order in which they entered the local cruise
market, and each entry gives details such as when it was built, tonnage,
dimensions, speed, and its propulsion system, as well as a photo, and a write up
about each.
Contents:
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Kanimbla/Oriental Queen
Kuala Lumpur
Marco Polo
Ocean Monarch
Himalaya
Fairsky
Leonid Sobonov & Fedor Shalyapin
Fairstar
Arcadia (1954)
Canberra
The Royal Viking Trio
The Russian 'Writers'
Pacific Princess (1971) & Island Princess
Oriana (1960)
Felix Dzerjinsky & Turkmenia
Queen Elizabeth 2
Sea Princess - Victoria
Minghua
Dalmacija
Princess Mahsuri - Berlin
Sagafjord - Saga Rose
Europa (1981)
Maxim Gorkyi
The Belorussiya Class
Vistafjord - Saga Ruby
Royal Princess - Artemis
Coral Princess
Achille Lauro
Fair Princess
Frontier Spirit - Bremen
Royal Vikin Sun - Seabourn Sun - Prinsendam
Orient Venus - Delphin Voyager
Fuji Maru
Kapitan Khlebnikov
Royal Viking Queen - Seabourn Legend
Asuka - Amadea
Crystral Harmony - Asuka II
Mikhail Sholokhov & Russ
Crown Monarch
Arkona
Fedor Dostoevisky - Astor
Albatros
Southern Cross
Rotterdam (1959)
Crystal Symphone
Seabourn Price & Seabourn Spirit
Oriana (1995)
Sky Princess - Pacific Sky
Italia Prima - Athena
Nieuw Amsterdam
Silver Cloud & Silver Wind
Arcadia (1989)
C Columbus
Oceanic Odyssey - Clipper Odyssey
Deautchland
Europa (1999)
Regal Princess - Pacific Dawn
Aegean I
Seven Seas Navigator
Legend of the Seas
Crown Odyssey
Aurora
Rotterdam (1997)
Silver Shadow & Silver Whisper
Wind Song
Norwegian Wind
Pacific Venus
Amsterdam
Volendam
Pacific Princess (1999)
Arion
Hanseatic
Paul Gaugin
Seven Seas Mariner
The World
Superstar Leo & Superstar Virgo
Star Princess
Seven Seas Voyager
Adonia
Island Sun
Funchal
Pacific Sun
The Topaz
Sapphire Princess & Diamond Princess
Crystal Serenity
Nippon Maru
Delphin Renaissance & Nautica
Pacific Star
Marina Tsvetayeva
Statendam
Queen Mary 2
Sun Princess
The Emerald
Mercury
Queen Victoria
Index
