Followers

Saturday 6 October 2012

Sepia Saturday; 146; Ships;

The fate of the Galileo Galilei;

Is it not bad Karma to change a ships name?


Galileo Galilei; 1974
5 weeks from Genoa to Sydney, supposed to be its  last voyage to Australia.



At that time  there were 1000 passengers  plus the crew on the ship.


I, thinking about  "Sepia Saturday 146";



SS Galileo Galilei was launched on 2 July 1961. 
On 23 March 1963, the ship entered service for Lloyd Triestino, doing Mediterranean cruises before departing on its official maiden voyage from Genoa, Italy to Sydney, Australia on 22 April 1963.  Originally the ships traveled to Australia via the eastern route, passing through Suez Canal in both directions, but in the later years the return trip to Europe was via the Panama Canal. They also routed to Australia via the Cape of Good Hope in the late 1960s and early 1970s
The ships were very successful until the 1973 oil crisis, which, combined with the increasing prevalence of airliners, contributed to the decline of ocean liners. Galileo Galilei returned to Genoa and repaired after she stuck a reef off coast of West Africa on 13 January 1975. 
It was thought her last trip to Australia was in October 1974.
 She  continued  to operate as a cruise ship. 1977 she was withdrawn from service. 
 Shortly after in October 1977 she returned to her builders for a lengthy reconstruction.  On 24 March 1979 the Galileo Galilei started cruise service with Italia Crociere (owned by Italia Navigazione, who also owned Lloyd Triestino.)
However, already in September of the same year the Galileo Galilei was withdrawn from service and laid up again.
 In 1983, the vessel was purchased by the Chandris Group. The ship was again rebuilt, this time with additional cabins on her forward deck. Her name shortened to Galileo. 
In 1984 the Galileo began cruising on the Caribbean under Chandris' Fantasy Cruises brand. After the collapse of Home Lines in 1988 Chandris' executives decided to create a new upmarket brand to take over the market segment occupied by Home Lines. With this in mind the Galileo sent to a multi-million dollar refit at Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany between October 1989 and February 1990. Most of her interiors were rebuilt, and externally her rear superstructure enlarged. On 1 March 1990 she emerged as the stylish SS Meridian, the first ship of the new Celebrity Cruises brand, cruising on the Caribbean and the Boston/New York–Bermuda service
In 1997, following Royal Caribbean International's acquisition of Celebrity Cruises, the ship was sold to Sun Cruises, which operated her as SS Sun Vista. On 20 May 1999, the vessel suffered an engine room fire, which cut all power and caused her to sink on 21 May 1999 at 0121 hrs. All 1,090 passengers and crew were safely evacuated

http://maritimematters.com/2010/02/a-cruise-to-remember-the-sinking-of-the-sun-vista

On the afternoon of May 20, 1999 the Luxury Cruise Ship the Sun Vista was returning to Singapore after a typical cruise to Phuket, Thailand when a malfunction in the engine room switchboard started a small fire. Due to factors yet explained, the fire could not be contained and spread throughout the ship. A distress call was finally sent about 6:30 PM. Meanwhile, the passengers were instructed to go up on deck and prepare to abandon ship. All 472 passengers and 672 crew managed to leave the ship. The Sun Vista slowly sank deeper and deeper by the stern for seven hours. Finally at 1:22 AM May 21, 1999 she died and sank about 60 nautical miles south of Penang Island and 50 nautical miles west of Port Weld in the Strait of Malacca in 200 feet of water. A passing freighter finally rescued the passengers after spending five to eight hours in the lifeboats. There were no fatalities and only minor injuries.


Links





Perhaps you are ready for a cruise,  follow the Link  Sepia Saturday 146; and enjoy!




©Photos Ts

24 comments:

  1. Wow -- that's quite a biography of a cruise ship. I love the early pictures with the wooden deck chairs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Is it not bad Karma to change a ships name?
    Asking the question equals answering it.
    Whether I am ready for a cruise? No thank you!
    But I do thank you for an interesting survey.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah those were the days indeed, if you like being on a ship! Once was enough for me....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was on the Galileo when she struck the reef of Senegal...Memories of a grand ship..

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. I was on the Galileo when she struck the reef of Senegal...Memories of a grand ship..

      Delete
  4. That was a sad end to the ship that you carried you here. We returned from Europe on the sister ship the Marconi in 1970

    ReplyDelete
  5. This ship had a few mishaps; just as well we had a few drills, even those were eerie.

    ReplyDelete
  6. !974 - 1000 passengers plus crew;1999 - 472 passengers plus 672 crew. Times had definitely changed. The ship had a chequered career and an untimley end.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh thank goodness they all were brought to safety, and only minor and few injuries. Just thinking about what could have been. I do see where changing the name could be bad karma, as proof came later. I really enjoyed these photos, I love the sea and the ships, but I would rather view the ship from right here, or from shore!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Titania ... wow, this ship was overhauled so many times, as well as being renamed. I wonder the average age of cruise ships that are currently being used? Great article, and I loved learning that you were thinking about future Sepia Saturday posts way back then!

    Kathy M.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Spot on theme with this post Titania. A great set of photos and a fascinating story to go with them. Cruises are not for me and I much prefer dry land to being in a boat of any kind, but that doesn't mean I don't love ships and this one looks quite the thing in the 1970s.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It sounds safer to be travelling in the 1970s, no wonder you look calm. It quite common for cruise ships to change owners and be overhauled but it looks as though the Galileo seems took that to the max.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your post actually made me feel sorry for the ship.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Postcardy, me too, it was such a big, beautiful ship, despite its sad ending many people had a splendid time on it. The people on the Titanic were not so lucky.

      Delete
  12. No cruises for me! Glad to hear that everyone was rescued!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow! I've never been on a cruise before. And this doesn't help me want to go any time soon. Good to know everyone was rescued!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Quite the journey, and what a journey for this ship.
    A sad end but all survived. That's a consolation.
    Not like that cruise ship that sank and the captain fled the scene...
    That was shameful!!
    While I have friends who have enjoyed cruises before.
    I tend to keep my own feet on terra firma,
    if you don't mind...
    ;)~
    HUGZ

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ahhhhh, back when cruise ships still made sense, unlike the behemoths of today.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful ship! I love cruises on whatever kind of ship. The smallest was a canoe and the biggest the ferry from IJmuiden to Newcastle.

    ReplyDelete