Old Cruise ships

[peterredd]

Hi Folks.

        I posted a couple of shots of the ATHENA today.. This ship comes into
Esperance [my home town ] regularly..I would like someone to answer this question.
Is this the oldest cruise ship still in work or is there more..ATHENA BUILT 1948

Cheers Peter

[rd77]

Hi Peter,

I think she is pretty much the oldest. The sail cruise ship SEA CLOUD is older (1931) but she is of a different kind really.

[peterredd]

Thanks for that Ralph.. The ATHENA still looks good i don't know how a small ship survives these days but it arrived here today at 0900 and departed at 1800 with 370 passengers.. Thanks again

Regards Peter

[Federico]

ATHENA was the ill-fated STOCKHOLM which collided with the Italian liner ANDREA DORIA in 1956 with the result of her sinking! Very bad story...

In the late 80's was put alongside somewhere in the port of Genoa until some businessmen decided to rebuild her completely converting the ship into a small but refined cruiseship. So she was entered for a couple of years in one of the drydocks of San Giorgio, dismantled and rebuilt on the new design, also new engines were installed and the ship in 1996 was renamed "Italia Prima". She passed in hands various times since that, now it is already many years which is sailing with International Classic Cruises as the "Athena".

For what is regarding the SEA CLOUD she is really one of the oldiest floating ships even if calling her a cruiseship for some aspects is funny...It is very small and "delicate". I manouvred her two or three times and it is not a nice behaviour specially with strong wind...it is better not to use tugs because modern tugs are not the best for her marine equipment layout, bitts, winches...also the crew was not so "nice"...but any way she is an old lady to handle with care...

[hendrik-sg]

The hurtigruten "nordstjernen is build 1951 and looks from outside still quite originally, but has e new engine. The younger "Lofoten" is build around 1961 and has the original slow running two stroke engine.
Tug "Holland" is not a cruise ship in a narrower sense, but can be chartered for very nice cruises and has his original 10 zyl 4-stroke engine, running 275rpm.

The tug i know from a cruise, and can strongly recomend it without reservation (and without financial interest) and the old hurtigruten is on the list for soon.

Build around 1950 there is a icebreaker available in northern finnland, which can be booked for ice touurs in winther but here my information is not to actual (may have changed)

[peterredd]

Hi all
this is a good read regarding the Athena

http://cruiselinehistory.com/?p=3264

Regards Peter

[Kyle Stubbs]

The only other contender for the title I can think of is BRAHE, built in 1943 as a Naval vessel, and converted to a cruise ship in 1947, and still faithfully sailing in that role in the Gulf of Finland.

[peterredd]

Yes the BRAHE may be i am not sure i have been all over the net trying to find out if she in fact still cruises.. Also i believe she only does the lakes and rivers if she is still cruising, I am not sure on that one..Anyway the BRAHE has some history behind her its a good read.. Well if she is still going she beats the ATHENA by 5 years.. Thanks for the info..

Regards Peter

[Clive Harvey]

Sorry but you have this wrong, the Nordstjernen was built in 1956.

The hurtigruten "nordstjernen is build 1951 and looks from outside still quite originally, but has e new engine. The younger "Lofoten" is build around 1961 and has the original slow running two stroke engine.
Tug "Holland" is not a cruise ship in a narrower sense, but can be chartered for very nice cruises and has his original 10 zyl 4-stroke engine, running 275rpm.

The tug i know from a cruise, and can strongly recomend it without reservation (and without financial interest) and the old hurtigruten is on the list for soon.

Build around 1950 there is a icebreaker available in northern finnland, which can be booked for ice touurs in winther but here my information is not to actual (may have changed)

[peterredd]

Yes Clive you are correct Nordstjernen was built in 1956. The ship i was talking about "ATHENA" was built in 48 and the BRAHE was in 43... The Nordstjernen is not in the pre 50s..

[Clive Harvey]

Yes, but it was Hendrik-sg that said Nordstjernen was built in 1951, you will see that I was quoting from his message.

[Kyle Stubbs]

Saimaa Travels's site seems to have every indication that Brahe is still going strong. It appears that most of the year she sails from Helsinki on inland cruises, but makes occasional themed cruises into the Gulf and the Finnish Archipelago.