The ships that taught us to cruise

Cruising is the fastest-growing segment of the travel market and arguably the best value no matter what your budget.

So where did this passion for cruising really start?

While the original cruises can be traced back to the mid-1800s, it is only in the past 50 years that cruising has taken off as a major leisure option.

For many Australians, of course, the first experience with ‘cruising’ was the voyage from Europe after WWII.

The month-long journey is still remembered by many but not so fondly.

One such vessel was the Fairsea, which after serving as the aircraft carrier and troop ship HMS Charger during WWII, was rebuilt for migrant service in 1949. However, according to the Museum of Victoria, the ship’s accommodation initially left much to be desired.

Frank Kriesl, who migrated from Hungary in 1951 said on the museum’s website that: “The Fairsea was a converted troop ship with no cabins, just huge, big open spaces with triple-decked bunks, so cramped you couldn’t sit up straight in them.

“Men were assigned to one section, women to the other.

“The toilet and shower facilities were one huge, long one, and everywhere you went there was an awful reek of ‘White King’.

“People threw up because of the smell not just the swell.”

Fortunately, cruising has come a long way from those challenging days, according to local cruising historian John Kent, who takes us on a journey down memory lane to look at the ships that taught us to cruise.

“The Orcades was the third ship of this name to be built for the Orient Line and was the first purpose-built passenger vessel to enter the Australian migrant trade after World War II and set a new standard in style and accommodation – multiple saloons, shops, a hair salon, hospital, swimming pool and a range of cabin choices,” Mr Kent told Business News.

Another regular to Fremantle was the Australis, which was built as America in 1940 for the United States Line.

Requisitioned in 1941 by the US Navy and renamed USS West Point until 1946, it was then sold to Chandris Lines in 1964 and became a regular visitor in the 1960s and 1970s.

“But she had a sad ending when she broke a tow in January 1994, beached in the Canary Islands and was consequently destroyed,” Mr Kent said.

He said another well-known ship was the Arcadia, which was completed for P&O in 1954, with sister ship Iberia.

“She was a familiar visitor for many years and latterly cruising out of Sydney until 1977,” he said.

“She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on April 30, 1979.”

The Oriana was very well known and was completed for P&O in 1960.

On her maiden voyage, she was the first ocean liner to dock at the new Fremantle Passenger Terminal in 1960.

“Oriana visited Fremantle on many occasions,” Mr Kent said.

“She retired in 1986 and became a floating hotel in both Japan and China until storm damaged in 2004. [She] ended in a scrapyard in 2005.”

However, the real head turner was the majestic Canberra, which was completed for P&O in 1961.

“During her career she made many visits to Fremantle and other Australian ports” he said.

“Canberra was used as a troopship in 1982 during the Falklands War and resumed cruising until September 1997.”

Sadly, she was scrapped in Pakistan later that year.

Another regular visitor was the Fairstar.

She was originally built as the British troopship Oxfordshire in 1957.

She was purchased by Sitmar Line in 1964 and renamed Fairstar. She cruised out of Sydney for 22 years and was known as the ‘fun ship’.

Fairstar was a regular visitor to Fremantle and her final cruise was in January 1997. She was broken up at Alang in India.

A big favourite was the Centaur, built by John Brown & Co in 1964 for the Alfred Holt Group, and transferred to its subsidiary, Blue Funnel Line, in 1978.

Mr Kent said she was “a very popular ship on the Fremantle-Singapore-Malaysia run, as well as cruising to Hong Kong until 1982”.

Another passenger favourite was the Achille Lauro that was built in 1947 as Willem Ruys for Rotterdamsche Lloyd.

Mr Kent said she was purchased by Flotta Lauro Line in 1965 and made visits to Fremantle as both Willem Ruys and Achille Lauro.

“After a chequered career, she caught fire off Somalia and subsequently sank on December 2, 1994,” he said.

Many will remember her for doing short cruises from Fremantle during the America’s Cup defence.

Sister ships Guglielmo Marconi and Galileo Galilei were completed for Lloyd Triestino in 1963.

They visited Fremantle and other Australian ports regularly, initially carrying migrants and later cruising.

Marconi was withdrawn in 1974, and Galileo in 1977.

“Marconi had a successful career as Costa Riviera until scrapped in 2001 and Galileo as Sun Vista caught fire in the Strait of Malacca in 1999 and sank, luckily with no casualties,” Mr Kent said.

Another regular was the Rotterdam that was built for Holland America Line in 1959. She was retired in 2003 and is now a hotel and museum ship in Rotterdam.

A TV favourite was the Sea Princess, built as Kungsholm for the Swedish American Line in 1966.

Purchased by P&O in 1978, she was deployed to Australia until the early 1990s.

“When in Australia, multiple episodes of [television series] The Love Boat were filmed on board. She went to the breakers in 2016,” Mr Kent said.

Another TV star was the Island Princess, which with her sister ship Pacific Princess, also appeared in The Love Boat.

She was an occasional visitor to Fremantle, according to Mr Kent.

A vessel with a checkered past was the Athena, built for the Swedish American Line in 1948, as Stockholm for the Atlantic service.

“On July 25, 1956, she collided in fog with the Italian liner Andrea Doria, which subsequently sank. Stockholm limped back to New York with many of the survivors,” Mr Kent said.

“Rebuilt into a cruise ship from the hull up in 1989, she made numerous visits to Fremantle. 

“And who can forget the Queen Elizabeth 2. 

“Built in Glasgow in 1969, she was a regular visitor to Fremantle on her world cruises, and her final call was on March 5, 2008. 

“Thankfully she is still with us as a floating hotel in Dubai.” 

With the popularity of cruising soaring through the 1980s and 1990s, the era of superliners was born. 

Every year one of the Cunard Queens visits Fremantle. Queen Victoria was built by Fincantieri in Italy in 2007 and is one of nine vista class ships.

Queen Elizabeth is the same class, as will be the new Queen Anne, albeit somewhat modified. However, they are not built as ocean liners.

The Queen Mary 2, built by STX Saint Nazaire France, is built as an ocean liner. She is a semi-regular visitor to Fremantle.

Mr Kent said Royal Caribbean International ships have visited Fremantle in recent years.

Ovation of the Seas was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg Germany in 2016 and is the third quantum class ship.

Holland America Line ships are regular callers to Fremantle.

One such ship is Volendam, which was used as an accommodation ship for Ukrainian refugees for several years.

After a refit she is back in service cruising the world.

There are many types of cruises to suit budgets, desires and cultures and it is essential to use a cruise specialist to ensure you get exactly the right product to meet your needs.