RMS Sylvania

RMS Sylvania was a British ocean liner built for Cunard Line by John Brown & Company at Clydebank, Glasgow, and delivered in 1957. She was the final member of Cunard's four-ship Saxonia class, a group designed primarily for post-war services between Britain and Canada. Unlike Cunard's most prestigious express liners, the Saxonia-class vessels were intended to combine passenger accommodation with cargo capacity and were dimensioned to pass through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal. Sylvania therefore represented a transitional type of ship: still recognizably a traditional ocean liner, but designed for an era in which passenger demand, commercial economics and transport technology were changing rapidly. The ship entered service on 5 June 1957 with a maiden voyage from Greenock to Montreal. She subsequently operated scheduled services linking Liverpool, Greenock, Quebec and Montreal, and at different points also served routes involving New York, Halifax, Rotterdam, Southampton and Le Havre. Her passenger spaces were divided into first and tourist classes, with tourist accommodation forming the larger part of the ship. Despite the practical emphasis of the design, Cunard fitted her out to a relatively high standard, including air conditioning, a cinema with a balcony, a soda fountain and substantial public rooms. Cargo handling was supported by large cranes positioned on the forward and aft decks. The rise of jet aviation sharply weakened the economics of North Atlantic liner travel soon after Sylvania entered service. Cunard increasingly used her for cruising, and a 1965 refit added en-suite facilities to many cabins and made the ship better suited to leisure passengers. In 1967 she was also involved in an unsuccessful experiment involving the carriage and deployment of a British Hovercraft Corporation SRN-6 hovercraft during Mediterranean cruises. That same year she grounded in the St. Lawrence River while sailing from Montreal to Southampton. Although she was freed after several days, the incident occurred during a period of heavy losses, and Cunard withdrew Sylvania and her sister Carinthia from service later that year. Sold to Sitmar Line in February 1968, the ship was renamed Fairwind. Sitmar initially intended to convert her for the European-to-Australia and New Zealand immigrant trade, but the company failed to retain the relevant Australian government contract. Fairwind was consequently rebuilt for cruising in Trieste between 1970 and 1971. The reconstruction substantially changed both her appearance and function: her superstructure and funnel were redesigned, the cargo cranes were removed, swimming pools were added, and the interiors were reorganized with a theatre, lounges and restaurants. She then became a popular cruise ship in the North American market, sailing from Fort Lauderdale in winter and San Francisco in summer. In 1988 Sitmar refreshed the ship's appearance and renamed her Sitmar Fairwind. The change was short-lived because Sitmar Cruises was acquired by P&O later that year. The vessel was transferred to Princess Cruises and renamed Dawn Princess, continuing North American cruising. In 1993 she was sold to V-Ships and renamed Albatros, entering a long charter to the German operator Phoenix Reisen. During this final operating period she suffered an engine-room fire in the Red Sea in 1995 and struck Bartholomew's Ledge near the Isles of Scilly in 1997, requiring major repairs on both occasions. Severe machinery problems in 2003 led Phoenix Reisen to end the charter. V-Ships concluded that repairing the ageing vessel was uneconomic, and she was sold for demolition. Renamed Genoa for her final voyage, she reached Alang, India, on 1 January 2004 and was subsequently broken up. Sylvania's career illustrates the decline of the traditional liner, the conversion of older passenger ships into cruise vessels, and the successive ownership and branding changes that characterized the late twentieth-century passenger-shipping industry.

Cunard ordered the four ships that became known as the Saxonia class in 1951 to reinforce services between Britain and Canada. Their design reflected the commercial realities of the post-war period. They carried both passengers and cargo, offered only first and tourist classes, and were built within dimensions that allowed them to navigate the St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal. John Brown & Company constructed the class at Clydebank, with Saxonia delivered in 1954, Ivernia in 1955, Carinthia in 1956 and Sylvania in 1957. Sylvania made her maiden voyage from Greenock to Montreal on 5 June 1957 and joined the regular Liverpool–Montreal service later that month. She also worked on routes to New York, Halifax and other North Atlantic ports. Her classic liner profile included a black hull, a terraced forward superstructure, an aft superstructure, a rounded funnel and four cargo cranes. Her accommodation included air conditioning, a cinema, a soda fountain and Cunard-style public rooms, while the majority of her passenger capacity was in tourist class. The ship's commercial career was constrained by the rapid expansion of jet aviation. Cunard moved her toward cruising and gave her a partial cruise-oriented refit in 1965. In 1967 she carried a small hovercraft during Mediterranean cruises in an experiment that was not repeated. On 15 June that year she grounded in the St. Lawrence River. Although she was freed on 18 June, the accident and continuing financial losses contributed to her withdrawal from Cunard service in December 1967. Sitmar Line bought Sylvania and Carinthia in February 1968, renaming them Fairwind and Fairland. Sitmar's planned use of Fairwind as an immigrant liner depended on retaining an Australian government contract, but the contract went to another operator. Fairwind was therefore laid up until Sitmar converted her into a cruise ship in Trieste between 1970 and 1971. The rebuilding removed the cargo cranes, reshaped the superstructure and funnel, added three swimming pools and modernized the passenger spaces with a theatre, five lounges and three restaurants. Fairwind became a successful North American cruise ship, operating seasonal itineraries from Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco. A Sitmar identity refresh produced the name Sitmar Fairwind in 1988, but P&O's acquisition of Sitmar soon ended the independent Sitmar brand in North America. The vessel was transferred to Princess Cruises and renamed Dawn Princess. She remained in cruise service until her sale to V-Ships in 1993, when she became Albatros under charter to Phoenix Reisen. Her later career included an engine-room fire in the Red Sea in 1995 and a serious grounding near the Isles of Scilly in 1997. Both incidents were followed by repairs and a return to service. In late 2003, machinery failures made continued operation uneconomic. The ship was sold for demolition, renamed Genoa for the delivery voyage, and beached at Alang on 1 January 2004. She was then dismantled. Across nearly five decades, the vessel changed from a Cunard liner serving scheduled Atlantic routes into a succession of branded cruise products operated for different national and regional markets.

• 2004

  Demolition at Alang

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  Renamed Genoa for her final voyage, the ship arrived at Alang on 1 January and was subsequently dismantled.

• 1993

  Enters Phoenix Reisen service as Albatros

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  V-Ships acquired the vessel, renamed her Albatros and chartered her to Phoenix Reisen.

• 1988

  Renamed Sitmar Fairwind and Dawn Princess

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  Following Sitmar's livery change and its acquisition by P&O, the vessel moved to Princess Cruises and became Dawn Princess.

• 1971

  Major cruise conversion completed

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  A substantial Trieste rebuilding transformed Fairwind from a mixed-use liner into a modern cruise ship.

• 1968

  Sold to Sitmar and renamed Fairwind

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  Sitmar Line purchased the ship and initially planned to use her in immigrant transportation.

• 1967

  St. Lawrence grounding and Cunard withdrawal

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  After grounding near Trois-Rivières and amid continuing losses, Sylvania was withdrawn from Cunard service and laid up.

• 1965

  Cruise-oriented Cunard refit

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  Many cabins received en-suite facilities as Cunard adapted the vessel for a greater role in cruising.

• 1957

  Sylvania enters service

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  The ship was delivered by John Brown & Company and began her maiden voyage from Greenock to Montreal on 5 June.

• 1951

  Cunard orders the Saxonia-class liners

  [1]RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org

  Cunard commissioned four ships to strengthen its Britain–Canada services and compete with Canadian Pacific Steamships.

Originally positioned as a practical, two-class Cunard liner for post-war Canada and North Atlantic services, Sylvania was later repositioned as a refurbished leisure cruise ship for North American and German-speaking holiday markets.

• Ocean liner · 1957

  Cunard Sylvania

  The original 1957 configuration was a two-class passenger and cargo liner for Cunard's North Atlantic and Canadian services. Tourist accommodation made up most of the passenger capacity, while cargo holds and deck cranes supported the commercial role. The ship offered air conditioning and formal Cunard public rooms, including a cinema and soda fountain.

• Cruise ship · 1971

  Fairwind / Sitmar Fairwind

  After Sitmar's 1970–1971 conversion, the ship was marketed as a cruise vessel for North American passengers. The reconstruction added pools, a theatre, lounges and restaurants, modernized the cabins and radically changed the external profile. Seasonal itineraries connected Fort Lauderdale with South America and San Francisco with Canada and Alaska.

• Cruise ship · 1988

  Dawn Princess

  Under Princess Cruises, the former Sitmar vessel continued operating cruises directed mainly at the North American market. Its Princess identity included the company's white livery, dark funnel and wave emblem.

• Cruise ship · 1993

  Albatros

  As Albatros, the ship operated under Phoenix Reisen's charter from 1993 until the charter ended in 2003. She served German-speaking holidaymakers on cruises from Germany and to destinations including Northern Europe, while undergoing repairs after two serious maritime incidents.

• 2003

  Withdrawal from service and sale for scrappingStrategy

  Background

  Severe machinery problems affected the ageing vessel, and the cost of repair was judged excessive.

  Action taken

  Phoenix Reisen ended its charter and V-Ships sold the ship to an Indian demolition yard.

  Aftermath

  The vessel was renamed Genoa, delivered to Alang in January 2004 and broken up.

  Source

• 1988

  P&O acquires Sitmar and transfers the vessel to Princess CruisesM&A

  Background

  P&O purchased Sitmar Cruises as the ship was receiving a new identity as Sitmar Fairwind.

  Action taken

  P&O closed the Sitmar brand in North America and renamed the vessel Dawn Princess under Princess Cruises.

  Aftermath

  The ship continued cruising under Princess branding until her sale to V-Ships in 1993.

  Source

• 1970

  Sitmar converts Fairwind for cruisingStrategy

  Background

  Sitmar's plan to use the former Sylvania in the Australian and New Zealand immigrant trade failed after the company lost the relevant government contract.

  Action taken

  The company undertook a major reconstruction in Trieste, replacing the ship's mixed passenger-cargo configuration with a cruise-oriented layout.

  Aftermath

  Fairwind entered the North American cruise market and became a popular seasonal cruise ship.

  Source

1. 1RMS Sylvaniaen.wikipedia.org