SS Lavia

SS Lavia was a British-built passenger-cargo ship whose career extended across several major phases of postwar commercial shipping. Constructed by John Brown & Company at Clydebank for the Cunard White Star Line, she was launched as Media in December 1946 and completed in August 1947. Her first commercial role was on Cunard’s transatlantic route between Liverpool and New York, where she carried both passengers and cargo. Together with her sister ship Parthia, Media represented Cunard’s return to new ship construction after the Second World War. Media entered service on 20 August 1947. In 1953 she received a substantial refit that included the installation of stabilisers, making her the first ship on the transatlantic route to be equipped with them. During the later 1950s, however, the economics of her original role deteriorated. Jet aircraft reduced demand for traditional ocean-liner passenger services, while newer and faster cargo vessels weakened the cargo business. These wider technological changes helped determine the ship’s subsequent career. In 1961 Media was sold to Italy’s Cogedar Line for £740,000. After completing her Cunard service in September, she was transferred at Liverpool and sailed to Genoa for a nine-month reconstruction by Officine A & R Navi. The work converted her from a passenger-cargo liner into an ocean liner, adding a new bow and funnel and increasing her length and gross tonnage. Renamed Flavia, she could accommodate approximately 1,320 tourist-class passengers. Her new duties included round-the-world voyages and emigrant transportation to Australia. Her inaugural Cogedar voyage began from Genoa in October 1962 and connected Europe, the Suez route, Australia and other international ports. The ship’s operating profile changed again after the Cogedar Line was absorbed by Costa Line in 1968. A further refit upgraded the accommodation and reduced capacity to about 850 passengers, preparing the vessel for cruise operations. She operated cruises from Miami to the Bahamas, later served South American and Mediterranean itineraries, and eventually returned to the Miami–Bahamas market. By the early 1980s, age and operating costs made continued service increasingly difficult. Sold to Hong Kong’s Virtue Shipping Company, the ship was renamed Flavian and was intended for use as a casino cruise vessel. The concept proved commercially unsuccessful, and she spent much of her time moored in Hong Kong Harbour. In 1982 she was renamed Lavia while undergoing another refit. On 7 January 1989, a fire started by a worker spread through the vessel. All nine crew members and 35 workers escaped, but firefighting efforts required large quantities of water to be pumped aboard. The damaged ship sank in the harbour. Lavia was later refloated and towed to Taiwan, arriving in June 1989, where she was dismantled by Chi Shun Hia Steel in Kaohsiung. The vessel therefore ended her life not as an operating cruise ship, but as a heavily damaged and ultimately scrapped remnant of the postwar ocean-liner era.

The ship that became SS Lavia began life as Media, a passenger-cargo liner built for Cunard White Star Line after the Second World War. John Brown & Company constructed her at Clydebank as yard number 629. She was launched on 12 December 1946 and completed in August 1947. Her maiden voyage began at Liverpool on 20 August 1947, inaugurating a career centered on the North Atlantic route to New York. Media and her sister ship Parthia were the first new vessels built for Cunard after the war. Media’s design reflected the commercial importance of combining passenger and cargo capacity. She measured 531 feet in length, had a 70-foot beam and a draught of 26 feet, and was powered by two steam turbines producing approximately 15,000 horsepower for twin propellers. A major 1953 refit added stabilisers, an important operational improvement that made her the first ship on the transatlantic route to receive this equipment. By the end of the decade, the market supporting ships of her type was under pressure from jet aviation and more efficient cargo vessels. In July 1961, Media was sold to the Italian Cogedar Line for £740,000. She remained with Cunard until the end of September and was formally handed over in Liverpool in October. After reaching Genoa, she underwent a nine-month reconstruction by Officine A & R Navi. The conversion added a new bow and funnel, extended the vessel by approximately 26 feet, and increased gross tonnage from 13,345 to 15,465. As Flavia, she was configured to carry about 1,320 tourist-class passengers. Flavia entered Cogedar service in October 1962. Her activities included round-the-world voyages and emigrant transportation to Australia. A representative route ran from Bremerhaven through Rotterdam, Tilbury, Curaçao, the Panama Canal, the Pacific, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean before returning to northern Europe. The closure of the Suez Canal after the 1967 Six-Day War forced changes to the return itinerary, with voyages operating around the Cape of Good Hope instead. The Cogedar Line was taken over by Costa Line in 1968. Flavia was then refitted again, with passenger accommodation upgraded and capacity reduced to roughly 850. This transformed her into a cruise ship rather than a traditional liner. She operated from Miami to the Bahamas until 1977, then undertook South American cruises and Mediterranean cruises before returning to the Miami–Bahamas market. The vessel’s age increasingly affected her economics, and by the early 1980s her operation had become expensive. Virtue Shipping Company of Hong Kong acquired the ship and renamed her Flavian. The new owner planned to operate her as a casino cruise ship, but the cruises attracted insufficient demand. Consequently, Flavian spent much of her time moored in Hong Kong Harbour. In 1982 she received the name Lavia while a further refit was in progress. On 7 January 1989, a fire started by a worker escaped control and spread throughout the ship. Four fireboats and more than 250 firefighters responded. Everyone aboard—nine crew members and 35 workers—escaped unharmed, but the water used to fight the fire accumulated inside the vessel and caused her to sink. The damage was severe enough to end any prospect of returning to service. Lavia was later refloated and towed to Taiwan, reaching Kaohsiung on 19 June 1989. Chi Shun Hia Steel dismantled her there, bringing to an end a 42-year career that had carried her from postwar transatlantic liner service through Italian ocean-liner operations, emigrant voyages, cruise itineraries and an unsuccessful casino-ship project.

• 1989

  Fire, sinking and final scrapping

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  A fire caused Lavia to sink in Hong Kong Harbour. She was later towed to Taiwan and dismantled.

• 1982

  Renamed Lavia during refit

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  After an earlier period as Flavian, the ship adopted the name Lavia while undergoing a refit in Hong Kong.

• 1968

  Transferred into the Costa era

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  Costa Line took over Cogedar Line, after which Flavia was refitted and repositioned as a cruise ship.

• 1962

  Begins Cogedar operations

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  Flavia departed Genoa on her first Cogedar voyage, serving international and Australian routes.

• 1961

  Sold to Cogedar Line and renamed Flavia

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  The ship was sold to Italy, reconstructed at Genoa and renamed Flavia for ocean-liner and emigrant services.

• 1953

  Receives stabilisers

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  A major refit introduced stabilisers, making Media the first ship on the transatlantic route to receive them.

• 1947

  Completed and enters transatlantic service

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  Media was completed in August and began her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on 20 August.

• 1946

  Launched as Media

  [1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  John Brown & Company launched the vessel at Clydebank on 12 December as a new Cunard White Star passenger-cargo liner.

• Passenger-cargo liner · 1946

  Media

  The vessel’s original identity under Cunard White Star Line. Media combined passenger accommodation with cargo capacity and operated principally between Liverpool and New York after entering service in 1947. Her 1953 refit added stabilisers, reflecting efforts to improve comfort and handling on the North Atlantic.

• Ocean liner · 1962

  Flavia

  Following her 1961 sale to Cogedar Line, the ship was rebuilt as Flavia. The reconstruction lengthened the hull, increased tonnage and provided accommodation for approximately 1,320 tourist-class passengers. She operated round-the-world voyages and carried emigrants to Australia.

• Casino cruise ship concept

  Flavian

  Under Hong Kong ownership, the ship was renamed Flavian and intended for casino cruises. The operation was not commercially successful, leaving the vessel moored for much of the time in Hong Kong Harbour.

• Cruise ship · 1982

  Lavia

  The final name used by the vessel was Lavia. She was undergoing a refit in Hong Kong when a workman's fire spread through the ship in January 1989. The resulting damage ended her operating career and led to her eventual dismantling in Taiwan.

• 1982

  Refit under Hong Kong ownershipStrategy

  Background

  The aging ship had become increasingly costly to operate and an earlier casino-cruise concept had attracted little demand.

  Action taken

  The ship was renamed Lavia and placed into another refit program in Hong Kong.

  Aftermath

  The refit was interrupted by the 1989 fire, after which the vessel never returned to service.

  Source

• 1968

  Conversion to cruise operationsGeneration change

  Background

  After Costa Line took over Cogedar, the ship’s traditional liner role was no longer the sole focus of her operation.

  Action taken

  The vessel was refitted, her accommodation upgraded and her passenger capacity reduced to approximately 850.

  Aftermath

  She operated cruises from Miami, to the Bahamas, South America and the Mediterranean.

  Source

• 1961

  Conversion from passenger-cargo liner to ocean linerStrategy

  Background

  The original transatlantic passenger-cargo model was under pressure from jet aviation and newer cargo ships.

  Action taken

  Cogedar Line purchased Media and commissioned a major Genoa reconstruction, creating the larger tourist-class ocean liner Flavia.

  Aftermath

  The rebuilt ship entered international and Australian emigrant service and later moved into cruise operations.

  Purchase price. £740,000 (1961)

  Source

• 1989

  Fire causes Lavia to sink in Hong Kong Harbour[1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A workman's fire spread through the ship while it was undergoing refit in Hong Kong. The nine crew members and 35 workers aboard escaped, but firefighting operations filled the vessel with enough water to cause it to sink.

• 1989

  Lavia is refloated and towed to Taiwan for dismantling[1]SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  After the Hong Kong Harbour sinking, the vessel was refloated and towed to Taiwan. It reached Kaohsiung in June and was subsequently scrapped.

1. 1SS Laviaen.wikipedia.org